Point of sales and customer support for femtocell service and equipment

• US 8,743,776 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gurajala, Ravindra Babu, Lott, Robert Wayne, Flynn, Judson John, Mansfield, William Gordon, Seymour, Jefferey Thomas, Brisebois, Arthur Richard, Davis, John Potts, Huber, Kurt Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANWAR, MOHAMMAD S
• Application Number:
  US12/484,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20100027469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 370/350
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

System(s) and method(s) are provided for a femto cell service framework for purchase of femtocell equipment and service and customer support thereof. A point of sale (POS) platform enables purchase of femtocell equipment based on a set of eligibility criteria. POS also allows purchase of add-on services. Direct fulfillment and post-sale transactions such as returns and equipment replacement are also provided. An account management service enables femtocell equipment and service self-care or through customer representatives. Configuration of service account and monitoring of account status is provided. Customer care architecture also enables remote troubleshooting of purchased equipment. Remote troubleshooting includes diagnosis and related manipulation of purchased equipment.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor, communicatively coupled to the at least one memory, that facilitates execution of the computer-executable instructions to at least;

facilitate creation of a femtocell service account associated with a femtocell equipment,

link the femtocell service account with a mobility account that is associated with a mobility service provided to a mobile device via a macro cell network, including application of a tag to the mobility account with tracking data indicative of a femtocell service being registered for the mobility account, and

facilitate management of the femtocell service account based in part on an authentication of credential data received to access the mobility account.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to facilitate configuration of an access list that includes data associated with a set of mobile devices that are authorized to exploit the femtocell service through the femtocell equipment.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the configuration of the access list includes assignment of a service priority to the set of mobile devices.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to redirect a communication session from a network site associated with the mobility account to at least one femtocell online account management network site associated with the femtocell service account to facilitate the management of the femtocell service account.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to activate the femtocell service associated with the femtocell equipment, based on receipt of an input via a femtocell online account management interface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the input is a first input, and wherein the at least one processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to disconnect the femtocell service, based on receipt of a second input via the femtocell online account management interface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to perform a location tolerance check that includes a comparison of a distance between a first location at which the femtocell equipment is deployed and a second location that is recorded during registration, with a predefined tolerance threshold.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to facilitate a transmission of an error signal, in response to the distance exceeding the predefined tolerance threshold.

9. A method, comprising:

facilitating, by a system comprising a processor, creation of a femtocell service account associated with a femtocell equipment;

linking, by the system, the femtocell service account with a mobility account that is associated with a mobility service provided to a communication device via a macro cell network, wherein the linking includes assigning, to the mobility account, a tracking function to the femto service account indicative of a femtocell service being registered for the mobility account; and

configuring, by the system, the femtocell service account based in part on an authentication of credential data received to access the mobility account.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuring includes disconnecting the femtocell service associated with the femtocell equipment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the disconnecting includes deactivating an emergency service.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the disconnecting includes expiring a set of configuration attributes retained in the femtocell service account and the tracking feature assigned to the mobility account.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuring includes populating an access list that includes data associated with a set of mobile devices that are authorized to exploit the femtocell service through the femtocell equipment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the configuring further includes assigning a service priority to a mobile device of the set of mobile devices.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuring includes adjusting a billing rate plan for the femtocell service associated with the femtocell equipment.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the femtocell service account is a first femtocell service account, the femtocell equipment is a first femtocell equipment, and wherein the method further includes:

facilitating, by the system, creation of a second femtocell service account that is associated with a second femtocell equipment and that is linked to the first femtocell service account.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuring includes modifying an address associated with the femtocell equipment.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuring includes activating the femtocell service associated with the femtocell equipment.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

creating a femtocell service account associated with a femtocell equipment;

linking the femtocell service account with a mobility account that is associated with a mobility service provided to a user equipment via a macro cell network, wherein the linking includes assigning, to the mobility account, a tracking parameter indicative of a femtocell service being registered for the mobility account; and

facilitating management of the femtocell service account based in part on authenticating credential data received to access the mobility account.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the credential data to access the mobility account via a network-based interface; and

directing a communication session to a femto online account management network site via a network site associated with the mobility account, in response to the authenticating.