WO2003084201A1

WO2003084201A1 - Notification of service changes to telecommunications service

Info

Publication number: WO2003084201A1
Application number: PCT/US2003/009194
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert A. Koch
Original assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation
Priority date: 2002-03-27
Filing date: 2003-03-26
Publication date: 2003-10-09
Also published as: AU2003226003A1

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for notifying customers of network-initiated service changes. One method recognizes a service change is required to the customer's communications service. The service change responds to a change in the customer's profile information (36). A notification (38) of the service change is provided. The notification (38) could include an email notification (38), a telephone notification (52), a notification to an interactive television (40), and/or a wireless notification (40, 52) to a wireless communication unit (56).

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION Notification of Service Changes to Telecommunications Service

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT PROTECTION 5 A portion of the disclosure of this patent document and its figures contain material subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone ofthe patent document or the patent disclosure, but the copyright owner otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.

0 CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application relates to the commonly-assigned United States Application No. 10/012,746, filed December 7, 2001, and which the "Summary" and "Detailed Description" sections are incorporated herein by reference.

5 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to telecommunications and, more particularly, to methods and systems that notify a customer when a telecommunications network invokes a service change to the customer's communications services. !0

2. Description ofthe Related Art

Telecommunications services are increasingly intelligent. Because telecommunications networks are intelligently controlled, telecommunications services (for example, Call Forwarding and Do Not Disturb service) often modify themselves on a

!5 customer's behalf. The telecommunications network, in other words, automatically makes changes to the customer's communications services without input from the customer. The telecommunications network maintains a profile on the customer, and this profile contains the settings for the customer's services, the customer's preferences, the customer's schedule, and other information. When the profile indicates a change in service is required, the

(0 telecommunications network automatically makes that change.

Call Forwarding and Do Not Disturb are just two examples of intelligent communications services. Call Forwarding service can change a destination phone number based upon the customer's schedule. If the profile indicates a customer has a Monday morning appointment, the Call Forwarding service can automatically forward calls to a number where the customer can be reached during that appointment. If the profile indicates the customer repeatedly forwards calls to voice mail on Friday afternoons, over time the Call

Forwarding service will, on Friday afternoons, automatically forward calls to voice mail without input from the customer. Call Forwarding service can intelligently make changes to the customer's service based upon the customer's profile.

Call Forwarding and Do Not Disturb are just two examples of intelligent communications services. Call Forwarding service can change a destination phone number based upon the customer's schedule. If the profile indicates a customer has a Monday morning appointment, the Call Forwarding service can automatically forward calls to a number where the customer can be reached during that appointment. If the profile indicates the customer repeatedly forwards calls to voice mail on Friday afternoons, over time the Call Forwarding service will, on Friday afternoons, automatically forward calls to voice mail without input from the customer. Call Forwarding service can intelligently make changes to the customer's service based upon the customer's profile.

Do Not Disturb service, likewise, can automatically make changes to the customer's service without input. If the customer's profile indicates the customer doesn't want to receive calls while the customer sleeps, Do Not Disturb service can automatically block calls during defined sleep hours. Similarly, if the customer does not want to be interrupted during dinner, Do Not Disturb service can automatically block calls during dinnertime.

While these intelligent, automatic changes are convenient, the customer often does not l now of these changes. Because telecommunications networks are intelligently controlled, the customer's communications services can change without the customer's knowledge.

While the telecommunications network independently invokes service changes, the customer has no easy means by which to know a change was made on the customer's behalf. The customer may not recall why calls are being forwarded to voice mail, or why calls are being blocked. Even if the customer did know why a change was made, the customer has no convenient means to override that change.

There is, accordingly, a need in the .art for notifying a customer of network-initiated service changes. When the intelligent telecommunications network makes a change to the customer's communications services, the customer should be notified of this change. The customer should also be told why the network is making the change, and the customer should have an opportunity to override the change.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aforementioned problems are reduced by the methods of this invention. This invention provides a notification of network-initiated service changes to communications services. An intelligently controlled telecommunications network monitors a customer's profile information and makes services changes when the profile information requires.

