PBX data retrieval and reporting system and method
First Claim
1. A method of collecting information from a computerized branch exchange (CBX) for receipt by a collection computer coupled to the CBX, the CBX having a statistics database comprising a plurality of statistics records each containing telephone call measurements relating to telephone lines serviced by said CBX, the method comprising the steps of:
- (1) specifying a data collection schedule for collecting one or more of said plurality of statistics records from said statistics database;
(2) generating, from said collection computer, a database selection command for selecting a subset of said plurality of statistics records and transmitting, in accordance with said data collection schedule, said database selection command from said collection computer to said CBX;
(3) receiving at said collection computer one or more of said plurality of statistics records from said CBX in response to said database selection command transmitted from said collection computer;
(4) storing said one or more received statistics records into a collection database on said collection computer;
(5) providing an organizational hierarchy which defines a plurality of accumulation levels over which statistics records from said collection database will be accumulated;
(6) accumulating, in accordance with a first one of said accumulation levels in said organizational hierarchy data values from a plurality of said statistics records from said collection database into a first accumulated record and storing said first accumulated record on said collection computer; and
(7) accumulating, in accordance with a second one of said accumulation levels in said organizational hierarchy, data values from said plurality of said statistics records from said collection database into a second accumulated record and storing said second accumulated record on said collection computer.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method is provided for scheduling data collection sessions between a collection computer and one or more computerized branch exchanges (CBXs). Telephone statistics data collected from the CBXs is stored into a database in the collection computer and accumulated according to fixed time intervals and one or more previously created organizational hierarchies. A report generation system and method is also provided for selectively retrieving stored data and formatting it into a report with features including time zone adjustment, time offsets, data element calculations, and "where" conditions, all in a manner which does not require the user to understand the underlying database organization or any programming languages.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method of collecting information from a computerized branch exchange (CBX) for receipt by a collection computer coupled to the CBX, the CBX having a statistics database comprising a plurality of statistics records each containing telephone call measurements relating to telephone lines serviced by said CBX, the method comprising the steps of:
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(1) specifying a data collection schedule for collecting one or more of said plurality of statistics records from said statistics database; (2) generating, from said collection computer, a database selection command for selecting a subset of said plurality of statistics records and transmitting, in accordance with said data collection schedule, said database selection command from said collection computer to said CBX; (3) receiving at said collection computer one or more of said plurality of statistics records from said CBX in response to said database selection command transmitted from said collection computer; (4) storing said one or more received statistics records into a collection database on said collection computer; (5) providing an organizational hierarchy which defines a plurality of accumulation levels over which statistics records from said collection database will be accumulated; (6) accumulating, in accordance with a first one of said accumulation levels in said organizational hierarchy data values from a plurality of said statistics records from said collection database into a first accumulated record and storing said first accumulated record on said collection computer; and (7) accumulating, in accordance with a second one of said accumulation levels in said organizational hierarchy, data values from said plurality of said statistics records from said collection database into a second accumulated record and storing said second accumulated record on said collection computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for collecting telephone call information from a first computerized branch exchange (CBX) having a first statistics database comprising a first plurality of statistics records each containing telephone call measurements relating to telephone lines serviced by said first CBX, the system comprising:
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a scheduler for scheduling a first data collection session with said first CBX in accordance with a first collection schedule; a command generator, coupled to and responsive to said scheduler, for generating a first database selection command which specifies a first subset of said first plurality of statistics records to be retrieved from said first statistics database; a communication interface, coupled to said command generator, for transmitting said first database selection command to said first CBX and for receiving statistics records from said first CBX; a database loader for loading statistics records received by said communication interface into a collection database; means for providing an organizational hierarchy which defines a plurality of accumulation levels over which statistics records from said collection database will be accumulated; and an organizational accumulator for accumulating, in accordance with a first one of said accumulation levels in said organizational hierarchy, data values from a plurality of statistics records from said collection database into a first accumulated record and storing said first accumulated record into said collection database, and for accumulating, in accordance with a second one of said accumulation levels in said organizational hierarchy, data values from said plurality of statistics records from said collection database into a second accumulated record and storing said second accumulated record into said collection database. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A system for collecting information from a computerized branch exchange (CBX) for receipt by a collection computer coupled to the CBX, the CBX having a statistics database comprising a plurality of statistics records each containing telephone call measurements relating to telephone lines serviced by said CBX, the system comprising:
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scheduling means for scheduling, from said collection computer, a first data collection session with said first CBX in accordance with a collection schedule; command generation means, coupled to and responsive to said scheduling means, for generating a first database selection command which specifies a first subset of said first plurality of statistics records to be retrieved from said first statistics database; transmitting means, coupled to said command generation means, for transmitting said first database selection command from said collection computer to said first CBX; receiving means for receiving statistics records from said first CBX; database loading means for loading statistics records received by said receiving means into a collection database on said collection computer; means for reading a plurality of statistics records from said collection database; accumulation means for accumulating data values across said plurality of statistics records read from said collection database and generating therefrom an accumulation record comprising said accumulated data values; and means for storing said accumulation record into said collection database; wherein said accumulation means accumulates said data values across said plurality of statistics records in accordance with an organizational hierarchy having a plurality of accumulation levels over which statistics records from said collection database may be accumulated. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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41. A method of collecting information from a computerized branch exchange (CBX) for receipt by a collection computer coupled to the CBX, the CBX having a statistics database comprising a plurality of statistics records each containing telephone call measurements relating to telephone lines serviced by said CBX, the method comprising the steps of:
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(1) generating and transmitting a schema inquiry command from said collection computer to said CBX; (2) receiving, from said CBX in response to said schema inquiry command, schema information identifying database record formats in said statistics database; (3) determining on the basis of said received schema information whether said database record formats in said statistics database match record formats in said collection database of said collection computer; (4) responsive to a determination that said record formats do not match, generating a warning message; (5) specifying a data collection schedule for collecting one or more of said plurality of statistics records from said statistics database; (6) generating, from said collection computer, a database selection command for selecting a subset of said plurality of statistics records and transmitting, in accordance with said data collection schedule, said database selection command from said collection computer to said CBX; (7) receiving at said collection computer one or more of said plurality of statistics records from said CBX in response to said database selection command transmitted from said collection computer; and (8) storing said one or more received statistics records into a collection database on said collection computer.
