Abstract: A method for providing cellular access to a mobile device when the mobile device is out of a home network operated by a home wireless service provider that has no pre-arranged roaming agreements with any foreign wireless service provider in a location of the mobile device, The method includes implementing an intelligent Mobile Device Access Network Manager (iMDANM) application on a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). The iMDANM application being configured to allow a foreign wireless service provider to lease a portion of the UICC from the home wireless service provider to provision service credentials to the leased portion of the UICC, thereby providing the mobile device access to a foreign network operated by the foreign wireless service provider.

Abstract: A method for performing a service action on a particular set top box based on a particular private identifier associated with the particular set top box is disclosed. At a database associated with a service provider, a user record is created. The user record includes a public identifier and a private identifier for each set top box that is available to the user. The public identifier for a particular set top box is accessible by the user and may be used to determine the private identifier for the particular set top box.

Abstract: Routing communications at a communications center includes servicing a first communication concurrently with receiving a second communication, at the communications center. It is determined, using a tangible first processor, whether a sender of the first communication and a sender of the second communication are associated with a common account. The second communication is routed to an agent based on the determining.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for providing service to a residential gateway. The method includes detecting a service disruption associated with a first connection to a first residential gateway device. In response to the detected service disruption, a second residential gateway device selected at the first residential gateway may be used to establish a second connection to the first residential gateway device.

Abstract: A communication is received at a communications center, from a user initiated via a first interactive session over a first service channel. First interaction data associated with the first interactive session is stored in at least one database, either concurrently with the first interactive session or upon termination of the first interactive session. At least one processor retrieves the first interaction data when a subsequent interactive session is initiated, by either of the user or an agent, via at least one of the first service channel and a second service channel and subsequent interaction data is obtained.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing wireless enabled inventory peering are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a system for providing wireless enabled inventory peering includes a wireless enabled inventory peering vehicle system (WEIPVS). The WEIPVS is configured to receive an inventory search request. In response to receiving the inventory search request, the WEIPVS searches inventories of proximate technician vehicles. If a needed inventory item is located in an inventory of a proximate technician vehicle, the WEIPVS generates a request for an inventory transfer and sends the request to the proximate technician vehicle. When the item is received at the WEIPVS, the WEIPVS updates the inventory associated with the WEIPVS.

Abstract: A problem management system can include a system architecture having a first horizontal layer including a plurality of access interfaces, each access interface adapted to receive a problem report from a customer. The problem report indicates that the customer is having a problem with a network-based service of a plurality of network-based services. The architecture also includes a task management domain at the first horizontal layer adapted to obtain a workflow, a problem resolution rule, or any combination thereof, from a second horizontal layer of the problem management system, and provide a diagnostic tool, troubleshooting information, or any combination thereof, via the access interface. The architecture also includes an agent support platform to provide the diagnostic tool, troubleshooting information, a trouble report associated with the customer, a problem history associated with the customer, or any combination thereof, to an agent via another access interface after the customer contacts the agent.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a gateway comprising a controller to transport media data between a service provider network and one or more end user devices associated with the gateway, and transmit connection signals to a second gateway for establishing communications between the service provider network and the gateway and for establishing a plurality of queues at the second gateway, where the queues are dedicated to each of femtocell, internet and VoIP services associated with the gateway. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a gateway having a controller to transport media data between a service provider network and one or more end user devices associated with the gateway, and transmit connection signals to a second gateway for establishing a management channel between the gateway and the service provider network when an undesired condition is detected, where the management channel transports management data associated with the gateway to the second gateway for transport to the service provider network using a separate transport queue of the second gateway. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for contact channel redirection to improve agent routing/assignment efficiency and customer experience. For example, the system may redirect a customer, waiting in a queue for an agent for telephonic communications, to a chat agent for online chat.

Abstract: A method of managing a policy related to a network-based service can include receiving a policy request at a policy creation system from a service creation and development (SCD) system, the request identifying a network-based service. The method can also include developing a policy template related to the network-based service based on requirements of a service level agreement associated with the network-based service. The method can also include sending the policy template to the SCD system after verifying that the policy template meets the requirements of the service level agreement.