Profile information relates to the customer's communications services. The profile information may include communications services to which the customer subscribes, the customer's presence and availability information, and information related to the customer's calendar and itinerary. When the profile information indicates a service change is required, the intelligently controlled telecommunications network notifies the customer of that service change. The telecommunications network may tell the customer the current status ofthe customer's communications services, describe the pending service change, and describe why the service change is required.

One method recognizes when a service change is required to the customer's telecommunications service. The service change responds to a change in the customer's profile information. The term "profile information" refers to specific information related to the provision, presence, and/or availability of communication services for the customer. When a change in the customer's profile information requires a service change, a notification ofthe service change is provided. The notification could include an email notification, a telephone notification, a notification to an interactive television, and/or a wireless notification to a wireless communication unit.

Another method receives changed profile information. When the customer's profile information changes, this change creates changed profile information. The changed profile information is communicated to a telecommunications network via a connection to a data network. The changed profile information is used to provide telecommunications service to the customer. The method determines that a service change is required to the customer's telecommunications service in response to the changed profile information. Because the telecommunications network is intelligently controlled, the telecommunications network initiates the service change in response to the changed profile information. The telecommunications network notifies the customer ofthe service change. The notification could include an email notification, a telephone notification, a notification to an interactive television, and/or a wireless notification to a wireless communication unit. The notification could also include an option for the customer to at least one of I) override the service change and ii) approve the service change.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of this invention are better understood when the following Detailed Description ofthe Invention is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating an exemplary operating environment and system architecture for embodiments of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustrating email notification of service changes; FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematics illustrating wireless notification of service changes; FIG. 5 is a schematic illustrating notification to a wireline telephone; FIG. 6 is a schematic illustrating notification to an interactive television; FIG. 7 is a schematic illustrating instant messaging notification of service changes;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a method of notifying a customer of service changes; and

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an alternative method of notifying a customer of service changes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating an exemplary operating environment and system architecture for embodiments of this invention. FIG. 1 illustrates how a customer accesses a telecommunications network 20 (also referred to as a telecommunications network) to establish and to modify profile information 22. The telecommunications network 20 includes a telecommunications switch 24 of a Public Switched Telephone Network. The telecommunications switch 24 includes Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) componentry 26 controlling many features ofthe telecommunications switch 24. The telecommunications switch 24 could also include a packet-based "softswitch" that uses software control to provide voice, data, and video services by dynamically changing its connection data rates and protocols types. In this case the AIN componentry 26 is replaced by an application server that interfaces with the Softswitch via a packet protocol, such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). The telecommunications network 20 may also interface with a data network 28 via a connection to the telecommunications switch 24. The packetized signaling between the telecommunications switch 24, the Advanced Intelligent Network 26, and the data network 28, however, is well understood in the art and will not be further described.

FIG. 1 illustrates how the customer may use a computer system 30 to establish the profile information 22. The computer system 30 communicates with the telecommunications switch 24 via a wireline/wireless connection. The computer system 30 thus receives packetized data messages from the data network 28 via the connection to the telecommunications switch 24. The customer uses the computer system 30 to access a communications service server 32 via the connection to the telecommunications switch 24 and the connection to the data network 28. The communications service server 32 stores a database 34 of customer profiles. The customer uses the computer system 30 to access the communications service server 32, to login to the communications service server 32, and to establish a profile 36 in the database 34 of customer profiles. As FIG. 1 shows, the profile 36 contains the profile information 22. The profile information 22 could include, for example, a userlD and password, telecommunications service preferences, the customer's presence and availability information, entries from the customer's calendar, and notification contact information, such as an email address, a telephone number, and a

Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) address.

