Trouble ticket assignment

• US 20050131943A1
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Young, Randy S., Lewis, Richard Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A trouble ticket handling system is provided. The system typically includes a login logic, a monitoring device, and a user interface logic. The login logic typically operates to log a user into several trouble ticket systems. The monitoring device typically polls the trouble ticket systems for open trouble tickets. The user interface logic enables the user to automatically load a proper trouble ticket from any of the open trouble tickets in the trouble ticket systems. Methods and other systems are also provided.

Claims

1. A trouble ticket handling system, comprising:

login logic operable to log a user into a plurality of trouble ticket systems;

a monitoring device operable to poll the plurality of trouble ticket systems comprising a plurality of open trouble tickets; and

user interface logic operable to enable the user to automatically load a proper trouble ticket from any of the plurality of open trouble tickets at the plurality of trouble ticket systems.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising memory coupled to the login logic, the memory being operable to store at least one password associated with each of the plurality of trouble ticket systems, and to store and a username associated with the user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of trouble ticket systems is associated with a geographic region.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each of said at least one password is different and each of said at least one password is associated with one of the plurality of trouble ticket systems.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is operable to poll the plurality of trouble ticket systems on a periodic basis.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is operable to poll the plurality of trouble ticket systems upon receiving an instruction from the user interface logic.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is operable to retrieve information from each of the plurality of trouble ticket systems regarding a plurality of open trouble tickets associated with the user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the trouble tickets are associated with the user through a common language location identifier based on a center associated with the user.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising sorting logic operable to determine the proper trouble ticket to load to the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sorting logic is operable to sort a plurality of trouble tickets responsive to a common language location identifier, a tracking key, and a time stamp associated with each of the plurality of trouble tickets.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the sorting logic is further operable to sort a plurality of trouble tickets responsive to a tracking key associated with each of the plurality of trouble tickets.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface logic inhibits the user from choosing a trouble ticket to work on based on a perceived level of difficulty associated with the chosen trouble ticket.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface logic is further operable to enable the user to manually load to a trouble ticket.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface logic is further operable to enable the user to enter a reason for manually loading the trouble ticket.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the user interface logic is further operable to set an alarm when the user exceeds a threshold number of allowable manual load tickets.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a reporting logic operable to report the alarm to a supervisor of the user.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the proper trouble ticket is determined by a sorting logic which is operable to provide the user interface with an oldest maintenance ticket as determined by a tracking key associated with each of the plurality of trouble tickets.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the sorting logic is operable to provide the user interface with an oldest installation ticket as determined by the tracking key, if there are no maintenance tickets.

19. A method of assigning trouble tickets, comprising the steps of:

periodically polling a plurality of trouble ticket systems for at least one trouble ticket associated with a support center;

sorting said at least one trouble ticket with a plurality of previously received trouble tickets;

storing a plurality of sorted trouble tickets in a memory device;

receiving a request for a trouble ticket from a technician at the support center; and

providing the technician with a proper trouble ticket from the plurality of sorted trouble tickets.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

storing at least one password for the technician associated with each of the plurality of trouble ticket systems in the memory device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising logging the user into the plurality of trouble ticket systems with said at least one password.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein each of said at least one password is different and each of said at least one password is associated with one of the plurality of trouble ticket systems.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising polling of the plurality of trouble ticket systems occurs upon receiving a request for a trouble ticket from a technician at the support center.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the trouble tickets are associated with the support center through a common language location identifier associated with the support center.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein sorting said at least one trouble ticket with a plurality of previously received trouble tickets comprises sorting trouble tickets in accordance with a tracking key, and a time stamp associated with each trouble ticket.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the user interface logic inhibits the user from choosing a trouble ticket to work on based on a perceived level of difficulty associated with the chosen trouble ticket.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from the technician to manually load a trouble ticket; and

assigning the trouble ticket to the technician responsive to the request to manually load the trouble ticket.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving a reason from the technician for manually loading the trouble ticket.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising causing an alarm when the technician exceeds a threshold number of allowable manual load tickets.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising reporting the alarm to a supervisor of the technician.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein the proper trouble ticket is an oldest maintenance ticket as determined by a tracking key associated with each of the plurality of trouble tickets.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the proper trouble ticket is an oldest installation ticket as determined by the tracking key, if there are no maintenance tickets.

33. A computer readable medium having a program for assigning a trouble ticket to a responsible technician, the program operable to perform the steps of:

periodically polling a plurality of trouble ticket systems for at least one trouble ticket associated with a support center;

sorting said at least one trouble ticket with a plurality of previously received trouble tickets responsive to a tracking key and time stamp included with each of the trouble tickets;

storing a plurality of sorted trouble tickets in a memory device;

receiving a request for a trouble ticket from a technician at the support center; and

assigning the technician to a proper trouble ticket from the plurality of sorted trouble tickets.

34. The program of claim 33, further operable to perform the step of:

storing at least one password for the technician associated with each of the plurality of trouble ticket systems in the memory device.

35. The program of claim 34, wherein each of said at least one password is different and each of said at least one password is associated with one of the plurality of trouble ticket systems.

36. The program of claim 33, further operable to perform the step of polling of the plurality of trouble ticket systems occurs upon receiving a request for a trouble ticket from a technician at the support center.

37. The program of claim 33, wherein the trouble tickets are associated with the support center through a common language location identifier associated with the support center.

38. The program of claim 33, wherein the user interface logic inhibits the user from choosing a trouble ticket to work on based on a perceived level of difficulty associated with the chosen trouble ticket.

39. The program of claim 33, further operable to perform the steps of:

receiving a request from the technician to manually load a trouble ticket; and

assigning the trouble ticket to the technician responsive to the request to manually load the trouble ticket.

40. The program of claim 39, further operable to perform the step of receiving a reason from the technician for manually loading the trouble ticket.

41. The program of claim 40, further operable to perform the step of causing an alarm when the technician exceeds a threshold number of allowable manual load tickets.

42. The program of claim 41, further operable to perform the step of reporting the alarm to a supervisor of the technician.

43. The program of claim 33, wherein the proper trouble ticket is an oldest maintenance ticket.

44. The program of claim 43, wherein the age of the maintenance tickets is determined by a tracking key associated with each of the plurality of trouble tickets.

45. The program of claim 43, wherein the proper trouble ticket is an oldest installation ticket as determined by the tracking key, if there are no maintenance tickets.

46. The program of claim 33, the program being further operable to perform the step of tracking a plurality of work schedules associated with a plurality of technicians.

47. The program of claim 46, the program being further operable perform the step of assigning the trouble ticket responsive to a work schedule among the plurality of work schedules, associated with the technician.