Dynamic Wireline Service Activation for Transient Customers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transient consumers who split their time between multiple residences or travel frequently face financial disincentives to maintain wireline telephone service due to increased costs, leading to cancellation, which compromises safety during power outages and results in revenue losses for service providers.
Innovation Solution
A telecommunications service provider offers a 'transient telephone plan' with minimal service charges for inactive periods and premium charges for active periods, allowing customers to activate and deactivate wireline service using specific codes, ensuring continued access for emergency calls while minimizing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If transient customers maintain wireline telephone service at multiple residences, then safety during power outages is ensured, but service costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic service model where wireline telephone service can be activated or deactivated at different residences based on the customer's current location. This allows the service to adapt to the transient customer's needs over time, providing full service when needed and minimal service when not needed, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining safety and reducing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the service parameter from a static continuous subscription to a dynamic on-demand service. By allowing customers to switch between active and inactive states, the service level parameter changes based on actual usage needs, enabling cost reduction while maintaining safety capability when required.
2Loss of energy
If transient customers cancel wireline telephone service to save costs, then service costs are reduced, but safety during power outages is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by providing minimal service (emergency calling capability) instead of full service during periods when the customer is not actively using the residence. This partial service level maintains essential safety functionality while significantly reducing costs, resolving the contradiction between cost reduction and safety maintenance.
3Loss of energy
If home wireline telephone service is eliminated in favor of mobile or VoIP, then service costs are reduced for transient customers, but operation during power outages is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wireline telephone service into two distinct modes: full service mode with all capabilities and minimal service mode with only emergency calling. This segmentation allows customers to choose the appropriate service level based on their needs, maintaining the reliability advantage of wireline during power outages while reducing costs through selective service activation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for providing wireline telephone services may include providing wireline telephone service to a residence for a customer to place telephone calls. In response to receiving an activate code, the wireline telephone service may be activated. In response to receiving a deactivate code, the wireline telephone service may be deactivated. The customer may be billed for the wireline telephone service. In one embodiment, the customer is billed a premium service charge when the wireline telephone service is active and a lower service charge when the wireline telephone service is inactive.