The profile information 22 relates to the customer's communications services. The specific information related to the provision, presence, and/or availability of these communication services is termed the "profile information" 22. The customer (also referred to as the user or the subscriber) subscribes to communications services relating to a telephone number associated with the customer. In an application server environment the communications services need not be limited to telephony services. The communications services, for example, may include services in an IP environment, e.g., the triggering event that causes a service change to occur might be an event such as a "buddy" ofthe subscriber entering or leaving a chat room. Although the customer subscribes to one or more communications services, a telecommunications service provider could also offer other communications services for which the customer does not subscribe. The customer, for example, could subscribe to Call Forwarding service, yet the telecommunications service provider could also make available Do Not Disturb service and Customized Message service. Although there may be many commumcations services offered by the service provider, this invention is applicable to any customer-defined communications service. Because most readers, however, are assumed to be familiar with Call Forwarding service and Do Not Disturb service, these particular communications services will hereinafter be illustrative of all customer-defined communications services. Once the customer defines which communications services are desired {e.g., Call Forwarding), the customer establishes the profile information 22 relating to the desired communications services. The customer uses the computer system 30 to access the communications service server 32 via the connection to the telecommunications switch 24 and the connection to the data network 28. The computer system 30.allows the customer to access the customer's profile information 22. The profile information 22 relates to the customer's communications services. This profile information 22, for example, generally includes: detailed information related to the commumcations services to which the customer subscribes; whether those communications services are ON or OFF; how, when, where, and to whom the communications services are provided; whether the customer, or one ofthe customer's wireless communication units, has established a presence with a telecommunications network; whether the customer is available to receive communications services and, if so, how the customer is available; and similar detailed information regarding telecommunications services for which the customer does not subscribe, but, are available if the customer elects. The intelligence controlling the telecommunications network 20 then uses this profile information 22 to initiate service changes to the customer's communications services.

The profile information 22 may also include information related to the customer's calendar. If, for example, the customer maintains a calendar of appointments and activities somewhere on the data network 28, the profile information 22 may reflect entries and changes to the customer's calendar. The customer, for example, may wish to block communications received during an appointment on the calendar. The profile information 22 may be changed to activate Do Not Disturb service during the appointment on the calendar. The telecommunications network 20 could send a query to a server storing the customer's calendar information and receive changes to the customer's profile information 22. The telecommunications network 20 would then initiate a service change to the customer's communications services to block incoming calls {e.g., activate Do Not Disturb service) during the calendar entry. Similarly, the profile information 22 could track the calendar entries and initiate or change Call Forwarding service according to the calendar.

The profile information 22 may also include itinerary information. If the customer has travel plans, the itinerary information related to those travel plans could be stored on a server in the data network 28. The customer's profile information 22 could reflect that itinerary information, and the profile information 22 could automatically be updated when the customer's itinerary changes. If, for example, the customer's travel plans change due to a flight delay, or a cancelled flight, the customer's profile information 22 could also change and reflect that flight delay or cancellation. The intelligence controlling the telecommunications network 20 then uses this profile information 22 to initiate service changes to the customer's communications services.

The profile information 22 may also include presence and availability information. When the telecommunications network 20 detects that the customer's wireless phone, for example, is powered and operating, the telecommunications network 20 would know the customer is "present" at the wireless phone. The telecommunications network 20 could then automatically route telephone calls to the customer's wireless phone. The telecommunications network 20, likewise, could detect the customer's presence when the computer system 30 is on-line, so the telecommunications network 20 could send data messages to the customer via the data network 28. When the customer establishes a presence with the telecommunications network 20, the profile information 22 may include this presence information. The intelligence controlling the telecommunications network 20 then uses this profile information 22 to initiate service changes to the customer's communications services.

Even though the customer may have a presence, the customer may not be available to receive communications. Although the telecommunications network 20, for example, may detect the presence ofthe customer's wireless phone, the customer may not wish to receive calls. The customer would then not be available to receive commumcations. The customer, alternatively, may be available only for certain calling party telephone numbers, such as the customer's home telephone number. When the customer is available to receive communications from the telecommunications network 20, the profile information 22 may include this availability information. This profile information 22 is used to initiate service changes to the customer's communications services.

