Voicemail Provisioning via Subscriber Identifier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voicemail systems often disrupt service and result in the loss of voicemails when users change their wireless communication service subscriber accounts, such as upgrading plans or switching devices, due to the system's reliance on phone numbers and device identifiers, leading to unintended termination and re-provisioning of voicemail accounts.
Innovation Solution
A voicemail provisioning system that assigns a unique identifier based on the subscriber's identity, allowing voicemail accounts to be managed independently of phone numbers and device hardware, ensuring continuous service during changes to subscriber accounts, such as plan upgrades or device swaps, by linking the voicemail account identifier to a subscriber identifier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If voicemail systems rely on phone numbers and device identifiers for account provisioning, then the system can easily identify and provision voicemail accounts, but service disruption and voicemail loss occur when users change plans or devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a subscriber identifier as an intermediary element that mediates between the voicemail system and the phone number/device identifier. This intermediary serves as a stable reference point that persists across plan changes and device swaps, preventing service disruption while maintaining easy provisioning through the identifier-based lookup mechanism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system re-provisions voicemail accounts when subscriber changes occur, then the system can adapt to new configurations, but voicemail accounts are unintentionally terminated and lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing the subscriber identifier as the primary key for voicemail account provisioning before any plan changes or device swaps occur. This pre-established identifier serves as a persistent reference that preserves voicemail accounts through configuration changes, preventing unintentional termination while allowing the system to adapt to new subscriber configurations.
3Device complexity
If phone numbers and device identifiers are used as the primary key for voicemail accounts, then provisioning is straightforward, but service disruption occurs during plan upgrades or device swaps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter used for identifying voicemail accounts from phone number/device identifier pairs to a subscriber identifier. This parameter change maintains provisioning simplicity through identifier-based lookup while eliminating service disruption during plan upgrades or device swaps, as the subscriber identifier remains constant across configuration changes.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system for provisioning voicemail. The system comprises a processor, a non-transitory memory, and a voicemail provisioning application. Upon execution by the processor, the provisioning application receives a request to create a voicemail account associated with a first phone number, creates a voicemail account comprising a first voicemail box, assigns a voicemail account identifier associated with an identity of the subscriber, and transmits the voicemail account and first voicemail box to a voicemail system, wherein the voicemail account identifier is used to reference the voicemail account. The application further receives a request to create a voicemail account associated with a second phone number of the mobile communication device, determines that a voicemail account associated with the mobile communication device already exists, creates a second voicemail box, and transmits the second voicemail box to the voicemail account identified by the voicemail account identifier.