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42. A method of collecting information from a computerized branch exchange (CBX) for receipt by a collection computer coupled to the CBX, the CBX having a statistics database comprising a plurality of statistics records each containing telephone call measurements relating to telephone lines serviced by said CBX, the method comprising the steps of:
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(1) specifying a data collection schedule for collecting one or more of said plurality of statistics records from said statistics database; (2) generating, from said collection computer, a database selection command for selecting a subset of said plurality of statistics records and transmitting, in accordance with said data collection schedule, said database selection command from said collection computer to said CBX; (3) receiving at said collection computer one or more of said plurality of statistics records from said CBX in response to said database selection command transmitted from said collection computer; (4) storing said one or more received statistics records into a collection database on said collection computer; (5) accumulating data values across a plurality of records read from said collection database into a first accumulated record according to a first fixed time interval and storing said first accumulated record on said collection computer; (6) accumulating data values across said plurality of records read from said collection database into a second accumulated record according to a second fixed time interval and storing said second accumulated record on said collection computer; and (7) repeating steps (5) and (6) a plurality of times to generate therefrom a plurality of first and second accumulated records.
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43. A method of collecting information from a computerized branch exchange (CBX) for receipt by a collection computer coupled to the CBX, the CBX having a statistics database comprising a plurality of statistics records each containing telephone call measurements relating to telephone lines serviced by said CBX, the method comprising the steps of:
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(1) specifying a data collection schedule for collecting one or more of said plurality of statistics records from said statistics database; (2) generating, from said collection computer, a database selection command for selecting a subset of said plurality of statistics records and transmitting, in accordance with said data collection schedule, said database selection command from said collection computer to said CBX; (3) receiving at said collection computer one or more of said plurality of statistics records from said CBX in response to said database selection command transmitted from said collection computer; (4) storing said one or more received statistics records into a collection database on said collection computer; (5) accumulating data values across a plurality of records from said collection database into a first accumulated record according to a fixed time interval and storing said first accumulated record on said collection computer; and (6) accumulating data values across said plurality of records from said collection database into a second accumulated record according to an organizational hierarchy and storing said second accumulated record on said collection computer.
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44. A system for collecting telephone call information from a first computerized branch exchange (CBX) having a first statistics database comprising a first plurality of statistics records each containing telephone call measurements relating to telephone lines serviced by said first CBX, the system comprising:
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a scheduler for scheduling a first data collection session with said first CBX in accordance with a first user-modifiable collection schedule; a command generator, coupled to and responsive to said scheduler, for generating a first database selection command which specifies a first subset of said first plurality of statistics records to be retrieved from said first statistics database; a communication interface, coupled to said command generator, for transmitting said first database selection command to said first CBX and for receiving statistics records from said first CBX; a database loader for loading statistics records received by said communication interface into a collection database; a schema compatibility determination function for generating and transmitting a schema inquiry command to said first CBX and for determining, on the basis of schema information returned by said first CBX, whether said database record formats in said first statistics database match database record formats in said collection database; and a warning generator, responsive to said schema compatibility determination function, for generating a warning message when said database record formats do not match.
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45. A system for collecting telephone call information from a first computerized branch exchange (CBX) having a first statistics database comprising a first plurality of statistics records each containing telephone call measurements relating to telephone lines serviced by said first CBX, the system comprising:
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a scheduler for scheduling a first data collection session with said first CBX in accordance with a first user-modifiable collection schedule; a command generator, coupled to and responsive to said scheduler, for generating a first database selection command which specifies a first subset of said first plurality of statistics records to be retrieved from said first statistics database; a communication interface, coupled to said command generator, for transmitting said first database selection command to said first CBX and for receiving statistics records from said first CBX; a database loader for loading statistics records received by said communication interface into a collection database; and a time-based accumulator for accumulating data values across a plurality of statistics records from said collection database into a first accumulated record according to a first fixed time interval and storing said first accumulated record into said collection database, and for accumulating data values across said plurality of statistics records from said collection database into a second accumulated record according to a second fixed time interval and storing said second accumulated record into said collection database.
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46. A system for collecting telephone call information from a first computerized branch exchange (CBX) having a first statistics database comprising a first plurality of statistics records each containing telephone call measurements relating to telephone lines serviced by said first CBX, the system comprising:
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a scheduler for scheduling a first data collection session with said first CBX in accordance with a first user-modifiable collection schedule; a command generator, coupled to and responsive to said scheduler, for generating a first database selection command which specifies a first subset of said first plurality of statistics records to be retrieved from said first statistics database; a communication interface, coupled to said command generator, for transmitting said first database selection command to said first CBX and for receiving statistics records from said first CBX; a database loader for loading statistics records received by said communication interface into a collection database; a time-based accumulator for accumulating data values across a plurality of statistics records from said collection database into a first accumulated record according to a fixed time interval and storing said first accumulated record into said collection database; and an organizational accumulator for accumulating data values across said plurality of statistics records from said collection database into a second accumulated record according to an organizational hierarchy and storing said second accumulated record into said collection database.
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Specification