The profile information 22 may also include patterns of behavior. Because the telecommunication system 20 is intelligently controlled, the telecommunications network 20 can recognize the customer's patterns of behavior related to the communications services. If, for example, every Monday morning the customer turns ON the Call Forwarding service and forwards all calls to a wireless phone, this pattern of behavior would be reflected in the profile information 22. Over time the telecommunications network 20 will automatically initiate Call Forwarding service each Monday morning. The telecommunications network 20, therefore, initiates Call Forwarding without intervention by the customer. Whenever the telecommunications network 20 detects a pattern of behavior with respect to a communications service, the telecommunications network 20 will automatically initiate a service change to the communications service to reflect the pattern of behavior. The profile information 22, therefore, may include patterns of behavior to initiate service changes.

If the reader wishes to learn more about how the customer may view, add, delete, and otherwise define the customer's communications services and the profile information, the reader is referred to the commonly-assigned United States Application No. 10/012,746, filed December 7, 2001, and which the "Summary" and "Detailed Description" sections are incorporated herein by reference.

The telecommunications network 20 uses in the profile information 22 to initiate service changes. Because the telecommunications network 20 is intelligently controlled, the telecommunications network 20 can modify the customer's communications services based upon changes to the profile information 22. The telecommunications network 20 recognizes when a service change is required in response to a change in the customer's profile information 22. The telecommunications network 20, for example, may use the profile information 22 to activate Do Not Disturb service during an appointment on the customer's calendar. The telecommunications network 20 could also initiate Call

Forwarding and forward calls to a wireless phone when the profile information 22 indicates the customer's flight is delayed. A change in the profile information 22 could result from an internal state change in the telecommunications network 20, such as a time- of-day change, a day-of-week change, or a change in the customer's pattern of behavior. A change in the profile information 22 could also result from changes in information supplied by external servers operating on the data network 28 (such as changes in the customer's calendar, itinerary, or presence/availability supplied from a server on the data network 28). When the telecommunications network 20 determines that a change in the customer's communications services is required, due to the profile information 22, this change in the communications services is termed a "service change." The telecommunications network 20 can thus make service changes on the customer's behalf without the customer's intervention.

When a service change is made, this invention provides a notification of that service change. The intelligently controlled telecommunications network monitors the customer's profile information and makes services changes when the profile information requires. When the profile information indicates a service change is required, the intelligently controlled telecommunications network notifies the customer of that service change. The telecommunications network may tell the customer the current status ofthe customer's communications services, describe the pending service change, and describe why the service change is required.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustrating the email notification of service changes. Because the telecommunications network 20 can make service changes on the customer's behalf, the customer may wish to be informed of these service changes. If the customer does wish to be informed of network-initiated service changes, FIG. 2 illustrates how an email notification 38 is communicated to the customer. When the telecommunications network 20 determines that a service change to the customer's communications services is required, due to the profile information 22, the communications service server 32 retrieves a notification email address. The notification email address is associated with the customer, and the notification email address is preferably contained within the customer's profile information 22. The communications service server 32 (or an email server associated with the communications service server 32) sends the email notification 38 to the computer system 30 using a language such as HyperText Markup Language (HTML). The email notification 38 may include information associated with the pending service change. The email notification 38 may also include information associated with the current status ofthe customer's communications service and the reason for the service change. The email notification 38 routes over the data network 28, through the telecommunications switch 24, and to the computer system 30. When the email notification 38 is received at the customer's computer system 30, the email notification 38 alerts the customer ofthe service change.

The email notification 38 may also permit the customer to approve or override the service change. After the email notification 38 is sent, the telecommunications network 20 could await a reply email from the customer's computer system 30. If the customer wants the telecommunications network 20 to invoke the service change, the customer's reply email could include predefined text, or a predefined data field, authorizing the service change. If the customer does not approve ofthe service change, the customer's reply email, similarly, could include predefined text or data fields overriding the service change. The email notification 38 could alternatively include an embedded web link to approve, or to override, the service change.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustrating wireless notification of service changes. When the telecommunications network 20 determines that a service change to the customer's communications services is required, due to the profile information 22, the communications service server 32 retrieves a notification WAP address. The notification WAP address is associated with the customer, and the notification WAP address is preferably contained within the customer's profile information 22. The communications service server 32 causes a Wireless Mark-up Language (WML) message 40 to be sent over the data network 28 to a WAP gateway 42. The WAP gateway 42 then interfaces with a mobile switching center (MSC) 44 to wirelessly notify a wireless communication unit 46 ofthe service change. The wireless commumcation unit 46 can be any wireless communication device capable of wirelessly receiving notifications of service changes. The wireless communication unit 46 could include a WAP phone 48 and/or a pager 50. The wireless communication unit 46 could also include a wireless personal digital assistant

