Apparatus and method for facilitating service management of communications services in a communications network

US8139742B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. · US

Inventors

• Timothy Klos · High Ridge, US
• Terry Gilmore · Glen Carbon, US
• Gary Martens · Florissant, US
• Sue Merz · Holden, US
• Terry L. Vieth · Chesterfield, US
• William Bowling · Spotsylvania, US
• Mark Sexton · Merrimack, US
• John Vallely · Florissant, US
• Mary B. Clark · Florissant, US
• Randall Leet · Eureka, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 26, 2006
• Grant date: Mar 20, 2012
• Expiry date: Dec 17, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04M2215/016
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A service order management system provisions service orders in a communications network having multiple network elements. The service order management system includes an order manager and an interface. The order manager, which receives requests representative of service orders for at least one communications service from dissimilar service order sources, includes an input process and an output process which determine, at least in part, service implementing information provided to the network elements to implement the at least one communications service. The interface is configured to interface the service order management system with the dissimilar service order sources.