1. A method for management of a communications line associated with a communications device and with a user of a communications network, the communications network comprising a voice network and a data network, the method comprising:
receiving, at a server, line management information from the user over the data network, the server being in communication with the data network and the voice network, the line management information comprising:
information identifying the communications line; and
information requesting a modification to the identified communications line, the requested modification identifying an additional communications device to which calls received by the identified communications line are forwarded;
determining, at the server, whether the requested modification would change a procedure for handling of calls directed to the identified communications line;
generating, at the server, an instruction to implement the requested modification when the requested modification would change the procedure, the generating comprising:
obtaining, from a database, information associated with the identified communications line;
determining, based on the obtained information, a property of the communications network associated with the communications line, the communications network property being indicative of a functionality of a component of the voice network that services the identified communications line that is required to implement the modification; and
generating, based on at least the communications network property, a signal to implement the requested modification at the voice network component in accordance with the functionality; and
transmitting the generated instruction to the voice network component to implement the requested modification.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the generated instruction comprises transmitting the generated instruction to a service control point.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the generated instruction to the service control point comprises transmitting the generated instruction to a service provisioning and creation environment.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the generated instruction comprises transmitting the generated instruction to a switch.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the communications line comprises contact information, the contact information comprising at least one of a contact name and a contact phone number.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the requested modification identifies the additional communications device based on at least one of the contact name and the contact phone number.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested modification identifies the additional communications device based on a user-defined time schedule and the time the call is received.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein:
the additional communications device comprises one or more processors providing voice mail services; and
the requested modification identifies the one or more processors based on at least one of the contact name and the contact phone number.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional communications device comprises one or more processors for playing an audible signal indicative of the communications line being unavailable.
10. A system for management of a communications line associated with a communications device and with a user of a communications network, the communications network comprising a voice network and a data network, the system comprising:
a first interface for connecting to the data network;
a second interface for connecting to the voice network; and
a server comprising one or more processors in communication with the first and second interfaces, the server being configured to:
receive line management information from the user via the first interface, the line management information comprising:
information identifying the communications line; and
information requesting a modification to the identified communications line, the requested modification identifying an additional communications device to which calls received by the identified communications line are forwarded;
determine whether the requested modification would change a procedure for handling of calls directed to the identified communications line;
generate an instruction to implement the requested modification when the requested modification would change the procedure, the server being further configured to:
obtain, from a database, information associated with the identified communications line;
determine, based on the obtained information, a property of the communications network associated with the communications line, the communications network property being indicative of a functionality of a component of the voice network that services the identified communications line that is required to implement the modification; and
generate, based on at least the communications network property, a signal to implement the requested modification at the voice network component in accordance with the functionality, and
transmit the generated instruction, via the second interface, to the voice network component to implement the requested modification.
11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a recent change engine for receiving the generated instruction from the server and transmitting the generated instruction to a service control point.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the service control point includes a service provisioning and creation environment and wherein the recent change engine is capable of transmitting the generated instruction to the service provisioning and creation environment of the service control point.
13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a recent change engine for receiving the generated instruction from the server and transmitting the generated instruction to a switch.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the switch includes a table and wherein the recent change engine is capable of modifying the table.
15. The system of claim 10, wherein the requested modification identifies the additional communications device based on contact information, the contact information comprising at least one of a contact name and a contact phone number.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the requested modification identifies the additional communications device based on a user-defined time schedule and a time the call is received.
17. The system of claim 10, wherein the additional communications device comprises one or more processors providing voice mail services.
18. The system of claim 10, wherein the additional communications device comprises one or more processors for playing an audible signal indicative of the communications line being unavailable.
19. A system for management of a communications line associated with a communications device and with a user of a communications network, the communications network comprising a voice network and a data network, the system comprising:
means for receiving, at a server, line management information from the user over the data network, the server being in communication with the data network and the voice network, the line management information comprising:
information identifying the communications line; and
information requesting a modification to the identified communications line, the requested modification identifying an additional communications device to which calls received by the identified communications line are forwarded;
means for determining, at the server, whether the requested modification would change a procedure for handling of calls directed to the identified communications line;
means for generating, at the server, an instruction to implement the requested modification when the requested modification would change the procedure, the means for generating comprising:
means for obtaining, from a database, information associated with the identified communications line;
means for determining, based on the obtained information, a property of the communications network associated with the communications line, the communications network property being indicative of a functionality of a component of the voice network that services the identified communications line that is required to implement the modification; and
means for generating, based on at least the communications network property, a signal to implement the requested modification at the voice network component in accordance with the functionality; and
means for transmitting the generated instruction to the voice network component to implement the requested modification.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for transmitting the generated instruction to a component of the voice network comprises means for transmitting the generated instruction to a service control point.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for transmitting the generated instruction to the service control point comprises means for transmitting the generated instruction to a service provisioning and creation environment.
22. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for transmitting the generated instruction to the component of the voice network comprises means for transmitting the generated instruction to a switch.
23. The system of claim 19, wherein the information identifying the communications line comprises contact information, the contact information comprising at least one of a contact name and a contact phone number.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the requested modification identifies the additional communications device based on at least one of the contact name and the contact phone number.
25. The system of claim 19, wherein the requested modification identifies the additional communications device based on a user-defined time schedule and the time the call is received.
26. The system of claim 19, wherein the additional communications device comprises one or more processors providing voice mail services.
