Graphical user interface for customer service representatives for subscriber management systems

• US 5,956,024 A
• Filed: 06/06/1996
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast MO Group Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Continental Cablevision, Inc. (Oxford Holdings Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Strickland, Marshall, Strickland, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao H.
• Application Number:
  US08/659,323
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/327, 345/329, 348/8, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13
• US Class Current: 715/717
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The present invention is a graphical user interface ("GUI") for customer service representatives ("CSRs") for subscriber management systems ("SMS") for telecommunications service providers, including cable television multiple system operators ("MSOs"). A screen is provided with menus of icons for various functions at the customer service workstation ("CSW") for the CSRs. Sections of the screen provide presentation of various data to the CSR from the SMS.

Claims

1. A computer system for a graphical user interface for a subscriber management system comprising:

a. means for displaying on a computer monitor, to a plurality of customer service representative workstations, a plurality of point-and-click graphical user interface screens, each screen with a menu of icons for activating a plurality of functions, and each screen presenting data, where;

i. the plurality of functions consist of;

office information, cable guide, channel descriptions, find account/service availability/bury schedule, sale/change feature, rate calculator, rate comparison, copy, promotions and packages, sell option, collect new account information/edit account, credit check, make payment, billing inquiry/bill copy, make payment arrangements, collections, troubleshoot, report problem, signal monitor, request service order copy, schedule install and schedule/rescheduled service appointment, account on hold, disconnect, CSR performance, calculator, calendar, and EPSS,

ii. the presented data is data consisting of;

RF data, database data, billing system data, TV data, credit card authorization data, fax data, voice data, and NTSC video feed data, and

iii. one display screen contains fields consisting of;

icons, activity menus, day and time, help function, window sizing, a range of data windows, further data function, billing information, services and equipment information, view bill, payment, collection arrangement, CATV, PPV/VOD, interactive, disconnect account service, further information about view W/U and schedule, screen roll buttons, advisor information displays, advisor text call up, marketing information, and timely information,

b. means for communicating between the means for displaying and a subscriber management system on a computer, where the means of communicating consist of;

a LAN, a WAN, an NTSC video link, a digital video link, an Ethernet LAN, and a Fast Ethernet LAN, and a high-speed broadband network,

c. means for executing the plurality of functions,

d. means for accessing the data, and

e. means for communicating between the means for displaying on a monitor and other elements, the elements consisting of;

a video server, a fax server, a modem server adapted to TV data and credit card authorization, a database server, an EPSS server, an Arrowsmith server, and a bridge to the Internet.

2. A computer system for a graphical user interface for a subscriber management system (SMS) operating on one or more SMS computers, the system comprising:

(a) a plurality of customer service representative workstations (CSWs), each CSW having at least one CSW computer monitor, each CSW adapted and constructed to communicate with the SMS computers;

(b) means for displaying on a CSW computer monitor of a particular CSW of the plurality of CSWs, a plurality of point-and-click graphical user interface screens, each screen having a menu of icons for activating a plurality of functions executable on the CSW or on the SMS computer, and each screen presenting data on the respective CSW computer monitor;

(c) means for communicating between the means for displaying and the SMS on the SMS computer,

(d) means for executing the plurality of functions on the CSW and on said SMS computer, and

(e) means for accessing the data in said SMS and for providing the data to the CSW, where

a. the plurality of functions consisting of;

office information, cable guide, channel descriptions, find account/service availability/bury schedule, sale/change feature, rate calculator, rate comparison, copy, promotions and packages, sell option, collect new account information/edit account, credit check, make payment, billing inquiry/bill copy, make payment arrangements, collections, troubleshoot, report problem, signal monitor, request service order copy, schedule install and schedule/rescheduled service appointment, account on hold, disconnect, CSR performance, calculator, calendar, and EPSS,

b. the means of communicating consisting of;

a LAN, a WAN, an NTSC video link, a digital video link, an Ethernet LAN, and a Fast Ethernet LAN, and a high-speed broadband network, and

c. the presented data consisting of RF data, database data, billing system data, TV data, credit card authorization data, fax data, voice data, and NTSC video feed data.

3. The invention in claim 2, further comprising:

a. means for communicating between the means for displaying and other elements, the elements consisting of;

a video server, a fax server, a modem server adapted to TV data and credit card authorization, a database server, an EPSS server, an Arrowsmith server, and a bridge to the Internet.

