Integrated service identity for different types of information exchange services

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.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to information exchange services and, more particularly, managing a plurality of different types of information exchange services.

2. Description of the Related Art

Information exchanges services include wireless telephony services, multimedia content delivery services, Internet services, and fixed access voice services. Many households subscribe to two or more of these types of services. Different services may be provided by a single provider or multiple providers. Services may be provided via one or more access networks. Many households, for example, subscribe to cable television services provided via a coaxial cable-based access network and Internet and fixed access voice services via a twisted copper digital subscriber line access network.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

In one aspect, an embodiment of a service provisioning method disclosed herein includes providing information exchange services to a user. The information exchange services provided may include services provided via a first access network having a first physical network layer and services provided via a second access network having a second physical network layer. The information exchange services may include services provided by a first service provider and services provided by a second service provider. In these embodiments, the integrated service identity may be provided and/or maintained by a third party.

Disclosed service provisioning methods may further include defining an integrated service identity encompassing all of the information exchange services and enabling the user to use the integrated service identity (ISI) to define preference settings applicable to the information exchange services. The integrated service identity may then be employed, e.g., to process billable events and activities and to issue integrated statements encompassing all of the information exchange services provided to the user. The user may be further enabled to use the integrated service identity to access customer support services for any of the information exchange services provided and to log customer support activities to the integrated service identity.

The information exchange services provided via the first access network may include multimedia content delivery services, fixed access voice services, and broadband Internet services. The first access network may include a physical network layer including, as examples: a digital subscriber line (DSL), an integrated services digital network (ISDN), a T-carrier, or E-carrier physical network layer, a co-axial cable based physical network layer, cellular or other type of wireless physical network layer including third generation (3G) and beyond. Information exchange services provided via the second access network may include mobile telephony services. The second access network may include a physical network layer compliant with a standard such as wideband-code division multiple access (W-CDMA), time division-CDMA (TD-CDMA), TD-synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA) and time division multiple access (TDMA). The first access network may include a wired access network and the second access network may include a wireless access network. In some embodiments, enabling the user to define preference settings may include, e.g., enabling the user to define a single logon for all devices associated with one or more of the information exchange services. The devices associated with the information exchange services may include, as examples, a set top box/television display for rendering the multimedia content delivery services, an Internet protocol phone for the fixed access voice services, and a desktop or laptop personal computer for broadband Internet services.

In the following description, details are set forth by way of example to facilitate discussion of the disclosed subject matter. It should be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the field, however, that the disclosed embodiments are exemplary and not exhaustive of all possible embodiments. Throughout this disclosure, a hyphenated form of a reference numeral refers to a specific instance of an element and the un-hyphenated form of the reference numeral refers to the element generically or collectively. Thus, for example, widget12-1refers to an instance of a widget class, which may be referred to collectively as widgets12and any one of which may be referred to generically as a widget12.

Turning to the drawings,FIG. 1is a block diagram depicting selected elements an embodiment of a household170emphasizing information exchange services consumed by household170.FIG. 1also depicts selected elements an embodiment of a provider network101for providing information exchange services to household170. AlthoughFIG. 1depicts a household170suggesting consumer oriented services, other embodiments may encompass large or small businesses, governmental or educational entities, or any other suitable type of user that might require information exchange services.

As depicted inFIG. 1, household170receives various information exchange services. In the depicted embodiment, for example, household170receives information exchange services in the form of wireless telephony services191via wireless telephony device(s)190, a multimedia content delivery service173via a set top box174and a television and/or display device176, a fixed access voice service175represented by voice over Internet (VoIP) icon178and IP phone180, and an Internet data service181, represented by IP data icon182and computer184.

Wireless telephony services191may include cellular communication services with or without wireless data services. Multimedia content delivery service173may include broadcast and non-broadcast television content, sometimes referred to as cable content, as well as video on demand and pay per view content. Multimedia content delivery service173may, for example, represent a service for delivering IPTV to household170. Internet data services181may include, as examples, email services and Web access services.

