System for reactively maintaining telephone network facilities in a public switched telephone network

• US 5,687,212 A
• Filed: 11/01/1995
• Issued: 11/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Casey, William C., Blum, Frederick D., Kinser, James C. Jr., Youngs, Mary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/551,622
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 379/2, 379/5, 379/13, 379/10, 379/14, 379/15, 379/26, 379/27, 379/29, 379/33, 379/34, 370/261, 370/248, 370/249, 370/251, 371/4, 371/11.2, 371/11.3, 371/20.1
• US Class Current: 379/9.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/08 Indicating faults in circuits or apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2254 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13521 fault management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0075 Fault management techniques

Abstract

In an administration system for a public switched telephone network, a reactive maintenance system analyzes the working status of customer network facilities in response to a customer request reporting a customer trouble. The reactive system includes a reactive maintenance attendant station receiving the customer request, retrieving related customer profile information, obtaining a description of the customer trouble. The reactive system also includes a test system testing the communication line associated with the trouble report and generating test results. The test system also determines whether additional information is needed, or whether the trouble report can be closed out, or whether the trouble report should be dispatched to a customer work group including existing related proactive trouble reports. The reactive system also includes a work request processing and dispatch system that groups related open work requests (e.g., proactive troubles) with the trouble report and the existing related proactive trouble reports based on grouping rules for resolution by a field technician.

Claims

1. In an administration system for a public switched telephone network which includes an attendant station for receiving service requests and collecting customer information, credit verification service order processor (SOP) for creating and distributing service orders for processing by downstream processing systems including Service Order Analysis and Control (SOAC) system, a Computer System for Mainframe Operations (COSMOS) system, SWITCH system, Loop Facility Assignment and Control System (LFACS) system, and Adjunct Processor (AP) having storage for storing data including Living Unit (LU) data, network facility data and Telephone Number (TN) data, a first test system testing a communication line in a communication cable associated with the customer in accordance with a first test producing trouble indicators indicating a potentially defective communication line, a second test system testing groups of the trouble indicators associated with the communication line in accordance with a second test, and a data processor generating an end to end description of the communication line to be tested, prioritizing the groups that are potentially defective indicating the potentially defective communication line generating prioritized groups, and generating a report to be used for examining the potentially defective communication line using the prioritized groups, a method of reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities in response to a customer request reporting a customer trouble, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving the customer request;

(b) retrieving related customer profile information including at least one of billing, service order, circuit test history, and trouble history;

(c) obtaining a description of the customer trouble and entering a trouble type associated therewith;

(d) building a trouble report;

(e) testing the communication line and generating test results;

(f) determining, responsive to first criteria, whether additional information is needed, or whether the trouble report can be closed out, or whether the trouble report should be dispatched to a customer work group, and if so, transmitting the trouble report for review by the customer work group;

(g) transmitting the trouble report to the customer work group using trouble routing criteria, mapping the trouble report to a maintenance area, determining a trouble priority, and assigning a trouble report status;

(h) grouping related open work requests with the trouble report based on grouping rules including similarity of trouble, similarity of geographic area, and available time;

(i) building a work load for a technician responsive to the related open work requests, the trouble report, and technician information including work schedule, job type, work areas, and job skills;

(j) accessing information stored in operation support systems including at least one of the SOP, the SOAC system, the COSMOS system, the SWITCH system, the LFACS system, the AP, the first test system, the second test system, and the data processor as needed;

(k) repairing and testing the communication line associated with the trouble report to verify that the communication line is working;

(l) notifying the customer that the trouble report has been resolved and the trouble is closed out;

(m) resolving the related open work requests;

(n) generating a completion message responsive to said repairing step (k) and said resolving step (m); and

(o) transmitting the completion message to at least one of the SOP, the SOAC system, the COSMOS system, the SWITCH system, the LFACS system, the AP, the first test system, the second test system, and the data processor as needed.

2. A method of reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, wherein said testing step (e) further comprises the step of performing a test of the communication line producing trouble indicators, the trouble indicators including at least one of:

(e1) a per call test failure (PCTF) indicator;

(e2) an automatic line insulation test indicator;

(e3) a customer trouble report including a mechanized loop test indicator;

(e4) an employee report indicator; and

(e5) a fiber network type indicator.

