System and method for providing access to network services

Abstract

A system and method for provisioning services accessible via a broadband network. The system receives a user selection of one or more services that have been deemed to be available to the user via the network as well as user registration information. The user registration information may include billing information and a user identifier such as a login id or email address. The system then authenticates the identity of the user with an ISP and communicates the user identifier to each provider of each selected service. The registration information and information representative of any selected service is also communicated to a billing engine. In this manner, a user may access each product or service and be billed appropriately for its usage.

1 . A computer readable media embodied in a non-transient physical memory device having stored thereon computer executable instructions for provisioning services, the instructions performing steps comprising:
 receiving a user selection of a plurality of services offered by a corresponding plurality of providers from a plurality of services that have been deemed to be available to the user via the network;   receiving registration information from the user including billing information and a user identifier;   authenticating the user identifier with an ISP;   causing the user identifier to be registered with each of the plurality of providers corresponding to the plurality of services selected by the user;   causing the registration information and information representative of each of the plurality of services selected by the user to be registered with a billing engine; and   creating usage events for processing by the billing engine in response to the user accessing each of the plurality of services selected by the user whereby the user will be billed appropriately for usage of each of the plurality of services selected by the user.   
     
     
         2 . The computer readable media as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further retrieve from a product catalog the plurality of services that have been deemed to be available to the user via the network. 
     
     
         3 . The computer readable media as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further use a broadband access type to determine the plurality of services that have been deemed to be available to the user via the network. 
     
     
         4 . The computer readable media as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further determine if a physical location or address is capable of receiving broadband service before allowing a user to select from the plurality of services that have been deemed to be available to the user via the network. 
     
     
         5 . The computer readable media as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further register the user with a provisioning manager which is responsible for determining if any discrete services are needed by the user to permit access to any of the plurality of services selected by the user. 
     
     
         6 . A computer readable media embodied in a non-transient physical memory device having stored thereon computer executable instructions for provisioning services in a network, comprising:
 receiving a query message from a customer requesting access to the network from a given location;   determining if network access is available to the customer at the given location; and   when network access is available to the potential customer, querying a product catalog to determine offerings available for the access requested; allowing the customer to selected one or more of the offerings for purchase; receiving an identifier from the customer; provisioning the selected offerings from providers of the selected offerings; registering the identifier received from the customer with the providers of the selected offerings and a rating and billing engine; and creating usage events for processing by the rating and billing engine in response to the user accessing each of the selected offerings whereby the user will be billed appropriately for usage of each of the selected offerings.   
     
     
         7 . The computer readable media as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the query message is received via an ISP Web site. 
     
     
         8 . The computer readable media as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the query message is received via a provider order entry system. 
     
     
         9 . The computer readable media as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the query message includes information descriptive of a client computer which will be used to access the network. 
     
     
         10 . The computer readable media as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the query message is received via a customer service representative system. 
     
     
         11 . The computer readable media as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the step of determining if network access is available comprises determining if the given location is passed by a branch of a physical line within a broadband network. 
     
     
         12 . The computer readable media as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the step of determining if network access is available comprises determining if the given location is capable of receiving wireless communications from a transmission node in the network. 
     
     
         13 . The computer readable media as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the step of determining if network access is available comprises determining a relative priority of the customer versus that of other customers. 
     
     
         14 . The computer readable media as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the product catalog includes rating guidelines for the offerings for use in billing the customer for accessing selected offerings. 
     
     
         15 . The computer readable media as recited in  claim 6 , further comprising allocating IP addresses to facilitate access to the network. 
     
     
         16 . A computer readable media embodied in a non-transient physical memory device having stored thereon computer executable instructions for rating usage of services in a network, the instructions performing steps comprising:
 receiving a request to provide a customer with access to a plurality of services each provided by a respective service provider;   storing a universal customer identifier in a database associated with a billing engine and associating the universal customer identifier with the plurality of services;   synchronizing a local customer identifier stored at each of the respective service providers with the universal customer identifier;   receiving usage information from each of the respective service providers pertaining to usage by the customer of a one of the plurality of service supported by the respective service provider; and   using the usage information, the local customer identifiers, and the universal customer identifier at the billing engine to generate a bill corresponding to usage of each of the plurality of services by the customer.