Interactive, menu-driven interface to database

• US 20030030676A1
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Iyer, Gopal N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,246,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90 Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

An interactive, menu-driven interface to a cellular site information database is disclosed. The user may enter a form name such as channel, cell, trkgrp, trkmem, etc. into a form selection screen. The user may enter the operation desired to be performed on the form such as review, delete, insert, update, etc. to choose which form to view. After the user has entered the form name and the operation desired into the interface, the entered form is displayed to the user. A query, such as a SQL query, is issued to populate the fields of the form displayed on the interface with data from the database. The user may select one or more of the fields in the form and make revisions, addition, edits, etc. The user may then select the action command such as insert, review, update or delete. Commands, such as SQL commands, are generated to perform the action desired by the user on the database.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing an interactive, menu-driven interface to a cellular site information database comprising cell site data, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a form name input wherein the form name input identifies a plurality of data in the cellular site information database;

receiving a key field identifying a cellular site;

generating a plurality of queries to retrieve the plurality of data corresponding to the identified cell site from the cellular site information database;

sending the plurality of queries to the cellular site information database;

receiving the plurality of data corresponding to the identified cell site from the cellular site information database; and

displaying the plurality of data corresponding to the identified cell site from the cellular site information database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the key field is input by a user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the cellular site information database is an Ericsson database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of queries are SQL queries.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the plurality of queries are a plurality of line commands that are executed by a command handler application which interfaces with the cellular site information database.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the command handler application is operated in conjunction with a cellular site operating system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the cell site operating system is an Ericsson Operation &

Support System (OSS).

8. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, are operable to perform the steps of claim 1.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the form name input is chosen from one of the following:

channel, cell, trunk group and trunk member.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving user input editing the plurality of data;

generating commands corresponding to edit the plurality of data; and

sending the commands to the cellular site information database to edit the plurality of data.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the commands are SQL commands.

12. A cellular site information database system, comprising:

a database for maintaining a plurality of forms related to a cellular site;

a cellular processor connected to the database for accessing the plurality of forms stored in the database; and

an update application program module in communication with the cellular processor, wherein the update application program module is operative to receive data related to one of the plurality of forms and displays the data on a display device.

13. The cellular site information database system of claim 12, wherein the update application program module is further operative to transmit commands to the cellular processor.

14. The cellular site information database system of claim 13, wherein the commands are SQL commands.

15. The cellular site information database system of claim 14, wherein the SQL commands comprise an update command.

16. The cellular site information database system of claim 14, wherein the SQL commands comprise a review command.

17. The cellular site information database system of claim 14, wherein the SQL commands comprise an insert command.

18. The cellular site information database system of claim 14, wherein the SQL commands comprise a delete command.

19. A method for editing a cellular site information database, comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of commands identifying a form of the cellular site information database to be updated and an editing command for the form;

retrieving the form from the cellular site information database;

receiving edited values for a plurality of fields in the form;

generating a plurality of editing commands to edit the edited values for the plurality of fields in the form; and

transmitting the plurality of editing commands to the cellular site information database.

20. The method of claim 20 wherein the plurality of commands and plurality of editing commands are SQL commands.