Methods, Systems and Applications for Porting Telephone Numbers on Wireless Devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016198034-A1
Application number	US-201614989260-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 6, 2016
Priority date	Jan 6, 2015
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The application is directed to a method and system for improving user experience with porting a telephone number to an electronic device. The method includes the steps of displaying a user interface on a display of the electronic device for initiating porting of a telephone number. Upon receiving user information via the user interface associated with the telephone number, it is determined whether the telephone number is portable. If the telephone number is portable, it is transmitted to the electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for porting a telephone number comprising:
providing an electronic device with a display; displaying a user interface on the display for initiating porting of the telephone number that includes a request for user information; receiving the user information associated with the telephone number via the user interface; transmitting the user information from the electronic device along with a request to port the telephone number to the electronic device; receiving confirmation that the telephone number has been ported; and updating the electronic device to utilize the telephone number.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
requesting a service provider associated with the telephone number port the telephone number to the electronic device.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving information on whether the telephone number is portable; and displaying information on whether the telephone number is portable.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying a status of the porting process on the display after the transmitting.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface displays a prompt for inputting the telephone number.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the user information is selected from: customer name, customer billing address, service provider, account number, telephone number, email address, password and combinations thereof.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a request after the transmitting to cancel telephone service with a service provider associated with the telephone number via the user interface.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is performed during activation of the electronic device.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface for porting the telephone number is automatically displayed on the electronic device.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the electronic device is a wireless phone.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a pre-paid phone operating on a mobile virtual network operative.

12 . A wireless device configured to port a telephone number from another electronic device comprising:
a non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon for porting the telephone number to the wireless device; a display associated with the wireless device for displaying a user interface having a prompt to input at least a telephone number to be ported to the wireless device; and a processor, operatively coupled to the non-transitory memory and the display, the processor configured to perform the instructions of: receiving user information via the user interface; and requesting that the telephone number be ported.

13 . The wireless device according to claim 12 , wherein the wireless device is selected from a smartphone, a tablet, and a personal digital assistant.

14 . The wireless device according to claim 12 , wherein the non-transitory memory is configured to store user information selected from customer name, customer billing address, telephone number, service provider, account number, email address, password and combinations thereof.

15 . The wireless device according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to request a service provider associated with the telephone number port the telephone number from the wireless device to the wireless device.

16 . The wireless device according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to send a request to cancel telephone service with a service provider via the user interface.

17 . The wireless device according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform the instruction of: displaying a status of the porting process.

18 . A non-transitory tangible computer readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions for a software application for porting a telephone number to a wireless phone, which when executed, causes a processor of the wireless phone to execute the instructions, the computer readable storage medium comprising:
instructions for providing an electronic device with a display; instructions for displaying a user interface on the display for initiating porting of the telephone number that includes a request for user information; instructions for receiving the user information associated with the telephone number via the user interface; instructions for transmitting the user information from the electronic device along with a request to port the telephone number to the electronic device; instructions for receiving confirmation that the telephone number has been ported; and instructions for updating the electronic device to utilize the telephone number.

19 . The computer readable storage medium according to claim 18 , further comprising:
instructions for receiving information on whether the telephone number is portable; and instructions for displaying information on whether the telephone number is portable.

20 . The computer readable storage medium according to claim 18 , further comprising:
sending a request after the transmitting to cancel telephone service with a service provider associated with the telephone number via the user interface.

Assignees

• Tracfone Wireless Inc

Inventors

• Miranda Nestor

Classifications

• H04M3/42153 Primary

  by subscriber · CPC title

• H04M3/42297

  with number portability · CPC title

• H04W4/50

  Service provisioning or reconfiguring · CPC title

• H04M3/42289

  with carrierprovider selection by subscriber · CPC title

• H04M2207/18

  wireless networks · CPC title