Apparatus and method of allocating communications resources

• US 20030037145A1
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Fagan, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/204,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20030037145A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A method of allocating one or more resources to one or more input entities, each of which one or more input entities has one or more input attributes associated therewith, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) storing data comprising processed entities and attributes of the processed entities, each of which processed entities has had one or more resources allocated thereto;

(ii) deriving groupings of rules from the stored data, which groupings of rules each identify a set of one or more of the stored attributes that are related to the allocation of resources for the processed entities;

(iii) for each grouping of rules, assigning at least one resource value to the grouping;

(iv) for each input entity, calculating a resemblance value for each previously derived grouping of rules, so as to determine which of the said derived groupings of rules the input entity most closely resembles;

(v) allocating a resource allocation in accordance with the grouping determined at step (iv);

(vi) monitoring the resemblance value determined at step (iv) for an input entity; and

(vii) generating an alert each time a calculated resemblance value falls below a predetermined threshold value.

Claims

1. A method of allocating a resource to an input entity on the basis of data in respect of entities to which resources have already been allocated, said data identifying

for each such entity, attributes of the entity and resources allocated to the entity;

a plurality of groups of entities, each group comprising rules defining comparisons to be performed between attributes of an entity and attributes characteristic of the group and comprising data identifying one or more resources typical of the group,

the method comprising the steps of;

(i) receiving attributes of an input entity to which resources are to be allocated;

(ii) performing comparisons defined by the rules so as to identify one group that meets a criterion of similarity to the input entity, and quantifying a degree of similarity between the attributes of the input entity and attributes characteristic of the group;

(iii) allocating, to the input entity, said resources typical of the identified group;

(iv) for this and subsequently received input entities, monitoring the degree of similarity quantified at step (ii); and

(v) generating an alert when the degree of similarity falls below a predetermined threshold value.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising monitoring the number of alerts generated at step (v) and modifying at least some of the rules defined in the groups when the number of alerts exceeds a predetermined threshold.

3. A method according to claim 2, in which the rules are modified in accordance with the attributes of the input entity.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the resource being allocated is a communications resource.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said resources typical of a group are identified by averaging the resources allocated to entities within a group.

12. A computer program comprising a set of instructions to cause a computer to perform the method according to claims 1 to 5.

6. Apparatus for allocating one or more resources to one or more input entities on the basis of data in respect of entities to which resources have already been allocated, the apparatus comprising:

(i) storage means for storing data in respect of entities to which resources have already been allocated, said data identifying, for each such entities, attributes of the entity and resources allocated to the entity;

(ii) deriving means arranged to analyse the stored data so as to identify a plurality of groups of entities within which the entities have similar attributes, and arranged to generate, for each group, rules defining comparisons to be performed between attributes of an input entity and attributes characteristic of the group; and

data identifying resources typical of the group;

(iii) receiving means arranged to receive an input entity to which resources are to be allocated;

(iv) processing means operable to receive the input entity and the rules derived by the deriving means (ii), and arranged to perform the comparisons defined by the rules so as to identify one group that meets a criterion of similarity to the input entity, and arranged to allocate to the input entity said resources typical of the identified group, the processing means being further arranged, in the event that no group can be so identified, to generate an alert.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processing means (iv) is operable to modify the rules derived by the deriving means (ii) if the number of alerts generated exceeds a predetermined number.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the deriving means (ii) includes means for performing cluster analysis on the stored data, and wherein the groups so derived are clusters of data.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the deriving means (ii) includes means for extracting rules from the derived clusters.

10. Apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the deriving means (ii) includes means to perform any, or a combination of, principle component analysis, rule induction, association rule analysis and/or sequence analysis.

11. Apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the resource being allocated is a communications resource.

13. Apparatus for allocating one or more resources to one or more input entities on the basis of data in respect of entities to which resources have already been allocated, the apparatus comprising:

server apparatus comprising;

(i) storage means for storing data in respect of entities to which resources have already been allocated, said data identifying, for each such entities, attributes of the entity and resources allocated to the entity;

(ii) deriving means arranged to analyse the stored data so as to identify a plurality of groups of entities within which the entities have similar attributes, and arranged to generate, for each group,

(iii) rules defining comparisons to be performed between attributes of an input entity and attributes characteristic of the group; and

data identifying resources typical of the group;

one or more client apparatus each comprising;

receiving means arranged to receive an input entity to which resources are to be allocated;

processing means operable to receive the input entity and data indicative of the rules derived by the deriving means from the server apparatus, the processing means being arranged to perform the comparisons defined by the rules so as to identify one group that meets a criterion of similarity to the input entity, and arranged to allocate to the input entity said resources typical of the identified group, the processing means being further arranged, in the event that no group can be so identified, to generate an alert.

14. Server apparatus for use in allocating one or more resources to one or more input entities on the basis of data in respect of entities to which resources have already been allocated, the server apparatus comprising

(i) storage means for storing data in respect of entities to which resources have already been allocated, said data identifying, for each such entities, attributes of the entity and resources allocated to the entity;

(ii) deriving means arranged to analyse the stored data so as to identify a plurality of groups of entities within which the entities have similar attributes, and arranged to generate, for each group, rules defining comparisons to be performed between attributes of an input entity and attributes characteristic of the group; and

data identifying resources typical of the group;

(iii) communications means for communicating with one or more client apparatus, the communications means being arranged to output data indicative of the generated rules to each client apparatus and arranged to receive data indicative of entities to which resources have already been allocated, for storage in the storage means and analysis by the deriving means.

15. Client apparatus for use in allocating one or more resources to one or more input entities on the basis of data in respect of entities to which resources have already been allocated, the client apparatus comprising:

communications means for communicating with a server apparatus, the communications means being arranged to receive data indicative of rules generated by the server apparatus, the rules defining comparisons to be performed between attributes of an input entity and attributes characteristic of groups of entities within which entities have similar attributes;

receiving means arranged to receive an input entity to which resources are to be allocated;

processing means operable to receive the input entity and data indicative of the rules, the processing means being arranged to perform the comparisons defined by the rules so as to identify one group that meets a criterion of similarity to the input entity, and arranged to allocate to the input entity said resources typical of the identified group, the processing means being further arranged, in the event that no group can be so identified, to generate an alert.