3. A method of reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 2, wherein said testing step (e) further comprises the step of filtering the trouble indicators generating a list of potentially false trouble indicators associated with the communication line including at least one of:

a ground start PBX;

a foreign exchange line;

a coin line;

a video on demand line;

a pair gain system without mechanized loop test or automatic line insulation test capabilities;

a multiple indicator at same address; and

a known station problem list.

4. A method of reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, wherein said testing step (e) further comprises the step of generating an end to end description of the communication line for each communication line to be tested including all cables, pairs, and terminals in the communication line.

5. A method of reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 2, wherein said grouping step (h) further comprises the step of grouping the trouble indicators that have common network elements including at least one of:

F1 terminal;

F2 terminals with same F1 terminal;

F2 terminals with multiple F1 terminals;

F1 terminal cable and pair range;

F1 terminal in binding post range;

F1 terminal out binding post range;

F2 terminal cable and pair range;

F2 terminal in binding post range;

F2 terminal out binding post range; and

fiber network common elements.

6. A method of reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, wherein the work requests are one of stapled and linked to the trouble report.

7. A method of reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, wherein said grouping step (h) further comprises the step of prioritizing the groups that are potentially defective indicating the potentially defective communication line using at least one of:

additional weighting for low spare pair cable segments, and a dispatch list prioritizing the potentially defective communication line by dispatch area, available time and priority.

8. A method of reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, wherein said determining step (f) further comprises the step of determining whether the trouble report should be dispatched to a customer work group responsive to related information regarding similar and related troubles that have been experienced contemporaneously with other network facilities related to the communication line.

9. A method of reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, wherein said determining step (f) further comprises the step of determining whether the trouble report should be dispatched to a customer work group responsive to related proactive and reactive troubles that have been experienced contemporaneously by other customers on other communication lines related to the communication line.

10. A method of reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, wherein said determining step (f) further comprises the step of determining whether the trouble report should be dispatched to a customer work group responsive to baseline information of the communication line accessed on a real-time basis.

11. A method of reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, further comprising the step of informing technicians that have already been dispatched to repair a defective network facility to repair other related troubles in the substantially same geographic area.

12. In an administration system for a public switched telephone network which includes an attendant station for receiving service requests and collecting customer information, credit verification service order processor (SOP) for creating and distributing service orders for processing by downstream processing systems including Service Order Analysis and Control (SOAC) system, a Computer System for Mainframe Operations (COSMOS) system, SWITCH system, Loop Facility Assignment and Control System (LFACS) system, and Adjunct Processor (AP) having storage for storing data including Living Unit (LU) data, network facility data and Telephone Number (TN) data, a test system testing a communication line in a communication cable associated with the customer producing trouble indicators indicating a potentially defective communication line, and a data processor generating an end to end description of the communication line to be tested, prioritizing the groups that are potentially defective indicating the potentially defective communication line generating prioritized groups, and generating a report to be used for examining the potentially defective communication line using the prioritized groups, a reactive maintenance system for analyzing the working status of customer network facilities in response to a customer request reporting a customer trouble, comprising:

a reactive maintenance attendant station receiving the customer request, retrieving related customer profile information including at least one of billing, service order, circuit test history, and trouble history, obtaining a description of the customer trouble and entering a trouble type associated therewith, and building a trouble report;

said test system, responsively connected to said reactive maintenance attendant station, testing the communication line associated with the trouble report and generating test results, determining, responsive to first criteria, whether additional information is needed, or whether the trouble report can be closed out, or whether the trouble report should be dispatched to a customer work group, and if so, transmitting the trouble report for review by the customer work group and existing related proactive trouble reports to the customer work group using trouble routing criteria;

a work request processing and dispatch system, responsively connected to said test system, grouping related open work requests with the trouble report and the existing related proactive trouble reports based on grouping rules including similarity of trouble, similarity of geographic area, and available time, building a work load for a technician responsive to pending work requests and technician information including work schedule, job type, work areas, and job skills, and generating a completion message to at least one of the SOP, the SOAC system, the COSMOS system, the SWITCH system, the LFACS system, the AP, the test system, the data processor and the customer as needed.

