Methods, systems and computer program products for planning resources based on primary and alternate location relief strategies

• US 20050149372A1
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• 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: Kite, Joshua, Horton, Lynn B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,245,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network

Abstract

In a computer-based method of planning resources, a plurality of Location Relief Strategy (LRS) plan data sets are imported into a resource planning application. The LRS plan data sets are associated with a resource need. One of the LRS plan data sets is defined as a primary LRS plan and at least one other one of the LRS plan data sets is defined as an alternate LRS plan. A resource plan is generated within the resource planning application based on the primary LRS plan and/or the alternate LRS plan. The primary LRS plan and the alternate LRS plan may each correspond to a plan for installing and/or retiring resources in a geographic area. The resources may, for example, be resources for carrying telecommunications in a geographic area.

Claims

1. A computer-based method of planning resources based on a resource need, the method comprising:

importing into a resource planning application a plurality of Location Relief Strategy (LRS) plan data sets that are associated with a resource need, wherein one of the LRS plan data sets is defined as a primary LRS plan and at least one other one of the LRS plan data sets is defined as an alternate LRS plan; and

generating within the resource planning application a resource plan based on the primary LRS plan and/or the alternate LRS plan.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prioritizing the LRS plan data sets;

selecting the highest priority LRS plan data set as the primary LRS plan; and

designating the at least one other of the LRS plan data sets as the alternate LRS plan.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing the LRS plan data set that is defined as a primary LRS plan to be defined as an alternate LRS plan; and

changing one of the other LRS plan data sets that is defined as an alternate LRS plan to be defined as a primary LRS plan.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a resource plan based on the primary LRS plan and/or the alternate LRS plan comprises selectively displaying the primary LRS plan or the alternate LRS plan based on an input selection from a user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

importing into the resource planning application a plurality of LRS plan data sets that are associated with a plurality of resource needs, wherein only one of the LRS plan data sets associated with each of the resource needs is defined as a primary LRS plan; and

generating within the resource planning application a resource plan for each of the resource needs based on the associated primary LRS plan and/or the associated alternate LRS plan.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a plurality of the LRS plan data sets associated with at least one of the resource needs are defined as alternate LRS plans.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein generating a resource plan for each of the resource needs comprises generating each of the resource plans based only on user selected ones of the associated LRS plan data sets.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein generating a resource plan for each of the resource needs comprises generating each of the resource plans based only on the associated primary LRS plans.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein generating a resource plan for each of the resource needs comprises generating each of the resource plans based on the associated primary LRS plan and user selected ones of the associated alternate LRS plans.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary LRS plan and the alternate LRS plan each correspond to a plan for installing and/or retiring resources in a geographic area.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary LRS plan and the alternate LRS plan each correspond to a plan for installing and/or retiring resources for carrying telecommunications in a geographic area.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the primary LRS plan and the alternate LRS plan each correspond to a plan for installing a number of fiber optic communication lines and/or electrical communication lines at a geographic location.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary LRS plan and the alternate LRS plan each correspond to a plan for installing and/or retiring gas lines, electrical lines, and/or water lines at a geographic location.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary LRS plan and the alternate LRS plan each correspond to a plan for installing and/or retiring cable television lines at a geographic location.

15. A resource planning system comprising:

a memory that is configured to store a plurality of Location Relief Strategy (LRS) plan data sets; and

a processor that is configured to import into a resource planning application a plurality of LRS plan data sets from the memory that are associated with a resource need, wherein one of the LRS plan data sets is defined as a primary LRS plan and at least one other one of the LRS plan data sets is defined as an alternate LRS plan, and that is configured to generate through the resource planning application a resource plan based on the primary LRS plan and/or the alternate LRS plan.

16. The resource planning system of claim 15, further comprising:

an input device that is configured to generate a user selection signal that is indicative of a user selection; and

a display, wherein the processor is configured to define the primary LRS plan and the alternate LRS plan based on the user selection signal.

17. The resource planning system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to import a plurality of LRS plan data sets from the memory into the resource planning application that are associated with a plurality of resource needs, wherein only one of the LRS plan data sets associated with each of the resource needs is defined as a primary LRS plan and a plurality of the LRS plan data sets associated with at least some of the resource needs are defined as alternate LRS plans, and wherein the processor is configured to generate through the resource planning application a resource plan for each of the resource needs by displaying, via the display, the primary LRS plan and/or the alternate LRS plans based on the user selection signal.

18. The resource planning system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to generate through the resource planning application a resource plan for each of the resource needs by displaying the primary LRS plan and selectively displaying the alternate LRS plans based on the user selection signal.

19. A computer program product for planning resources based on a resource need, the computer program product comprising program code embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program code comprising:

program code that is configured to import a plurality of Location Relief Strategy (LRS) plan data sets that are associated with a resource need, wherein one of the LRS plan data sets is defined as a primary LRS plan and at least one other one of the LRS plan data sets is defined as an alternate LRS plan; and

program code that is configured to generate within the resource planning application a resource plan based on the primary LRS plan and/or the alternate LRS plan.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein a plurality of the LRS plan data sets that are associated with the resource need are defined as alternate LRS plans, and the program code that is configured to generate a resource plan is configured to display one or more of the LRS plans among the primary LRS plan and the plurality of alternate LRS plans that are associated with the resource need based on a user selection.