VALIDATING USER INFORMATION PRIOR TO SWITCHING INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS

• US 20090043903A1
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dale W. Malik, Jeffrey Allen Lord, Michael Jackson
• Original Assignee: Dale W. Malik, Jeffrey Allen Lord, Michael Jackson
• Inventors: Jackson, Michael, Lord, Jeffrey Allen, Malik, Dale W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

Inconveniences in switching from one Internet service provider (ISP) to another ISP are remedied by providing streamlined approaches that facilitate the migration from one ISP to another ISP. In one embodiment, user information is validated prior to migrating from the old ISP to the new ISP, thereby ensuring proper transfer of information from the old ISP to the new ISP.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating migration from an old Internet service provider (ISP) to a new ISP, the method comprising:

receiving user information for an old ISP account and a new ISP account, the user information comprising an old ISP user name, an old ISP password, a new ISP user name, and a new ISP password;

receiving data validating the old ISP user name and the old ISP password from the old ISP;

receiving data validating the new ISP user name and the new ISP password from the new ISP;

accessing the new ISP account and the old ISP account using the user information to forward email from the old ISP account to the new ISP account;

receiving a future date in which the old ISP account is to be terminated; and

when the future date occurs, automatically conveying a cancellation of service request to the old ISP.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein communicating with the old ISP to validate the old ISP user name and password comprises attempting to login to an old ISP email account using the old ISP user name and the old ISP password.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein conveying the cancellation of service request to the old ISP comprises sending a facsimile message including account information associated with an account at the old ISP.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising automatically creating the facsimile message by automatically populating one or more fields with the account information.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving an image of a signature via an Internet portal and populating a field of the facsimile message with the image.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein receiving the further date comprises receiving the future date from a user migrating from the old ISP to the new ISP.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one of an email, a contact stored in an address book, an instant message, an instant messaging contact, the old ISP user name, and the old ISP password, and storing the at least one of the email, the contact, the instant message, the instant messaging contact, the old ISP user name, and the old ISP password in association with the new ISP account.

8. A tangible machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive user information for an old ISP account and a new ISP account, the user information comprising an old ISP user name, an old ISP password, a new ISP user name, and a new ISP password;

communicate with the old ISP to validate the old ISP user name and the old ISP password;

communicate with the new ISP to validate the new ISP user name and the new ISP password;

access the new ISP account and the old ISP account using the user information to forward email from the old ISP account to the new ISP account;

receiving a future date in which the old ISP account is to be terminated; and

when the future date occurs automatically, convey a cancellation of service request to the old ISP.

9. A tangible machine accessible medium as defined in claim 8 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to communicate with the old ISP to validate the user information by attempting to login to an old ISP email account using the old ISP user name and the old ISP password.

10. A tangible machine accessible medium as defined in claim 8 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to convey the cancellation of service request to the old ISP by sending a facsimile message including account information associated with an account at the old ISP.

11. A tangible machine accessible medium as defined in claim 10 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to automatically create the facsimile message by automatically populating one or more fields with the account information.

12. A tangible machine accessible medium as defined in claim 8 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to receive an image of a signature via an Internet portal and to populate a field of the facsimile message with the image.

13. A tangible machine accessible medium as defined in claim 8 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to receive the future date by receiving the future date from a user migrating from the old ISP to the new ISP.

14. A tangible machine accessible medium as defined in claim 8 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to receive at least one of an email, a contact stored in an address book, an instant message, an instant messaging contact, the old ISP user name, and the old ISP password, and to store the at least one of the email, the contact, the instant message, the instant messaging contact, the old ISP user name, and the old ISP password in association with the new ISP account.

15. A switcher application for facilitating migration from an old Internet service provider (ISP) to a new ISP, the switch application comprising:

a web server to receive user information for an old ISP account and a new ISP account, the user information comprising an old ISP user name, an old ISP password, a new ISP user name, and a new ISP password, the web server to communicate with the old ISP to validate the old ISP user name and the old ISP password at the old ISP, the web server to receive a future date in which the old ISP account is to be terminated;

a database storing the new ISP user name and the new ISP password at the new ISP; and

an application server to access the old ISP using the user information to forward email from the old ISP to the new ISP, the application server automatically conveying a cancellation of service request to the old ISP when the future date occurs.

16. A switcher application as defined in claim 15, wherein the web server is to validate the user information by attempting to login to an old ISP email account using the old ISP user name and the old ISP password.

17. A switcher application as defined in claim 15, wherein the application server is to convey the cancellation of service request to the old ISP by sending a facsimile message including account information associated with an account at the old ISP.

18. A switcher application as defined in claim 17, wherein the application server is to automatically create the facsimile message by automatically populating one or more fields with the account information.

19. A switcher application as defined in claim 15, further comprising a webpage implementing by the web server, wherein the webpage is to receive an image of a signature via an Internet portal, and wherein the web server is to populate a field of the facsimile message with the image.

20. A switcher application as defined in claim 15, wherein the web server is to receive the future date from a user migrating from the old ISP to the new ISP.