Single interface for provisioning collected data to requesting systems
Systems and methods are described herein for providing multiple, different types of information for mobile devices and associated users to requesting systems, such as customer service systems provided by telecommunications carriers. The systems and methods may generate a single API that, when called by a requesting system (e.g., via a request transmitted by the requesting system that includes subscriber or device information), provides data collected from multiple, disparate data sources back to the requesting system via the single API.
1. A system for provisioning data associated with a mobile device provided to a user by a telecommunications carrier to requesting systems, the system comprising:
at least one hardware computer, wherein the computer is configured to execute software modules, including:
an information request module that receives a request from a requesting system associated with a customer service center of the telecommunications carrier to provide multiple, disparate types of information associated with a mobile device to the requesting system via a single application programming interface (API) that receives calls from requesting systems for the multiple, disparate types of information;
a data collection module that collects data associated with the extracted identity of the mobile device by accessing multiple, disparate, sources of data in order to obtain the requested multiple, disparate types of information, including:
an internal source of data provided by the telecommunications carrier; and
an external source of data provided by a third party unassociated with the telecommunications carrier; and,
an information provision module that provides the collected data associated with the mobile device to the requesting system via the single API,
wherein the collected data includes:
facts type data collected from the internal source of data that includes information specific to the mobile device provided to the user, and
capabilities type data collected from the external source of data that includes information identifying capabilities of the mobile device.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data collection module collects data associated with characteristics of the mobile device, data associated with a wireless network provided by the telecommunications carrier to the mobile device, and data associated with a customer account for the user of the mobile device.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information request module, upon receiving the request via the single API, identifies certain data sources of the multiple, disparate, sources of data from which to obtain the requested information, and instructs the data collection module to obtain the requested information from the identified data sources.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the requesting system is an automated customer service system internal to the telecommunications carrier that manages information associated with the mobile device, the user associated with the mobile device, and a wireless network provided by the telecommunications carrier.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the requesting system is an automated diagnostic system operated by the telecommunications network and configured to troubleshoot issues associated with the mobile device.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data collection module collects first data from a first source of data, and collects second data from a second source of data that provides context information for the first data.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data collection module caches data collected from the external source of data provided by the third party unassociated with the telecommunications carrier.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data collection module collects data from a network subscriber database of the telecommunications carrier and data from a device database associated with a manufacturer of the mobile device.
9. A method for use in providing customer assistance to a mobile device subscriber, the method comprising:
publishing a single application programming interface (API) at which calls for data are received from requesting systems associated with a wireless network carrier;
receiving, via the single API, a data request from a requesting system that includes information identifying a mobile device or subscriber of the wireless network carrier that is associated with the mobile device,
wherein the information identifying the mobile device or subscriber of the wireless network carrier is generated by the requesting system to obscure an identity of the subscriber;
collecting data in response to the data request from multiple, disparate sources of data; and
providing the data collected from the multiple, disparate sources of data to the requesting system via the single API, wherein the collected data is configured so as to be used in customer assistance to the mobile device subscriber.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein collecting data in response to the data request from multiple, disparate sources of data includes collecting facts type data and features type data from an internal source of data, and collecting capabilities type data from an external source of data.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein collecting data in response to the data request from multiple, disparate sources of data includes collecting data associated with characteristics of the mobile device, data associated with a wireless network provided by the telecommunications carrier to the mobile device, and data associated with a customer account for the user of the mobile device.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein collecting data in response to the data request from multiple, disparate sources of data includes collecting first data from a first source of data, and collecting second data from a second source of data that provides context information for the first data.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein collecting data in response to the data request from multiple, disparate sources of data includes collecting data from a network subscriber database of the telecommunications carrier and data from a device database associated with a manufacturer of the mobile device.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the request includes a short alphanumeric code that represents the mobile device and obscures an identity of the subscriber associated with the mobile device.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the information identifying a mobile device or subscriber of the wireless network carrier that is associated with the mobile device includes an international mobile station equipment identity (IMEI) of the mobile device.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the information identifying a mobile device or subscriber of the wireless network carrier that is associated with the mobile device includes a mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN) associated with the subscriber.
17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the information identifying a mobile device or subscriber of the wireless network carrier that is associated with the mobile device includes a code that is temporarily generated to represent the mobile device and obscure an identity of a user associated with the mobile device.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method for obtaining information associated with a subscriber of a mobile device, the method comprising:
generating a code that obscures an identity of a subscriber of the mobile device and that is based on an international mobile station equipment identity (IMEI) of the mobile device, a mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN) associated with the subscriber, or both the IMEI and the MSISDN;
transmitting the generated code from the mobile device over an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) channel to an information provisioning system configured to collect data associated with the mobile device and the subscriber; and
receiving data collected by the information provisioning system, and associated with the subscriber of the mobile device, at a customer service system configured to display:
information based on the data that includes information associated with characteristics of the mobile device;
information associated with a wireless network provided by the telecommunications carrier to the mobile device; and
information associated with a customer account for the user of the mobile device.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the information provisioning system and the customer service system are part of the telecommunications carrier that provides the wireless network.