Abstract: A system and method for registration of network units is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an optical network unit (ONU) in a passive optical network (PON) that can have a controller element to receive a registration code, send the registration code and a serial number of the ONU to an optical line terminal (OLT) that configures the ONU for temporary connectivity with the PON, and upon an expiration of the registration code or a termination of the temporary connectivity, re-send the serial number to the OLT to re-configure the connectivity with the PON. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Resolving an issue raised by at least one user includes establishing a contact session over a communication channel for servicing the issue. The Internet is searched for content related to providing a resolution for the issue using a customized query, when a search of a database does not return results. Content obtained from at least one Internet source as a result of searching the Internet using the customized query is restructured to prepare the resolution for the issue. The at least one Internet source from which the content was obtained is updated with the resolution.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosed technology comprise a dispatch management system and method. Customer information is received by a first company and forwarded with dispatch instructions to a second company, namely, a dispatch company which handles dispatching a service technician or other support representative to the customer. The dispatch company then sends to the first company customer information regarding products and/or service related to the customer. It is then determined which products and/or services are to be advertised to the customer based on the customer information and information received from the dispatch company. Advertisements are then sent to the customer based on this determination.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to support network policy managers are disclosed herein. An example method for use in a communication system includes receiving an adjustment request from a user premises to temporarily adjust a policy defining a bundled service associated with the user premises, the bundled service including a first service assigned a first percentage of a network resource and a second service assigned a second percentage of the network resource; automatically adjusting the policy such that the first service is assigned a third percentage of the network resource, wherein the third percentage is greater than the first percentage; receiving a notification of a termination of an application associated with the first service; and readjusting the policy such that the first service is assigned the first percentage in response to the notification.

Abstract: A provisioning system includes a services management system operable to enable a set-top box device configured to receive broadband services at a first network location to access one or more of the broadband services at a second network location. The first network location is associated with a subscriber account and the second network location is not associated with the subscriber account. The broadband services include a voice service, a data service, and a video service. The provisioning system includes a subscriber authentication system operable to evaluate a request that includes subscriber authorization data, to selectively authorize access to the one or more broadband services at the second network location based on the subscriber authorization data, and to enable the set-top box device to access the one or more broadband services when the set-top box device is at the second network location.

Abstract: A method of generating a double stranded (ds) recombinant nucleic acid molecule covalently linked in both strands by contacting two or more ds nucleotide sequences with a topoisomerase under conditions such that both termini of at least one end of a first ds nucleotide sequence are covalently linked by the topoisomerase to both termini of at least one end of a second ds nucleotide sequence is provided. Also provided is a method for generating a ds recombinant nucleic acid molecule covalently linked in one strand, by contacting two or more ds nucleotide sequences with a type IA topoisomerase under conditions such that one strand, but not both strands, of one or both ends of a first ds nucleotide sequence are covalently linked by the topoisomerase. Compositions for performing such methods, and compositions generated from such methods also are provided, as are kits containing components useful for conveniently practicing the methods.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for conducting questions and answers with deferred type evaluation based on any corpus of data. The method includes processing a query including waiting until a “Type” (i.e. a descriptor) is determined AND a candidate answer is provided; the Type is not required as part of a predetermined ontology but is only a lexical/grammatical item. Then, a search is conducted to look (search) for evidence that the candidate answer has the required LAT (e.g., as determined by a matching function that can leverage a parser, a semantic interpreter and/or a simple pattern matcher). In another embodiment, it may be attempted to match the LAT to a known Ontological Type and then look for a candidate answer up in an appropriate knowledge-base, database, and the like determined by that type. Then, all the evidence from all the different ways to determine that the candidate answer has the expected lexical answer type (LAT) is combined and one or more answers are delivered to a user.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a Unified Messaging System (UMS) having a controller to receive one or more voicemail, video, or text messages directed to a subscriber of the UMS, present the subscriber one of a first option to convert one of the one or more voicemail messages received in a first media playback format to a second media playback format, and a second option to transfer at least a portion of one or more of the received voicemail, video or text messages received by the UMS to one of a set top box or digital video recorder. The controller is adapted to detect a selection of one of said options, and execute the selected option. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides nucleic acid molecules comprising one or more nucleic acid sequences encoding a polypeptide having a detectable activity. The present invention also provides methods of joining such nucleic acid molecules to nucleic acid molecules to be assayed for promoter activity. The present invention also relates to methods of preparing fusion proteins comprising a polypeptide of interest and a polypeptide having a detectable activity.