(PDA). When the customer receives the wireless notification at the wireless communication unit 46, the wireless notification could include the current status ofthe customer's communication service, a description ofthe pending service change, the reason for the change, and an embedded web link or a bookmark allowing the customer to approve or override the service change. Those of ordinary skill in the ait of telecommunications understand the WAP gateway 42 uses a WAP push proxy server to push text messages to the wireless communication unit 46. The Wireless Mark-up Language (WML) and the WAP technique are known and will not be further described. This is a description of a solution for a specific wireless protocol, such as WAP. This solution may be clearly extended to other wireless protocol, such as i-mode.

FIG. 4 is another example of wireless notification of service changes. FIG. 4, however, illustrates wirelessly notifying a wireless mobile phone. When the telecommunications network 20 determines that a service change is required, the communications service server 32 retrieves a notification phone number from the profile information 22. The notification phone number is associated with the customer, and the notification phone number is preferably contained within the customer's profile information 22. The notification phone number could even be a dynamic entry in the profile information 22. The notification phone number could change in relation to the communications service itself. If, for example, the Profile information 22 indicates that Call Forwarding service is enabled, then the notification phone number would correspond to the Call forwarding number. When the customer's profile information 22 indicates a service preference when receiving communications, then the notification phone number would correspond to that service preference.

A wireless phone call is made to the notification phone number. After the communications service server 32 retrieves the notification phone number, the communications service server 32 collects the content ofthe wireless notification and sends a VoiceXML message 52 over the data network 28 to a VoiceXML gateway 54. The VoiceXML message 52 is sent using VoiceXML (Voice extensible Markup Language). The VoiceXML gateway 54 then initiates a phone call to the wireless phone via the mobile switching (MSC) 44 to wirelessly notify the wireless communication unit 46 of the service change. The wireless communication unit 46 can be any wireless communication device capable of wirelessly receiving notifications of service changes.

The wireless communication unit 46 is shown as a wireless mobile phone 56. When the customer receives the wireless notification call at the wireless mobile phone 56, the wireless notification could include the current status ofthe customer's communication service, a description ofthe pending service change, and the reason for the change. The customer could then approve, or override, the service change using the Dual Tone Multi- Frequency (DTMF) keypad on the wireless mobile phone 56. DTMF signaling is a means of transferring information from the customer to the telecommunications network 20 through the use of in-band audio tones. Each digit of information is assigned a simultaneous combination of one of a lower group of frequencies and one of a higher group of frequencies to represent each digit or character. Those of ordinary skill in the art of telecommunications understand the VoiceXML gateway 52 enables access to, and modification of, web-based information through a normal voice interface. VoiceXML, in addition, provides for automatic speech recognition and/or text-to-speech communication. VoiceXML, therefore, provides understandable communication between the customer, using the wireless mobile phone 54, and an application running on the communications service server 32. The VoiceXML technique, the VoiceXML gateway 54, and the DTMF technique are known and will not be further described.

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustrating notification to a wireline telephone 58. When the telecommunications network 20 determines that a service change is required, the communications service server 32 retrieves the notification phone number from the profile information 22. The notification phone number is still preferably a dynamic entry in the customer's profile information, yet, in this embodiment, the notification phone number is associated with the wireline telephone 58. The wireline telephone 58 receives communication signals via a landline to the telecommunications switch 24. The landline most commonly utilizes copper wires, but the landline could also utilize fiber-optic lines. A notification phone call is made to the notification phone number. The communications service server 32, as in FIG. 4, collects the content ofthe notification and sends the VoiceXML message 52 over the data network 28 to the VoiceXML gateway 54. The VoiceXML gateway 54 then interfaces with the telecommunications switch 24 to establish a call to the wireline telephone 58. When the customer receives the notification phone call at the wireline telephone 58, the notification phone call could include the current status ofthe customer's communication service, a description ofthe pending service change, and the reason for the change. The customer could then approve, or override, the service change using the Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) keypad on the wireline telephone 58.