In the implementation depicted inFIG. 1, information exchange services are provided to household170via two different access networks. Multimedia content delivery service173, fixed access voice service175, and Internet data service181are provided to household170via a wired access network110to which a residential gateway (RG)172is interfaced. The wireless telephony service191, in contrast, is provided to household170and wireless telephony device190via a wireless access network111in the form of an air interface between wireless telephony device190and a cellular base station (BS)192. In some embodiments, an integrated service identify provided as disclosed herein encompasses all of the information exchange services provided to household170including services provided via different access networks and/or different physical network layers or physical media. In addition, some embodiments, such as the embodiments discussed below in conjunction withFIG. 5, describe an ISI that encompasses information exchange services that are provided by two or more service providers.

As depicted inFIG. 1, all of the information exchange services are provided by a single provider network101. The provider network101includes all of the resources needed to provision and distribute the applicable information exchange services to a plurality of households such as household170and/or other end users. The depicted embodiment of provider network101includes, for example, the wired access110, base station system130, switching system140, and a backbone network120. Depending upon the implementation, access network110may include twisted copper cables and/or fiber or another type of broadband media connected between a network node and the household. Base station system130and switching system140may include elements of a conventional wireless network such as a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) network and/or 3G network such as Universal Mobile Telephone System (UMTS). Backbone network120may represent a private, high-bandwidth network maintained by the service provider to achieve low latency and high availability in terms of providing services to a plurality of households such as household170.

provider network101as depicted inFIG. 1includes a set of resources collectively identified as operation support systems/business support systems (OSS/BSS) resources150and a database160including a data structure identified as integrated service identity165. Although DB160is depicted inFIG. 1as being physically remote from OSS/BSS resources150, DB160may, in other implementations, be integrated within OSS/BSS resources150. OSS/BSS resources150include telecommunications network management resources including, as examples, resources for maintaining network inventory, provisioning services, configuring network components, and managing faults. In addition, OSS/BSS150encompasses business-oriented systems including, as examples, systems for taking orders, processing bills, and collecting payments.

Referring toFIG. 2, selected elements of a data processing system200suitable for implementing OSS/BSS150, or some portion thereof, is depicted. In the depicted embodiment, data processing system200includes a processor202and storage media210connected to and accessible by processor202via a bus212. Data processing system200as depicted further includes one or more input devices such as a keyboard, pointing device or mouse, microphone, and the like represented by input device214. Data processing system200as shown also includes a display216, which may include a graphics adapter and a display screen connected thereto, and a network interface220. Network interface220provides connectivity between data processing system200, including processor202, and an external network such as the backbone network120depicted inFIG. 1.

Storage media210may include any of various forms of computer readable storage or memory. Storage media210may include volatile storage elements including a system memory comprised of dynamic or static random access memory devices as well as persistent storage media such as magnetic hard disk drive units, solid state drive units, flash memory, and other types of read only memory and electrically erasable read only memory, as well as optical media including compact discs and/or digital versatile discs.

Storage media210may include executable instructions, i.e., computer programs, as well as data structures. In the depicted embodiment, for example, storage media210includes an operating system230, which may be a Linux or other type of Unix-based operating system or a Windows-based operating system. In addition, the depicted embodiment of storage media210includes OSS/BSS applications232and an integrated service identity application234. OSS/BSS applications232may include applications for provisioning services, configuring network components, and managing faults. In addition, OSS/BSS applications232may encompass business-oriented systems including, as examples, systems for taking orders, processing bills, and collecting payments.

Referring now toFIG. 3, selected elements of an embodiment of an integrated service identity165are depicted. In the depicted embodiment, ISI165including integrated preferences elements302, integrated billing elements304, and integrated service logs elements306. In addition, the depicted embodiment of ISI165includes differentiated services data310. The integrated preferences, billing, and service log elements302,304, and306represent information that is applicable to and may be shared among all of the information exchange services provided to household170. Differentiated services data310, on the other hand, may include information that is specific to one or a limited number of the information exchange services.

Integrated preferences information302of ISI165, as its name suggests, includes preferences or “favorites” settings that are applied to all of the information exchange services provided to household170. Integrated preferences information302may include, for example, preference settings for preferred contact information, password settings, user profile information, parental control settings, calendar, scheduling, reminder settings, and so forth.

In some embodiments, integrated billing elements304encompasses billing information pertaining to all of the information exchange services provided to household170. Integrated billing elements304might include, as examples, billing address information, credit card and/or bank account information, invoice scheduling information, invoice preferences information, e.g., invoice by email, invoice by paper mail, and so forth.

