Point of sales and customer support for femtocell service and equipment

• US 8,942,180 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2014
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 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, Huber, Kurt Donald, Flynn, Judson John, Mansfield, William Gordon, Seymour, Jefferey Thomas, Brisebois, Arthur Richard, Davis, John Potts
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANWAR, MOHAMMAD S
• Application Number:
  US14/253,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20140235201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 287 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

A femto cell service framework is utilized for purchase and service of femtocell equipment 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:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

assigning tag data to a mobility service account associated with a mobility service that is provided to a user equipment via a macro cell device, wherein the tag data represents an association between the mobility service account and a femtocell service account related to a femtocell service that is provided to the user equipment via a femtocell device, and

based on a verification of credential data that is utilized to access the mobility service account, allowing access to the femtocell service account.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the femtocell service account comprises profile data associated with a femto access point device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the profile data comprises status data that represents an activation status of the femto access point device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving activation data to facilitate an activation of a femto access point device associated with the femtocell service account.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the activation data comprises identifier data assigned to the femto access point device.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the activation data comprises timing data indicative of a timestamp associated with the activation.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

subsequent to the allowing, facilitating a presentation of process information that describes an activation process for activation a femto access point device associated with the femtocell service account.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on update data received from a customer care device, updating the process information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

subsequent to the allowing, facilitating a presentation of invoice data that represents a charge associated with the femtocell service, wherein the invoice data comprises a set of fees corresponding to usage of a set of different communication technologies.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the femtocell service account is determined based on telephone number data associated with the user equipment.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, credential data associated with a mobility service account related to a mobility service that is provided to a user equipment via a macro cell device; and

in response to determining that the credential data satisfies a defined security criterion and determining, based on tracking data assigned to the mobility service account, that the mobility service account is linked to a femtocell service account related to a femtocell service that is provided to the user equipment via a femtocell device, authorizing, by the system, access to the femtocell service account.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving comprises receiving information indicative of a telephone number associated with the user equipment.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

subsequent to the authorizing, determining, by the system, profile data associated with a set of femto access point devices related to the femtocell service account.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining the profile data comprises determining address data indicative of respective geographical locations of the set of femto access point devices.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

subsequent to the authorizing, facilitating, by the system, a presentation of invoice data that represents a bill associated with the femtocell service, wherein the invoice data comprises a set of fees corresponding to usage of a set of respective communication technologies.

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

determining that a femtocell service account has been registered, wherein the femtocell service account is associated with a femtocell service that is provided to a user equipment via a femtocell device; and

in response to the determining, facilitating an update of tag data assigned to a mobility service account associated with a mobility service that is provided to the user equipment via a macro cell device, wherein the tag data represents linking of the mobility service account with the femtocell service account.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining attribute data associated with a femto access point device related to the femtocell service account.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the attribute data comprises location data indicative of a geographical location of the femto access point device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the attribute data comprises identifier data indicative of an equipment identifier of the femto access point device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to determining an error during registration of the femtocell service account, facilitating a transmission of information indicative of the error to the user equipment via a text message.