Emergency Wireline Telephone Service Access Code Billing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Power outages disrupt alternative telecommunications services like mobile and VoIP, leaving users without service, and local service providers lose marketing opportunities and incur costs when customers switch to these alternatives, as wireline services can operate during outages.

Innovation Solution

Offering emergency wireline telephone services with a per-usage billing model, where customers can access reliable phone service by dialing an access code before calls, allowing service providers to maintain connections and market to customers, even during power outages.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If customers switch to alternative telecommunications services (mobile/VoIP), then service providers can reduce wireline infrastructure costs, but users lose telephone service during power outages and providers lose marketing opportunities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewireline infrastructure maintenance costVSAvoidtelephone service availability during power outages

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by providing limited emergency wireline service rather than full-service wireline connections. Customers who switch to alternative services can still access basic emergency telephone capability through a simplified service model that provides only essential functionality (emergency calls and basic communication) without the full suite of wireline services, thereby reducing infrastructure costs while maintaining critical reliability during power outages

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The service model changes key parameters of telephone service delivery: it transitions from continuous full-service operation to on-demand emergency service, from comprehensive functionality to basic communication only, and from traditional billing to usage-based pricing. These parameter changes enable providers to maintain minimal wireline infrastructure for emergency reliability while reducing overall costs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If local service providers maintain full wireline telephone services to all residences, then customers have reliable service during power outages, but providers incur high overhead and maintenance expenses

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetelephone service availability during power outagesVSAvoidoverhead and maintenance expenses

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the wireline service market into two distinct categories: full-service customers who receive comprehensive wireline telephone services, and emergency-service customers who receive only basic emergency communication capability. This segmentation allows providers to maintain minimal infrastructure for emergency reliability while reducing costs by not providing full-service maintenance to all residences

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The emergency wireline service model treats connections as minimal, temporary, and cost-minimized rather than permanent, full-service installations. The service provides just-enough connectivity for emergency situations without the infrastructure investment required for full-service wireline telephone systems, analogous to using disposable or minimal-resource solutions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Loss of energy

If customers cancel wireline telephone service, then service providers reduce overhead and maintenance expenses, but they lose the ability to market products and services to those customers after the win-back period

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoverhead and maintenance expensesVSAvoidmarketing opportunity to customers

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The emergency wireline service acts as a universal platform that serves multiple functions: it provides essential emergency communication reliability, maintains an active customer-provider relationship, preserves marketing opportunities during the win-back period, and creates a pathway for customers to return to full-service wireline or purchase additional services. Rather than being purely cost-cutting, the minimal service becomes a multi-functional retention tool

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS8891749B2System and method for providing emergency wireline telephone services to residences

Publication Date: 2014.11.18 CENTURYLINK INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LLC

AI summary

A system and method for providing wireline telephone services may include providing wireline telephone services to a residence to enable a user to place telephone calls. In response to receiving an access code, the user may be enabled to place telephone calls. The user may be billed for placing the telephone calls on a per-usage basis.