4. The invention in claim 2, where one display screen contains fields consisting of:

icons, activity menus, day and time, help function, window sizing, a range of data windows, further data function, billing information, services and equipment information, view bill, payment, collection arrangement, CATV, PPV/VOD, interactive, disconnect account service, further information about view W/U and schedule, screen roll buttons, advisor information displays, advisor text call up, marketing information, and timely information.

5. A method implemented by a programmable apparatus, for providing a graphical user interface for a subscriber management system, comprising:

a. displaying on a computer monitor, to a plurality of customer service representative representatives, a plurality of point-and-click graphical user interface screens, each screen with a menu of icons for activating a plurality of functions, and each screen presenting data, where;

i. the plurality of functions consist of;

office information, cable guide, channel descriptions, find account/service availability/bury schedule, sale/change feature, rate calculator, rate comparison, copy, promotions and packages, sell option, collect new account information/edit account, credit check, make payment, billing inquiry/bill copy, make payment arrangements, collections, troubleshoot, report problem, signal monitor, request service order copy, schedule install and schedule/rescheduled service appointment, account on hold, disconnect, CSR performance, calculator, calendar, and EPSS,

ii. the presented data consists of;

RF data, database data, billing system data, TV data, credit card authorization data, fax data, voice data, and NTSC video feed data, and

iii. one display screen contains fields consisting of;

icons, activity menus, day and time, help function, window sizing, a range of data windows, further data function, billing information, services and equipment information, view bill, payment, collection arrangement, CATV, PPV/VOD, interactive, disconnect account service, further information about view W/U and schedule, screen roll buttons, advisor information displays, advisor text call up, marketing information, and timely information,

b. communicating between the means for displaying and a subscriber management system on a computer, where the means of communicating consists of;

a LAN, a WAN, an NTSC video link, a digital video link, an Ethernet LAN, and a Fast Ethernet LAN, and a high-speed broadband network,

c. executing the plurality of functions,

d. accessing the data, and

e. communicating between the means for displaying on a monitor and other elements, the elements consisting of;

a video server, a fax server, a modem server adapted to TV data and credit card authorization, a database server, an EPSS server, an Arrowsmith server, and a bridge to the Internet.

6. A method implemented by a programmable apparatus, for providing a graphical user interface for a subscriber management system (SMS) operating on one or more SMS computers, the method comprising:

a. displaying on a computer monitor, to a plurality of customer service representative workstations (CSWs), each CSW adapted and constructed to communicate with the SMS computers, a plurality of point-and-click graphical user interface screens, each screen having a menu of icons for activating a plurality of functions executable on the CSW or on the SMS computer, and each screen presenting data on the respective CSW computer monitor,

b. communicating between a means for displaying on a monitor and a subscriber management system on the SMS computer,

c. executing the plurality of functions on the CSW and on the SMS computer, and

d. accessing the data in the SMS and providing the data to the CSW, where

A. the plurality of functions consisting of office information, cable guide, channel descriptions, find account/service availability/bury schedule, sale/change feature, rate calculator, rate comparison, copy, promotions and packages, sell option, collect new account information/edit account, credit check, make payment, billing inquiry/bill copy, make payment arrangements, collections, troubleshoot, report problem, signal monitor, request service order copy, schedule install and schedule/rescheduled service appointment, account on hold, disconnect, CSR performance, calculator, calendar, and EPSS,

B. the means of communicating consisting of;

a LAN, a WAN, an NTSC video link, a digital video link, an Ethernet LAN, and a Fast Ethernet LAN, and a high-speed broadband network, and

C. the presented data comprises data types consisting of;

RF data, database data, billing system data, TV data, credit card authorization data, fax data, voice data, and NTSC video feed data.

7. The invention in claim 6, further comprising:

a. communicating between the means for displaying on a computer monitor and other elements, the elements consisting of;

a video server, a fax server, a modem server adapted to TV data and credit card authorization, a database server, an EPSS server, an Arrowsmith server, and a bridge to the Internet.

8. The invention in claim 6, where one display screen contains fields consisting of:

icons, activity menus, day and time, help function, window sizing, a range of data windows, further data function, billing information, services and equipment information, view bill, payment, collection arrangement, CATV, PPV/VOD, interactive, disconnect account service, further information about view W/U and schedule, screen roll buttons, advisor information displays, advisor text call up, marketing information, and timely information.

