Patent ID: 7561872

Claim:
A method for providing direct access to change a communications service in a communications network, the method comprising: storing a subscriber's profile information related to services received from a communications service provider; storing a communications circle for the subscriber, the communications circle specifying other subscribers having read-only privileges to the subscriber's profile information, the other subscribers unable to implement change actions relating to the services of the subscriber, the subscriber's profile information storing real-time information describing whether the subscriber's mobile device is turned on and available for communication with a member of the communications circle; sending a graphical user interface to the subscriber that provides access to the profile information, the graphical user interface listing active communications services which are active, listing inactive communications services which are inactive, and also listing more communications services from which the subscriber may gain access to the subscriber's profile information; receiving a selection in the graphical user interface of a call forwarding service reference; sending the profile information related to a call forwarding service to the subscriber, the profile information listing call forwarding numbers that have been pre-designated by the subscriber as call-forwarding options; receiving a change action in the graphical user interface relating to the profile information to change a call forwarding number; implementing updated profile information to change the service; receiving a call from a calling number; querying the profile information for the calling number; retrieving text from the profile information when the calling number is found in the profile information; and providing the text to a calling party associated with the calling number.