System and method for characterizing communication network capacity in a geographic area

• US 20090196185A1
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: McNaughton, James L., Stipanovich, Patricia
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A system for characterizing network capacity that stores premise addresses of subscribers and weighted values for the corresponding capacity of the network. Geographic areas containing subscribers are displayed and portions or all of them may be selected by a user. The system generates first descriptors for the selected geographic areas. The system generates an average capacity for the premise addresses for the selected geographic areas and the first descriptors are assigned to corresponding elements of a first matrix based on the weighted value for the calculated average capacity for the premise addresses. The system generates a second matrix representing the relationship of all of the premise addresses and their respective capacity in the selected geographic area based on spatial population descriptors. The system further generates a third matrix using mathematical DCT formulas representing the overall capacity of the network in a geographic area.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network comprising:

a server including at least one storage device for storing at least one premise address for at least one subscriber of the telecommunications network and a weighted value for the corresponding capacity of the telecommunications network to the at least one premise address;

a display for displaying maps of geographic areas covering the at least one premise address;

an input device for selecting a first geographic area containing one or more of the at least one premise address on the displayed maps of geographic areas; and

a processor for calculating a first descriptor for the selected first geographic area, the processor configured to;

determine the total number of the at least one premise address in the selected first geographic area and the weighted value for the corresponding capacity to the at least one premise address in the selected first geographic area;

calculate an average capacity for the at least one premise address for the selected first geographic area; and

assign the first descriptor to a first element of a first matrix based on the weighted value for the calculated average capacity for the at least one premise address.

2. The computer implemented system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein the server is in communication over a network with one or more computers.

3. The computer implemented system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein the telecommunications network is selected from the group consisting of public switched telephone network services, voice over Internet Protocol services, broadband telecommunications services, narrowband telecommunications services, integrated services digital network services, digital subscriber line services, cable services, analog telephone services, digital telephone services, private branch exchange services, fiber to the node services, fiber to the premises, asymmetric digital subscriber line services, hybrid fiber coaxial, and very high digital subscriber line services.

4. The computer implemented system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 3 wherein the weighted value for the corresponding capacity for at least one subscriber is an average bandwidth associated with the telecommunications network.

5. A method for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network comprising:

storing at least one premise address for at least one subscriber of the telecommunications network and a weighted value for the corresponding capacity of the telecommunications network to the at least one premise address;

displaying maps of geographic areas covering the at least one premise address;

selecting a first geographic area containing one or more of the at least one premise address on the displayed maps of geographic areas;

determining the number of the at least one premise address in the first geographic area and the weighted value for the corresponding capacity to each of the number of at least one premise address in the first geographic area;

calculating an average network capacity for the first geographic area;

producing a first matrix that corresponds substantially to the first geographic area, each element of the first matrix representing a smaller portion of the first geographic area; and

assigning a descriptor to each element of the first matrix based on a calculated average capacity for the number of the at least one premise address in each of the smaller portion of the first geographic area.

6. The method for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 5 further comprising:

selecting a capacity threshold for the at least one premise address in the smaller portion of the first geographic area.

7. The method for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 6 wherein the assigning a descriptor further comprises:

assigning a first descriptor to each element of the first matrix when the calculated average capacity is less than the capacity threshold and a second descriptor to each element of the first matrix when the calculated average capacity is equal to or greater than the capacity threshold.

8. The method for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 5 wherein the descriptor is one of a “

1”

or a “

0.”

9. The method for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 5 further comprising:

producing a second matrix that corresponds substantially to the first matrix, each element of the second matrix corresponding to a similar element in the first matrix.

10. The method for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 5 further comprising:

producing a second matrix that corresponds substantially to the first matrix, each element of the second matrix corresponding to a similar element in the first matrix; and

assigning a spatial population descriptor to each element of the second matrix based on the spatial population of the values contained in the first matrix.

11. The method for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 10 wherein the assigning the spatial population descriptor further comprises:

assigning a higher spatial population descriptor to each element of the second matrix when a higher frequency of “

1”

values are contained in adjacent corresponding elements of the first matrix.

