User interface and system to facilitate telephone circuit maintenance and testing

• US 20040062359A1
• Filed: 10/21/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Opel, Rod A., Cheaney, Michael D., Jones, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/1.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing

Abstract

An apparatus integrates disparate systems. The apparatus includes a platform that supports a control interface. The platform also supports a different user interface for each of the disparate systems. The platform enables the formatting and transfer of data from the apparatus to each of the disparate systems.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communicating with a plurality of disparate systems, comprising:

a platform that supports a control interface and a different user interface for each of the plurality of disparate systems, said platform enabling the formatting and transfer of data to each of said plurality of disparate systems.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said control interface enabling a user to selectively access each of the different user interfaces.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, said disparate systems comprising a testing system that performs at least one of remote testing of analog services and testing of ISDN switches.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, said platform further comprising a user login system that logs a user onto said control interface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, said platform enabling a user to select at least one of a printer setup routine, an employee activity input routine, a timesheet routine, a control interface parameter selection routine, an alarm routine, a default email setting routine, an exit routine, an activity information backup routine, a work and force administration/control routine that enables the user to further select one of a plurality of activities, a security routine, a windows cascade routine, a help routine, a windows select routine that enables the user to further select one of a plurality of available windows, a save placement routine that enables the user to save a configuration of the platform, a platform information routine, a ticket maintenance routine, a specify ticket routine that enables a user to select a ticket, a specify circuit routine that enables a user to specify a circuit, a trouble report processing routine, a work and force administration and control routine that enables the user to select an information screen associated with a ticket, and a close application routine.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, said platform enabling a user to select one of the different user interfaces and at least one of review and update information associated with a customer authorization request.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, said different user interfaces each enabling a user to at least one of retrieve and update information associated with one of the plurality of disparate systems.

8. An apparatus for integrating a plurality of maintenance and testing systems that communicate with a plurality of disparate telecommunications systems, comprising:

a platform that supports a control interface and a different user interface for each of the plurality of disparate telecommunications systems, said platform permitting parallel asynchronous testing of at least two of said disparate telecommunications systems that are connected to the platform.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, said platform performing at least one of remote testing of analog services and testing of ISDN switches in accordance with vendor-specific criteria.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, each of said different user interfaces comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) that facilitates at least one of retrieving data and entering data.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, said platform sending and receiving data between said platform and said disparate telecommunications systems.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, said control interface enabling a user to access each of the different user interfaces.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, said different user interfaces each enabling a user to at least one of retrieve and update information associated with one of the plurality of disparate telecommunications systems.

14. A computer readable medium for storing a program that integrates a plurality of maintenance and testing systems that communicate with a plurality of disparate telecommunications systems, comprising:

a plurality of different user interfaces each communicating with one of the plurality of disparate telecommunications systems, said plurality of different user interfaces interoperating with the plurality of disparate telecommunications systems; and

a control interface, said platform enabling the formatting and transfer of data from to each of said plurality of disparate systems, said control interface enabling a user to access each of the different user interfaces.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, said disparate systems including a testing system that performs at least one of remote testing of analog services and testing of ISDN switches.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising a user login that logs a user onto said control interface.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, said control interface enabling a user to select at least one of a printer setup routine, an employee activity input routine, a timesheet routine, a common user interface parameter selection routine, an alarm routine, a default email setting routine, an exit routine, an activity information backup routine, a work and force administration/control routine that enables the user to further select one of a plurality of activities, a security routine, a windows cascade routine, a help routine, a windows select routine that enables the user to further select one of a plurality of available windows, a save placement routine that enables the user to save a configuration of the platform, a platform information routine, a ticket maintenance routine, a specify ticket routine that enables a user to select a ticket, a specify circuit routine that enables a user to specify a circuit, a trouble report processing routine, a work and force administration and control routine that enables the user to select an information screen associated with a ticket, and a close application routine.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 14, said control interface enabling a user to select one of the different user interfaces and at least one of review and update information associated with a customer authorization request.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 14, said different user interfaces each enabling a user to at least one of retrieve and update information associated with one of the plurality of disparate systems.