Integrated service identity for different types of information exchange services

• US 8,776,185 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Piepenbrink, David J., Chow, Lee M., Sofos, James T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZHAO, DON GORDON
• Application Number:
  US12/341,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20100162363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,024 Days
• Field of Search: 713150-181, 726/27, 726 1- 21
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services

Abstract

A service provisioning method includes providing a differentiated set of information exchange services to a user. In some embodiments, differentiation between or among the provided services may include differentiated access networks, differentiated physical network layers, and/or differentiated service providers. An integrated service identity may be generated and/or maintained by the service provider(s) or by a third party. The integrated services identity may enable the user to define preference settings applicable to the information exchange services, to process billable events and activity and to issue integrated statements encompassing all of the information exchange services provided to the user, and enabling the user to access customer support services for any of the information exchange services and further enabling the logging of all customer support activities to the integrated service identity.

Claims

1. A service provisioning method, comprising:

responsive to a first user input from a user receiving a plurality of information exchange services, the plurality of information exchange services including a first service provided via a first access network comprising a wireline physical layer and a second service provided via a second access network comprising a wireless physical layer, recording an integrated setting in an integrated service identity data structure, wherein the integrated setting defines a setting common to the first service and the second service and wherein the integrated setting comprises a parental control setting;

responsive to a second user input, recording a differentiated setting in the integrated service identity data structure, wherein the differentiated setting is applicable to the second service and inapplicable to the first service;

accessing the integrated service identity data structure to;

process billable activity associated with the first service and the second service; and

issue an integrated statement encompassing the first service and the second service; and

accessing integrated customer service log information in the integrated service identity data structure, wherein the customer service log information is indicative of a household'"'"'s interactions with a service provider via the first service and the second service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of information exchange services include multimedia content delivery services, fixed access voice services, and broadband Internet services provided via the first access network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireline physical layer is compliant with a standard selected from:

digital subscriber line, integrated services digital network, T-carrier, and E-carrier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of information exchange services include a mobile telephony service provided via the second access network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the wireless physical layer is compliant with a standard selected from:

wideband-code division multiple access, time division-wideband-code division multiple access, time division-synchronous-wideband-code division multiple access, and time division multiple access.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a single logon for all user devices accessing any of the information exchange services.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user devices include a set top box, an Internet protocol phone, and a computer.

8. A computer readable memory including stored processor executable program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

responding to a first user input from a user receiving a plurality of information exchange services, the plurality of information exchange services including a first service, provided by a first service provider via a first access network comprising a wireline physical layer, and a second service, provided by a second service provider via a second access network comprising a wireless physical layer, by recording an integrated setting in an integrated service identity data structure, wherein the integrated setting defines a setting common to the first service and the second service and wherein the integrated setting comprises a parental control setting;

responding to a second user input by recording a differentiated setting in the integrated service identity data structure, wherein the differentiated setting is applicable to the support service and inapplicable to the first service; and

accessing the integrated service identity data structure to perform;

processing billable activity associated with the first service and the second service;

issuing an integrated statement encompassing the first service and the second service; and

accessing integrated customer service log information in the integrated service identity data structure, wherein the customer service log information is indicative of a household'"'"'s interactions with a service provider via the first service and the second service.

9. The computer readable memory of claim 8, wherein the plurality of information exchange services include multimedia content delivery services, fixed access voice services, and broadband Internet services provided via the first service provider.

10. The computer readable memory of claim 9, wherein the plurality of information exchange services include mobile telephony services provided via the second service provider.

11. The computer readable memory of claim 8, wherein the operations include:

defining a single logon for all user devices rendering any of the plurality of information exchange services.

12. The computer readable memory of claim 11, wherein the user devices include a set top box associated with multimedia content delivery services, an Internet protocol phone for fixed access voice services, and a computer for broadband Internet services.

13. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium, accessible to the processor, including processor executable program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

responding to a first user input from a user receiving a plurality of information exchange services, the plurality of information exchange services including a first service provided by a first service provider via a first access network comprising a wireline physical layer and a second service provided by a second service provider via a second access network comprising a wireless physical layer by recording an integrated setting in an integrated service identity data structure, wherein the integrated setting defines a setting common to the first service and the second service and wherein the integrated setting comprises a parental control setting;

responding to a second user input by recording a differentiated in the integrated service identity data structure, wherein the differentiated is applicable to the second service and inapplicable to the first service; and

accessing the integrated service identity data structure to perform;

processing billable activity associated with the first service and the second service;

issuing an integrated statement encompassing the first service and the second service; and

accessing integrated customer service log information in the integrated service identity data structure, wherein the customer service log information is indicative of a household'"'"'s interactions with a service provider via the first service and the second service.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of information exchange services includes multimedia content delivery services, fixed access voice services, and broadband Internet services provided via the first access network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first physical layer a physical layer selected from:

a digital subscriber line physical layer, an integrated services digital network physical layer, a T-carrier physical layer, and an E-carrier physical layer.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of information exchange services includes a mobile telephony service provided via the second access network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second physical layer is selected from a physical layer selected from:

a wideband-code division multiple access physical layer, a time division-wideband-code division multiple access physical layer, a time division-synchronous-wideband-code division multiple access physical layer, and a time division multiple access physical layer.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations include:

enabling the user to define a single logon for all user devices rendering any of the plurality of information exchange services.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user devices include:

a set top box to access multimedia content delivery services;

an Internet protocol phone to access fixed access voice services; and

a computer to access broadband Internet services.