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustrating notification to an interactive television 60. When the telecommunications network 20 determines that a service change is required, the communications service server 32 retrieves a notification Internet Protocol (IP) address from the profile information 22. The notification IP address is associated with the interactive television 60. If the interactive television 60 has a dynamic IP address (e.g., .an

IP address that changes with each session or during a session), then the communications service server 32 may need to query an Internet Service Provider (ISP) for the IP address. Once the IP address is retrieved, the communications service server 32 sends the Wireless Mark-up Language (WML) message 40 over the data network 28 to the WAP gateway 42. The WAP gateway 42 then interfaces with the telecommunications switch 24 to notify the interactive television 60 ofthe service change. When the customer receives the notification at the interactive television 60, the notification could include the current status ofthe customer's communication service, a description ofthe pending service change, the reason for the change, and an embedded web link or a bookmark to approve or override the service change.

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustrating instant messaging notification of service changes. When the telecommunications network 20 determines that a service change is required, the communications service server 32 retrieves a notification Instant Message (IM) address from the customer's profile information 22. The communications service server 32 sends an IM notification 62 to the computer system 30 using a language such as HyperText

Markup Language (HTML). The IM notification 62 may include the status ofthe current service, the pending service change, and the reason for the service change. The IM notification 62 routes over the data network 28 to an Instant Message server 64. The communications service server 32 and the Instant Message server 64 would have an agreed format for the IM notification 62. The Instant Message server 64 then directs the IM notification 62 through the telecommunications switch 24 and to the computer system 30.

The IM notification 62 may also permit the customer to approve or override the service change using an embedded web link, bookmark, or reply instant message.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing one method of notifying a customer of service changes. Because the telecommunications network (shown as reference numeral 20 in FIGS. 1-7) is intelligently controlled, the telecommunications network recognizes when a service change is required to the customer's communications service. The telecommunications network monitors the profile information for a change (Block 66). If the customer's profile information (shown as reference numeral 20 in FIGS. 1-7) changes (Block 68), the logic controlling the telecommunications network recognizes this change. The telecommunications network begins implementing the network-initiated service change in response to the change in the customer's profile information. The telecommunications network provides a notification ofthe service change (Block 70). The notification may be email notification (Block 72), telephone notification (Block 74), and/or wireless notification (Block 76). If the service change is approved (Block 78), then the service change is implemented (Block 80). If the service change is not approved, then the service change is overridden (Block 82) and not implemented.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an alternative method of notifying a customer of service changes. The telecommunications network receives changed profile information via the data network (Block 84). Portions ofthe profile information, such as the presence, availability, calendar, and itinerary information, may be obtained from the data network.

Whenever changes in the profile information (such as changes/updates in the presence, availability, calendar, and itinerary information) are received from the data network, those updates are termed "changed profile information." That changed profile information is received from the data network, and the telecommunications network uses the changed profile information to provide the customer's communications services.

The changed profile information may require a service change. After the changed profile information is received, the intelligently controlled telecommunications network determines if a service change is required to the customer's communications service (Block 86). The logic controlling the telecommunications network reviews the changed profile information received from the data network, and any other profile information that has not changed, and decides whether a change in commumcations services is required.

When a service change is required, the telecommunications network initiates the service change (Block 88). The telecommunications network collects the content ofthe notification (Block 90). That content could include the current status ofthe customer's communications services, a description ofthe pending service change, and the reason for the service change. The telecommunications network notifies the customer (Block 92) of that service change. The telecommunications network may send an email or an interactive television (ITV) message (Block 94) to an address associated with the customer. The telecommunications network may wirelessly communicate a notification (Block 96) ofthe service change to a wireless communication unit associated with the customer. The telecommunications network may also establish a telephone call (Block 98) to a telephone number associated with the customer, with the telephone call notifying the customer ofthe service change. Regardless ofthe notification method, the customer may also be allowed to approve or override the service change. If the service change is approved (Block 100), then the service change is implemented (Block 102). If the service change is overridden (Block 104), then the service change is not implemented.