27. The system of claim 19, wherein the additional communications device comprises one or more processors for playing an audible signal indicative of the communications line being unavailable.
28. A method for management of a communications line associated with a communications device and with a user of a communications network, the communications network comprising a voice network and a data network, the method comprising:
receiving, at a server, line management information from the user over the data network, the server being in communication with the data network and the voice network, the line management information comprising:
information identifying the communications line; and
information requesting a modification to the identified communications line, the requested modification identifying an additional communications device to which calls received by the identified communications line are forwarded;
determining, at the server, whether the requested modification would change a procedure for handling of calls directed to the identified communications line;
generating, at the server, an instruction to implement the requested modification when the requested modification would change the procedure, the generating comprising:
obtaining, from a database, information associated with the identified communications line;
determining, based on the obtained information, a property of the communications network associated with the communications line, the communications network property being indicative of a functionality of a component of the voice network that services the identified communications line that is required to implement the modification; and
generating, based on at least the communications network property, a signal to implement the requested modification at the voice network component in accordance with the functionality; and
transmitting the generated instruction to a service control point of the voice network to implement the requested modification.
29. A system for management of a communications line associated with a communications device and with a user of a communications network, the communications network comprising a voice network and a data network, comprising:
a first interface for connecting to the data network;
a second interface for connecting to the voice network; and
a server comprising one or more processors in communication with the first and second interfaces, the server being configured to:
receive line management information from the user via the first interface the line management information comprising:
information identifying the communications line; and
information requesting a modification to the identified communications line, the requested modification identifying an additional communications device to which calls received by the identified communications line are forwarded;
determine whether the requested modification would change a procedure for handling of calls directed to the identified communications line;
generate an instruction to implement the requested modification when the requested modification would change the procedure, the server being further configured to:
obtain, from a database, information associated with the identified communications line;
determine, based on the obtained information, a property of the communications network associated with the communications line, the communications network property being indicative of a functionality of a component of the voice network that services the identified communications line that is required to implement the modification; and
generate, based on at least the communications network property, a signal to implement the requested modification at the voice network component in accordance with the functionality; and
transmit the generated instruction, via the second interface, to a service control point of the voice network to implement the requested modification.
30. A system for management of a communications line associated with a communications device and with a user of a communications network, the communications network comprising a voice network and a data network, the system comprising:
means for receiving, at a server, line management information from a device over the data network, the server being in communication with the data network and the voice network, the line management information comprising:
information identifying the communications line; and
information requesting a modification to the identified communications line, the requested modification identifying an additional communications device to which calls received by the identified communications line are forwarded;
means for determining, at the server, whether the requested modification would change a procedure for handling of calls directed to the identified communications line;
means for generating, at the server, an instruction to implement the requested modification when the requested modification would change the procedure, the means for generating comprising:
means for obtaining, from a database, information associated with the identified communication line;
means for determining, based on the obtained information, a property of the communications network associated with the communications line, the communications network property being indicative of a functionality of a component of the voice network that services the identified communications line that is required to implement the modification; and
means for generating, based on at least the communications network property, a signal to implement the requested modification at the voice network component in accordance with the functionality; and
means for transmitting the generated instruction to a service control point of the voice network to implement the requested modification.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What we claim is:
1. An access contract changing method for changing an access contract between a prepaid contract and a postpaid contract in a server (50) of a communication service provider, the server (50) having a client information management system (57) for managing access service provided to the client, Characterized in that:
the server (50) of the communication service provider changes the access contract between the prepaid contract and the postpaid contract by sending an instruction regarding the access contract to said client information management system in response to a predetermined action made by said client.
2. The access contract changing method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said server (50) of the communication service provider sends an instruction to said client information management system to provide service based on the prepaid contract when said client newly makes the access contract.
3. The access contract changing method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said server (50) of the communication service provider sends an instruction to said client information management system (58) so as to change the access contract from the prepaid contract to the postpaid contract after a personal identification of said client is confirmed.
4. The access contract changing method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said server (50) of the communication service provider sends an instruction to said client information management system (58) so as to change the access contract between the prepaid contract and the postpaid contract in accordance with a condition of payment of a service fee charged to said client.
5. The access contract changing method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that when a way of payment of service fee is an account transfer, said server (50) of the communication service provider prohibits sending of an instruction to change the access contract from the postpaid contract to the prepaid contract to said client information management system (58) until an account of said client is confirmed.
6. The access contract changing method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that said client pays a whole or a part of the service fee by purchasing a prepaid card and setting a prepaid amount corresponding to the prepaid card to said client information management system (58).
7. The access contract changing method as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that when said client pays for a part of arrearage corresponding to the service fee, an amount obtained by multiplying a predetermined rate is deducted from the arrearage corresponding to the service fee.
8. The access contract changing method as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that when said client pays for arrearage corresponding to the service fee, said client selects an amount or a rate of deduction from the arrearage.
9. A server of a communication service provider for changing an access contract between a prepaid contract and a postpaid contract, characterized in that:
a client information management system manages access service provided to said client; and
the access contract between the prepaid contract and the postpaid contract is changed by sending an instruction regarding the access contract to said client information management system in response to a predetermined action made by said client.
10. A recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to change an access contract between a prepaid contract and a postpaid contract by sending an instruction regarding the access contract to a client information management system in response to an action made by a client, the client information management system (58) managing access service provided to said client.