Integrated business systems for web based telecommunications management

• US 8,073,777 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2005
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Barry, B. Reilly, Chodoronek, Mark A., DeRose, Eric, Devine, Carol Y., James, Angela R., Levy, Lynne, Tusa, Michael, Studness, Mark N.
• Primary Examiner(s): KUCAB, JAMIE R
• Application Number:
  US11/115,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,414 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705 35- 44, 705 50- 80, 709/200, 709/223, 709/229, 726/4, 726/9, 726/11, 713/151, 713/168, 713/175, 707/10
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/202 where processing functionality is redundant redundant communication control functionality G06F11/2005, redundant storage control functionality G06F11/2089
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 : Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 : Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 : Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 : Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 : insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 : Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 : Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 : Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 : Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1428 : Invoice generation, e.g. customization, lay-out, database processing, algorithms for calculating the bill or formatting invoices as WWW pages invoicing in general G06Q30/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 : Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 : Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/024 : using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 : using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 : Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 : Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 : Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 : Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 : Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 : Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 : of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 : using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 : Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 : comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 : Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 : Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 : by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 : Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 : Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 : characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 : Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 : Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 : Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5083 : wherein the managed service relates to web hosting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 : wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 : Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/024 : by adaptive sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 : for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 : Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 : related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 : related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 : using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 : by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 : by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 : by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 : Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 : Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 : Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 : Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 : Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 : Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/091 : Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 : Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 : using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 : Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 : User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 : Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 : using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 : for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 : Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0218 : Distributed architectures, e.g. distributed firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 : Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 : Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 : Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 : wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 : using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 : using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 : providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 : using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 : at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 : at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 : above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 : using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 : wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 : Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 : Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 : Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 : Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 : for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 : Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/721 : using the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 : Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 : Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 : Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 : Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8351 : before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 : Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 : Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 : Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 : General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 : Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 : On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 : Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/018 : On-line real-time billing, able to see billing information while in communication, e.g. via the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 : Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 : Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7009 : Account settings, e.g. users, terminals, limits, numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7045 : Using Internet or WAP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 : Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/81 : Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8108 : before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8129 : Type of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 : Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 : Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 : interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 : Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 : Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 : Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 : Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 : Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

The specification discloses a method of doing business over the public Internet, particularly, a method which enables access to legacy management tools used by a telecommunications enterprise in the management of the enterprise business to the enterprise customer, to enable the customer to more effectively manage the business conducted by the customer through the enterprise, this access being provided over the public Internet. This method of doing business is accomplished with one or more secure web servers which manage one or more secure client sessions over the Internet, each web server supporting secure communications with the client workstation; a web page backplane application capable of launching one or more management tool applications used by the enterprise. Each of the management tool applications provide a customer interface integrated within said web page which enables interactive Web/Internet based communications with the web servers; each web server supports communication of messages entered via the integrated customer interface to one or more remote enterprise management tool application servers which interact with the enterprise management tool applications to provide associated management capabilities to the customer.

Claims

1. An integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet by enabling a customer of an enterprise communications network to command and control the customer'"'"'s switched communications connections within the network over the public Internet and to monitor results in near real time over the public Internet, said method comprising:

(a) enabling interactive communications between said enterprise communications network and said customer over the public Internet with a protocol invoked from within a web browser executed by a workstation associated with the customer, said protocol supporting customer identification, authentication and a determination of network entitlements for the customer;

(b) managing a plurality of customer sessions over the public Internet with a secure web server, said secure web server providing session encryption and management of the customer'"'"'s session, said session management including the steps of identifying, validating, and determining entitlements associated with the customer within the network;

(c) communicating with a plurality of system resources through a dispatch server, said dispatch server communicating with said secure web server and providing verification of system access and proxy generation for said interactive communications after said entitlements have been verified;

(d) managing a plurality of enterprise system resources for the customer, said resources including a toll free network manager which manages routing of the customer'"'"'s toll free voice traffic over the communications network, and a real time monitor which provides near real time monitoring of network traffic; and

(e) converting a customer request to modify a routing plan to a proxy request for said toll free network manager and providing near real time monitoring of the customer'"'"'s voice traffic to enable the customer to manage the communications network resources provided by the enterprise to the customer in near real time.

2. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said method further includes entering customer orders through a single order entry point of authorization to enable the customer to identify and authenticate a plurality of users, with each user having distinct toll free call routing entitlements, and to modify said entitlements from said single point of customer identification and authentication.

3. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 2, wherein said method further includes enabling payment with an E-Billing application, said E-Billing application responsive to proxy requests from said dispatch server to enable the customer to manage and pay for the communications network services provided by the enterprise.

4. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said method further includes generating historical reports of data relating to calls by the customer'"'"'s users on said communications network with a client view application.

5. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said method includes generating electronic invoices and electronically transmitting funds to pay for pre-selected customer user calls.

