Profile management system including user interface for accessing and maintaining profile data of user subscribed telephony services

Abstract

A method for managing subscriber profile data for a service provided over a communications network includes receiving a subscriber request to view the subscriber profile data from a client which hosts a user interface configured to allow the subscriber to view and update the subscriber profile data. The subscriber profile data is retrieved based upon receiving the subscriber request to view the subscriber profile data from the client. The subscriber profile data is forwarded to the client. A subscriber request to update the subscriber profile data is received from the client. The method includes forwarding an update for the subscriber profile data to the communications network based upon receiving the subscriber request to update the subscriber profile data from the client. The communications network provides the service in accordance with the updated subscriber profile data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for managing, by a profile management system, subscriber profile data for a service provided over a communications network and subscribed to by a subscriber, the service provided over the communications network being provided in accordance with the subscriber profile data, the method comprising:
 receiving a subscriber request to view the subscriber profile data from a client which hosts a user interface configured to allow the subscriber to view and update the subscriber profile data;   retrieving the subscriber profile data based upon receiving the subscriber request to view the subscriber profile data from the client;   forwarding the subscriber profile data to the client;   receiving a subscriber request to update the subscriber profile data from the client, and   forwarding an update for the subscriber profile data to the communications network based upon receiving the subscriber request to update the subscriber profile data from the client,   wherein the communications network provides the service provided over the communications network in accordance with the updated subscriber profile data.   
     
     
         2 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the subscriber profile data is retrieved via at least one intermediate system.   
     
     
         3 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the update for the subscriber profile data is forwarded via at least one intermediate system.   
     
     
         4 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the profile management system comprises a server.   
     
     
         5 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface.   
     
     
         6 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 preventing an instance of the service provided over the communication network in accordance with the updated subscriber profile data.   
     
     
         7 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 allowing an instance of the service provided over the communication network only when in accordance with the updated subscriber profile data.   
     
     
         8 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating and sending a message in order to implement the service provided over the communications network in accordance with the subscriber profile data.   
     
     
         9 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 controlling access to the subscriber profile data, using an access control system, to only allow authorized subscribers to view and request updates to the subscriber profile data.   
     
     
         10 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the client, a time specified by the subscriber as to when the service provided over the communications network should be provided in accordance with the update for the subscriber profile data.   
     
     
         11 . A method for managing subscriber profile data for a service provided over a communications network and subscribed to by a subscriber, the service provided over the communications network being provided in accordance with the subscriber profile data, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a profile management system, a subscriber request to view the subscriber profile data, the subscriber request to view the subscriber profile data being received from the profile management system based upon the profile management system receiving the subscriber request to view the subscriber profile data from a client which hosts a user interface configured to allow the subscriber to view and update the subscriber profile data;   forwarding the subscriber profile data to the profile management system based upon receiving the subscriber request to view the subscriber profile data from the profile management system, the profile management system being configured to forward the subscriber profile data to the client when the profile management system receives the subscriber profile data;   receiving an update for the subscriber profile data from the profile management system, the update for the subscriber profile data being received from the profile management system based upon the profile management system receiving a subscriber request to update the sub scriber profile data from the client,   wherein the communications network provides the service provided over the communications network in accordance with the updated subscriber profile data.   
     
     
         12 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the subscriber profile data is forwarded to the profile management system via at least one intermediate system.   
     
     
         13 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the update for the subscriber profile data is received from the profile management system via at least one intermediate system.   
     
     
         14 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the intermediate system comprises a server.   
     
     
         15 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the profile management system communicates with the client using TCP/IP.   
     
     
         16 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the message comprises an electronic message sent over a communications link.   
     
     
         17 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 generating and sending a message in order to implement the service provided over the communications network in accordance with the subscriber profile data.   
     
     
         18 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 17 ,
 wherein the message comprises an electronic message sent over a communications link.   
     
     
         19 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 preventing an instance of the service provided over the communication network in accordance with the updated subscriber profile data.   
     
     
         20 . The method for managing subscriber profile data of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 allowing an instance of the service provided over the communication network only when in accordance with the updated subscriber profile data.