SERVICE ADDRESS VALIDATION TOOL FOR A SERVICE PROVIDER NETWORK

• US 20140149871A1
• Filed: 11/26/2012
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Peters, Edward L., Alexander, Mack III, Hayes, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US13/684,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20140149871A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses

Abstract

A device receives, from a user, a selection of a geographic region associated with a service provider network. The device generates a map of the geographic region, where the map includes notations of residential and business addresses, service provider network information, and addresses that purportedly are not accessible to the service provider network that potentially are actually accessible to the service provider network. The device presents the map to the user and receives, from the user, an indication that certain of the address that purportedly are not accessible to the service provider network have been determined to actually be accessible to the service provider network, or have been determined to not be accessible to the service provider network. The device revises the service provider network information based on the validation of the one or more addresses.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining, at a device, information associated with a service provider network from one or more network information systems;

identifying, by the device, addresses that purportedly are not accessible to the service provider network from the information associated with the service provider network;

obtaining, at the device, geographic mapping data including data associated with residential and business addresses;

comparing, by the device, the information associated with the service provider network, and the identified addresses that purportedly are not accessible to the service provider network, with the geographic mapping data; and

identifying, by the device, ones of the residential and business addresses purportedly not accessible to the service provider network, that potentially are accessible to the service provider network, based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

organizing the identified ones of the residential and business addresses that potentially are accessible to the service provider network by at least one of state or wire center as tabulated data; and

presenting the tabulated data via a user interface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the tabulated data comprises data indicating a number of the identified ones of the residential and business addresses that potentially are accessible to the service network provider per state, per wire center, or per state and wire center.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service provider network comprises a communications network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the communications network comprises a cable network or a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a map of a geographic region associated with a portion of the identified ones of the residential and business addresses, wherein the map notates residential and business addresses, service provider network information, and the portion of the identified ones of the residential and business addresses on the map;

presenting the map to a user for validation of the identified ones of the residential and business addresses;

receiving user input regarding validation of the identified ones of the residential and business addresses; and

revising the information associated with the service provider network based on the validation of the identified ones of the residential and business addresses.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user input regarding validation includes an indication that certain of the identified ones of the residential and business addresses have been determined to actually be accessible to the service provider network, or have been determined to not be accessible to the service provider network.

8. A device, comprising:

an input device configured to receive user input;

a communication interface; and

a processing unit configured to;

obtain, via the input device or the communication interface, information associated with a service provider network, wherein the service provider network comprises a communications network,

identify addresses that purportedly are not accessible to the service provider network from the information associated with the service provider network,

obtain, via the communication interface, geographic mapping data, including data associated with residential and business addresses,

compare the information associated with the service provider network, and the identified addresses that purportedly are not accessible to the service provider network, with the geographic mapping data, and

identify ones of the residential and business addresses purportedly not accessible to the service provider network, that potentially are accessible to the service provider network, based on the comparison.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a network device from a user at a device, a selection of a geographic region associated with a service provider network;

generating, by the network device, a map of the geographic region, wherein the map includes notations of residential and business addresses, service provider network information, and addresses that purportedly are not accessible to the service provider network that potentially are actually accessible to the service provider network;

presenting the map to the user at the device;

receiving, at the network device from the user at the device, validation of one or more of the addresses that purportedly are not accessible to the service provider network; and

revising, by the network device, the service provider network information based on the validation of the one or more addresses.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the service provider network comprises a communications network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the communications network comprises a cable network, or a public switched telephone network.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the validation includes an indication that certain of the one or more addresses have been determined to actually be accessible to the service provider network, or have been determined to not be accessible to the service provider network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, if the validation indicates that the certain of the one or more addresses have been determined to not be accessible to the service provider network, then the validation further includes an indication of why the certain of the one or more addresses are not accessible to the service provider network.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the service provider network information includes fiber optic cabling geographic routing information, distribution hub geographic location information, distribution terminal geographical location information, and copper cabling geographic routing information.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating statistics related to the validation of the one or more addresses; and

presenting the statistics via a user interface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the generated statistics include at least one of the following:

a) a number of addresses validated by the user;

b) a number of addressed validated per wire center of the service provider network;

c) a number of addresses validated per state;

or

d) a progress of validation of the one or more addresses over time.

17. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by at least one processor, the tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving, from a user, a selection of a geographic region associated with a service provider network;

one or more instructions for generating a map of the geographic region, wherein the map includes notations of residential and business addresses, service provider network information, and addresses that purportedly are not accessible to the service provider network that potentially are actually accessible to the service provider network;

one or more instructions for presenting the map to the user;

one or more instructions for receiving, from the user, validation of one or more of the addresses that purportedly are not accessible to the service provider network, wherein the user validation includes an indication that certain of the one or more addresses have been determined to actually be accessible to the service provider network, or have been determined to not be accessible to the service provider network; and

one or more instructions for revising the service provider network information based on the user validation of the one or more addresses.

18. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein, if the validation indicates that the certain of the identified ones of the residential and business addresses have been determined to not be accessible to the service provider network, then the validation further includes an indication of why the certain of the identified ones of the residential and business addresses are not accessible to the service provider network.

19. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the service provider network information includes fiber optic cabling geographic routing information, distribution hub geographic location information, distribution terminal geographical location information, and copper cabling geographic routing information.

20. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

one or more instructions for generating statistics related to the validation of the identified ones of the residential and business addresses; and

one or more instructions for presenting the statistics via a user interface.

21. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the generated statistics include at least one of the following:

a) a number of addresses validated by the user;

b) a number of addressed validated per wire center of the service provider network;

c) a number of addresses validated per state;

or

d) a progress of validation of the identified ones of the residential and business addresses over time.