12. The method for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 10 wherein the assigning the spatial population descriptor further comprises:

assigning a lower spatial population descriptor to each element of the second matrix when a higher frequency of “

0”

values are contained in adjacent corresponding elements of the first matrix.

13. The method for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 9 further comprising:

producing a third matrix that uses a mathematical formula for transforming the values of the elements in the second matrix to transformed values of the elements in the third matrix that represents the overall network capacity of the telecommunications network.

14. The method for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 13 wherein the mathematical formula is one of a Fourier-transform formula and a discrete cosine transformation formula.

15. The method for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 13 further comprising:

displaying a three-dimensional indicia corresponding in magnitude to each of the transformed values in the elements of the third matrix.

16. The method for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 13 further comprising:

selecting a transformed value threshold for the transformed values; and

displaying those transformed values that are equal to or greater than the transformed value threshold.

17. A system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network comprising:

means for storing at least one premise address for at least one subscriber of the telecommunications network and a weighted value for the corresponding capacity of the telecommunications network to the at least one premise address;

means for displaying maps of geographic areas covering the at least one premise address;

means for selecting a first geographic area containing one or more of the at least one premise address on the displayed maps of geographic areas;

means for determining the number of the at least one premise address in the first geographic area and the weighted value for the corresponding capacity to each of the number of at least one premise address in the first geographic area;

means for calculating an average network capacity for the first geographic area;

means for producing a first matrix that corresponds substantially to the first geographic area, each element of the first matrix representing a smaller portion of the first geographic area; and

means for assigning a descriptor to each element of the first matrix based on a calculated average capacity for the number of the at least one premise address in each of the smaller portion of the first geographic area.

18. The system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 17 further comprising:

means for selecting a capacity threshold for the at least one premise address in the smaller portion of the first geographic area.

19. The system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 18 wherein the means for assigning a descriptor further comprises:

means for assigning a first descriptor to each element of the first matrix when the calculated average capacity is less than the capacity threshold and a second descriptor to each element of the first matrix when the calculated average capacity is equal to or greater than the capacity threshold.

20. The system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 17 wherein the descriptor is one of a “

1”

or a “

0.”

21. The system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 17 further comprising:

means for producing a second matrix that corresponds substantially to the first matrix, each element of the second matrix corresponding to a similar element in the first matrix.

22. The system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 17 further comprising:

means for producing a second matrix that corresponds substantially to the first matrix, each element of the second matrix corresponding to a similar element in the first matrix; and

means for assigning a spatial population descriptor to each element of the second matrix based on the spatial population of the values contained in the first matrix.

23. The system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 22 wherein the means for assigning the spatial population descriptor further comprises:

means for assigning a higher spatial population descriptor to each element of the second matrix when a higher frequency of “

1”

values are contained in adjacent corresponding elements of the first matrix.

24. The system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 22 wherein the means for assigning the spatial population descriptor further comprises:

means for assigning a lower spatial population descriptor to each element of the second matrix when a higher frequency of “

0”

values are contained in adjacent corresponding elements of the first matrix.

25. The system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 22 wherein the means for assigning the spatial population descriptor further comprises:

means for assigning a lower spatial population descriptor to each element of the second matrix when a higher frequency of “

0”

values are contained in adjacent corresponding elements of the first matrix.

26. The system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 22 further comprising:

means for producing a third matrix that uses a mathematical formula for transforming the values of the elements in the second matrix to transformed values of the elements in the third matrix that represents the overall network capacity of the telecommunications network.

27. The system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 23 wherein the mathematical formula is one of a Fourier-transform formula and a discrete cosine transformation formula.

28. The system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 24 further comprising:

displaying a three-dimensional indicia corresponding in magnitude to each of the transformed values in the elements of the third matrix.

29. The system for characterizing capacity of a telecommunications network of claim 25 further comprising:

selecting a transformed value threshold for the transformed values; and

displaying those transformed values that are equal to or greater than the transformed value threshold.