6. An integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet which enables a customer of an enterprise communications network to modify the customer'"'"'s business relationship with the enterprise over the public Internet and to add, delete and modify services provided by the enterprise communications network to the customer, said method comprising:

(a) enabling encrypted interactive communications between said enterprise communications network and said customer over the public Internet with a protocol invoked within a web browser executed by a workstation associated with the customer to support encryption, customer identification, authentication and network entitlements;

(b) managing secure customer sessions over the public Internet with at least one secure web server, said secure server providing session management for the customer connection, said session management including customer identification, validation, entitlements and encryption;

(c) communicating with said secure web server and a plurality of system resources with at least one dispatch server, said dispatch server providing verification of system access and proxy generation for said interactive communications after said entitlements have been verified; and

(d) providing a plurality of system resources for the customer, said plurality including an order entry application which enables the customer to add, delete and modify services provided by the communications network to the customer, and to identify and authenticate a plurality of users with distinct call entitlements, and to modify said entitlements from a single point of customer identification and authentication.

7. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 6, wherein said method further comprises enabling electronic payment for said plurality of system resources with an E-Billing application, said order entry and E-Billing applications responsive to proxy requests from said at least one dispatch server to enable the customer to electronically manage and pay for the communications network services provided by the enterprise.

8. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 6, wherein said method further includes generating historical reports of data relating to calls by the customer'"'"'s users on said communications network with a client view application.

9. The integrated and secure system for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 6, wherein said method further includes generating invoices and enabling electronic payment for pre-selected customer user calls over the public Internet.

10. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 6, wherein said method further includes providing a toll free network manager application as one of said plurality of system resources to enable the customer to change toll free routing entitlements from said single point of customer identification and authentication.

11. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 6, wherein said method further includes managing calls to a call center with a call center manager application as one of said plurality of system resources, and said order entry application enabling a customer to identify and authenticate a plurality of users with distinct call center routing entitlements, and to modify said call center routing entitlements from said single point of customer identification and authentication.

12. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 6, wherein said method further includes providing an event monitor application as one of said plurality of system resources.

13. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 12, wherein said method further includes reporting on data communications connections with a broadband view application.

14. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 6, wherein said method further includes managing trouble tickets generated with respect to said customer'"'"'s communications connections with a service inquiry application, and said order entry application providing modification of user entitlements with respect to said trouble tickets from said single point of customer identification and authentication.

15. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 6, wherein said method further includes monitoring communications traffic utilized by the customer with a real time monitor application as one of said plurality of system resources.

16. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 6, wherein said method further includes generating historical reports of data relating to calls by the customer'"'"'s users on said communications network with a client view application.

17. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 16, wherein said method further includes generating invoices for said calls with a priced reporting application and enabling electronic fund transfers with for payment of said calls with an E-Billing application.

18. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 6, wherein said method includes the steps of providing a plurality of applications for command and control of the customer'"'"'s communications traffic over the enterprise communications network, and viewing said communications traffic with a reporting application.

19. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 18, wherein said customer'"'"'s communications traffic includes switched voice traffic and a network manager application is provided for said command and control.

20. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 19, wherein said switched voice traffic further includes switched toll free voice traffic and said network manager includes a toll free network manager application to command and control the routing of said switched voice traffic.

21. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 19, wherein said switched voice traffic further includes switched call center voice traffic and said network manager includes a call manager application to command and control the routing of said switched voice traffic between call centers.

22. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 19, wherein said switched voice traffic further includes switched toll voice traffic and said network manager includes an outbound network manager to command and control said switched toll traffic.

23. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 18, wherein said customer'"'"'s communications traffic includes switched data communications and said method includes viewing data representative of said switched data communications.

24. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 18, wherein said customer'"'"'s communications traffic includes switched voice traffic and said method further includes generating reports on the switched voice traffic with a report generator application.

25. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 24, wherein generating reports on the switched voice traffic includes a real time reporter for generating reports on said switched voice traffic in near real time.

26. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 24, wherein said generating reports on the switched voice traffic includes a reporter for generating history reports on said switched voice traffic occurring during preselected periods of time.

27. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 24, wherein said generating reports on the switched voice traffic includes a report manager application for enabling a customer to generate reports for a plurality of switched voice traffic applications, the method further comprising storing the reports with an in-box manager application which communicates the reports to the customer.

28. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 24, wherein said step of generating reports on the switched voice traffic includes a priced call application for enabling a customer to generate priced reports and invoices for a plurality of switched voice traffic applications.

29. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 23, wherein said viewing data representative of said switched data communications is conducted with a broadband view application which generates reports on data relating to the switched data communications.

30. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 29, wherein said method further includes storing and forwarding reports to the customer on data relating to the customer'"'"'s switched data communications with an in-box application.

31. The integrated and secure method for conducting business over the public Internet as claimed in claim 30, wherein said viewing includes storing and forwarding reports on alarm reports generated with respect to the customer'"'"'s switched data communications with an event monitor application.