The methods of this invention may be physically embodied on or in a computer- readable medium. This computer-readable medium may include CD-ROM, DVD, tape, cassette, floppy disk, memory card, and large-capacity disk (such as IOMEGA®, ZIP®, JAZZ®, and other large-capacity memory products (IOMEGA®, ZIP®, and JAZZ® are registered trademarks of Iomega Corporation, 1821 W. Iomega Way, Roy, Utah 84067, 801.332.1000, www.iomega.com). This computer-readable medium, or media, could be distributed to end-users, licensees, and assignees. These types of computer-readable media, and other types not mention here but considered within the scope ofthe present invention, allow the methods of this invention to be easily disseminated. A computer program product for notifying a customer of service changes comprises the computer- readable medium and the methods of this invention. The methods of this invention would be written in computer code and stored on the computer-readable medium.

While the present invention has been described with respect to various features, aspects, and embodiments, those skilled .and unskilled in the art will recognize the invention is not so limited. Other variations, modifications, and alternative embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

[cOl] A method, comprising:

recognizing a service change is required to a customer's communications service, the service change responding to a change in the customer's profile information; and providing a notification of the service change.

[c02] A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the notification includes providing an email notification ofthe service change.

[c03] A method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the notification includes providing a telephone notification ofthe service change.

[c04] A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the notification includes wirelessly notifying a wireless communication unit ofthe service change.

[c05] A method according to claim 1 , further comprising allowing an approval ofthe service change.

[c06] A method according to claim 1, further comprising allowing an override ofthe service change.

[c07] A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of recognizing the service change comprises initiating the service change in response to a change in the customer's presence information.

[c08] A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of recognizing the service change comprises initiating the service change in response to a change in the customer's availability information.

[c09] A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of recognizing the service change comprises initiating the service change in response to an activity in the customer's calendar.

[clO] A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of recognizing the service change comprises recognizing a network-initiated service change, the network-initiated service change initiated by a telecommunications network, the network-initiated service change prompted by the change in the customer's profile information.

[ell] A method, comprising:

receiving changed profile information at a telecommunications network via a connection to a data network, the changed profile information for use in providing telecommunications service to a customer; determining a service change is required to the customer's communications service in response to the changed profile information, the service change initiated by the telecommunications network; and notifying the customer ofthe service change.

[cl2] A method according to claim 11, wherein the step of notifying the customer comprises notifying the customer of a current status ofthe telecommunications service and notifying the customer ofthe service change.

[cl3] A method according to claim 11, wherein the step of notifying the customer comprises sending an email to an email address associated with the customer.

[cl4] A method according to claim 13, wherein the step of sending the email comprises including an option for the customer to at least one of i) cancel the service change and ii) approve the service change.

[cl5] A method according to claim 11 , wherein the step of notifying the customer comprises wirelessly communicating a notification ofthe service change to a wireless communication unit associated with the customer.

[cl6] A method according to claim 15, wherein the wireless communication unit comprises at least one of i) a wireless telephone associated with the customer, ii) a personal digital assistant (PDA) associated with the customer, iii) an interactive pager associated with the customer, and iv) a wireless device associated with the customer.

[cl7] A method according to claim 15, wherein the step of wirelessly communicating the notification comprises including an option for the customer to at least one of i) cancel the service change and ii) approve the service change.

[cl8] A method according to claim 11, wherein the step of notifying the customer comprises establishing a telephone call to a telephone number associated with the customer, the telephone call notifying the customer ofthe service change.

[cl9] A method according to claim 18, wherein the step of establishing the telephone call comprises including an option for the customer to at least one of i) override the service change and ii) approve the service change.

[c20] A method according to claim 11, wherein the step of notifying the customer comprises communicating a notification ofthe service change to an interactive television unit associated with the customer.