9. A computer readable memory medium for causing a programmable apparatus to execute a method, comprising:

a. a computer readable memory medium,

b. a computer program stored on said memory medium,

c. said computer program causing a programmable apparatus to generate a graphical user interface using a method, the method comprising;

1. displaying on a computer monitor, to a plurality of customer service representative workstations, a plurality of point-and-click graphical user interface screens, each screen with a menu of icons for activating a plurality of functions, and each screen presenting data, where;

i. the plurality of functions consist of;

office information, cable guide, channel descriptions, find account/service availability/bury schedule, sale/change feature, rate calculator, rate comparison, copy, promotions and packages, sell option, collect new account information/edit account, credit check, make payment, billing inquiry/bill copy, make payment arrangements, collections, troubleshoot, report problem, signal monitor, request service order copy, schedule install and schedule/rescheduled service appointment, account on hold, disconnect, CSR performance, calculator, calendar, and EPSS,

ii. the presented data consists of;

RF data, database data, billing system data, TV data, credit card authorization data, fax data, voice data, and NTSC video feed data, and

iii. one display screen contains fields consisting of;

icons, activity menus, day and time, help function, window sizing, a range of data windows, further data function, billing information, services and equipment information, view bill, payment, collection arrangement, CATV, PPV/VOD, interactive, disconnect account service, further information about view W/U and schedule, screen roll buttons, advisor information displays, advisor text call up, marketing information, and timely information,

2. communicating between the means for displaying and a subscriber management system on a computer, where the means of communicating consist of;

a LAN, a WAN, an NTSC video link, a digital video link, an Ethernet LAN, and a Fast Ethernet LAN, and a high-speed broadband network,

3. executing the plurality of functions,

4. accessing the data, and

5. communicating between the means for displaying on a monitor and other elements, the elements consisting of;

a video server, a fax server, a modem server adapted to TV data and credit card authorization, a database server, an EPSS server, an Arrowsmith server, and a bridge to the Internet.

10. A computer readable memory medium for causing a programmable apparatus to execute a method, comprising:

a. a computer readable memory medium,

b. a computer program stored on said memory medium,

c. said computer program causing a programmable apparatus to generate a graphical user interface using a method, the graphical user interface being from one or more customer service representative workstations (CSWs) to a subscriber management system (SMS) operating on one or more SMS computers, each CSW having at least one CSW computer monitor, each CSW adapted and constructed to communicate with the one or more SMS computers, the method comprising;

1. displaying on a CSW computer monitor, a plurality of point-and-click graphical user interface screens, each screen having a menu of icons for activating a plurality of functions executable on the CSW or on the SMS computer, and each screen presenting data on the respective CSW computer monitor,

2. communicating between a means for displaying on a CSW monitor and the SMS on the SMS computer,

3. executing the plurality of functions on the CSW and on the SMS computer, and

4. accessing the data in the SMS and providing the data to the CSW, where

a. the plurality of functions consist of;

office information, cable guide, channel descriptions, find account/service availability/bury schedule, sale/change feature, rate calculator, rate comparison, copy, promotions and packages, sell option, collect new account information/edit account, credit check, make payment, billing inquiry/bill copy, make payment arrangements, collections, troubleshoot, report problem, signal monitor, request service order copy, schedule install and schedule/rescheduled service appointment, account on hold, disconnect, CSR performance, calculator, calendar, and EPSS,

b. the means of communicating consist of;

a LAN, a WAN, an NTSC video link, a digital video link, an Ethernet LAN, and a Fast Ethernet LAN, and a high-speed broadband network, and

c. the presented data is data consist of;

RF data, database data, billing system data, TV data, credit card authorization data, fax data, voice data, and NTSC video feed data.

11. The invention in claim 10, further comprising:

a. communicating between the means for displaying on a monitor and other elements, the elements consisting of;

a video server, a fax server, a modem server adapted to TV data and credit card authorization, a database server, an EPSS server, an Arrowsmith server, and a bridge to the Internet.

12. The invention in claim 10, where one display screen contains fields consisting of:

icons, activity menus, day and time, help function, window sizing, a range of data windows, further data function, billing information, services and equipment information, view bill, payment, collection arrangement, CATV, PPV/VOD, interactive, disconnect account service, further information about view W/U and schedule, screen roll buttons, advisor information displays, advisor text call up, marketing information, and timely information.