Integrated customer service logs elements306may include information relevant to all of the household's interaction with the service provider or providers of the information exchange services received by household170. In some embodiments, integrated customer service logs elements306may include, as examples, customer services logs identifying and/or detailing customer service events pertaining to household170or any of the information exchange services. Integrated customer service logs elements306may enable provider network101to identify service problems, coordinate service activities, and otherwise improve service and/or reduce costs.

As depicted inFIG. 3, ISI165may further include an element identified as differentiated services data310. Differentiated services information310may include service-specific identity information and/or links to service-specific data. For example, wireless telephony service191provided to household170may have settings, features, and other service identity parameters that are specific to wireless telephony technology and are not readily adaptable for use with integrated service preferences, billing, and/or customer service information.

In some embodiments, aspects of integrated service identities as disclosed herein are implemented in software, i.e., implemented as a set of computer executable instructions stored in a computer readable storage medium or stored in a set of two or more computer readable storage media including, as an example, the storage media210ofFIG. 2. In these embodiments, the computer functionality embedded in the stored instructions may be described or illustrated with reference to flow diagrams illustrating the processes or methods that may occur when the applicable instructions are executed.

Referring now toFIG. 4, a flow diagram depicts selected elements of an embodiment of a process400for implementing an integrated service identity is depicted. In the depicted embodiment, process400as shown includes providing (block402) a user with a plurality of information exchange services. The services provided to the user may include services provided through a first access network and/or physical network layer, e.g., a DSL layer, and other service(s) provided through a second access network and/or a second physical network layer e.g., a wireless access network such as UMTS, W-CDMA, and so forth.

An ISI is defined (block404) for a set of two or more of the information exchange services provided to a household. Process400as depicted inFIG. 4further includes enabling (block406) the user to define within the ISI, preference information or settings applicable to two or more of the information exchange services. The ISI may be employed (block408) to account for billable activity from all information exchange services provided to user and to generate monthly or periodic invoices to the user (block408).

The depicted embodiment of method400may further include, enabling (block422) the user to access support for any of the information exchange services provided to the household. Moreover, the ISI may enable the provider or providers of information exchange services to monitor a household's customer service history across all of the services and/or devices provided to the household. If, for example, a household is experiencing customer service issues on all services that are provided through a common set of devices or other hardware elements, the integrated service log may enable the service provider to recognize a commonality between customer service requests for differentiated services. Process400as depicted inFIG. 4further includes logging (block424) customer service event activities according to the ISI.

Referring now toFIG. 5, a block diagram depicts an alternative embodiment for implementing an ISI165. In the embodiment depicted inFIG. 5, household170receive a first set of information exchange services, represented by reference numeral177-1, from a first provider network101-1. Household170also receives a second set of one or more information exchange services177-2from a second provider network101-2. In the depicted embodiment, the first set of information exchange services177-1are provided to household170via residential gateway172-1while the second set of information exchange services177-2are provided to household170via a second residential gateway172-2. AlthoughFIG. 5depicts distinct residential gateways for the set of information exchange services provided by the different service providers, other embodiments may employ a common gateway, more than two gateways, and so forth.

As depicted inFIG. 5, a third party manager500is shown connected to a network501. Service providers101-1and101-2are also connected to network501. Network501may represent or include elements of a public network such as the Internet. In other embodiments, the network501may be a private network established by a virtual private network (VPN) or other form of private network operated by first provider network101-1, second provider network101-2, third party manager500, or another network provider (not shown).

Also depicted inFIG. 5is a database502operably connected to network501wherein the information stored in database502may be accessed from network501. Depending upon the implementation, access to database502via network501may require password and/or additional form(s) of authentication. In the embodiment depicted inFIG. 5, database502includes an ISI565that is managed by third party manager500. Third party manager500may provide first provider network101-1with access to a first portion of ISI565and access to a second portion of ISI565via second provider network101-2. Third party manager500may also make ISI565available to household170so that household170can access and/or modify ISI565. In this embodiment, third party manager500enables an integrated service identity despite the lack of a single provider of information exchange services.

To the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present disclosure is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited to the specific embodiments described in the foregoing detailed description.