13. A reactive maintenance system reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 12, wherein said test system performs a test of the communication line producing trouble indicators, the trouble indicators including at least one of:

(e1) a per call test failure (PCTF) indicator;

(e2) an automatic line insulation test indicator;

(e3) a customer trouble report including a mechanized loop test indicator;

(e4) an employee report indicator; and

(e5) a fiber network type indicator.

14. A reactive maintenance system reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 13, wherein said test system filters the trouble indicators generating a list of potentially false trouble indicators associated with the communication line including at least one of:

a ground start PBX;

a foreign exchange line;

a coin line;

a video on demand line;

a pair gain system without mechanized loop test or automatic line insulation test capabilities;

a multiple indicator at same address; and

a known station problem list.

15. A reactive maintenance system reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 12, wherein said test system generates an end to end description of the communication line for each communication line to be tested including all cables, pairs, and terminals in the communication line.

16. A reactive maintenance system reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 13, wherein said work request processing and dispatch system groups the trouble indicators that have common network elements including at least one of:

F1 terminal;

F2 terminals with same F1 terminal;

F2 terminals with multiple F1 terminals;

F1 terminal cable and pair range;

F1 terminal in binding post range;

F1 terminal out binding post range;

F2 terminal cable and pair range;

F2 terminal in binding post range;

F2 terminal out binding post range; and

fiber network common elements.

17. A reactive maintenance system reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 12, wherein the work requests are one of stapled and linked to the trouble report.

18. A reactive maintenance system reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 12, wherein said work request processing and dispatch system prioritizes the groups that are potentially defective indicating the potentially defective communication line using at least one of:

additional weighting for low spare pair cable segments, and a dispatch list prioritizing the potentially defective communication line by dispatch area, available time and priority.

19. A reactive maintenance system reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 12, wherein using said test system, a caseworker determines whether the trouble report should be dispatched to a customer work group responsive to related information regarding similar and related troubles that have been experienced contemporaneously with other network facilities related to the communication line.

20. A reactive maintenance system reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 12, wherein using said test system, a caseworker determines whether the trouble report should be dispatched to a customer work group responsive to related proactive and reactive troubles that have been experienced contemporaneously by other customers on other communication lines related to the communication line.

21. A reactive maintenance system reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 12, wherein using said test system, a caseworker determines whether the trouble report should be dispatched to a customer work group responsive to baseline information of the communication line accessed on a real-time basis.

22. A reactive maintenance system reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 12, wherein a caseworker informs technicians that have already been dispatched to repair a defective network facility to repair other related troubles in the substantially same geographic area.

23. In an administration system for a public switched telephone network (PSTN) comprising an attendant station for receiving service requests and collecting customer information;

service order format means for formatting and distributing service orders; and

a service order processing system having storage means for storing data including Living Unit (LU) data, customer facility data and Telephone Number (TN) data, said service order processing system storing the LU data corresponding to the customer facility data as provisioned data for a LU, and for maintaining the provisioned data in said service order processing system without altering the customer facility data when a disconnect request is received by the attendant station, a method of reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities in response to a customer request reporting a customer trouble, comprising the steps of;

(a) receiving the customer request;

(b) retrieving related customer profile information including at least one of billing, service order, circuit test history, and trouble history;

(c) obtaining a description of the customer trouble and entering a trouble type associated therewith;

(d) building a trouble report;

(e) testing the communication line and generating test results;

(f) determining, responsive to criteria, whether additional information is needed, or whether the trouble report can be closed out, or whether the trouble report should be dispatched to a customer work group, and if so, transmitting the trouble report for review by the customer work group;

(g) transmitting the trouble report to the customer work group using trouble routing criteria, mapping the trouble report to a maintenance area, determining a trouble priority, and assigning a trouble report status;

(h) grouping related open work requests with the trouble report based on grouping rules including similarity of trouble, similarity of geographic area, and available time;

(i) building a work load for a technician responsive to the related open work requests and the trouble report.

24. In an administration system for a communication network, a method of reactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities in response to a customer request reporting a customer trouble, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving the customer request;

(b) retrieving related customer profile information including at least one of billing, service order, circuit test history, and trouble history;

(c) obtaining a description of the customer trouble and entering a trouble type associated therewith;

(d) building a trouble report;

(e) testing the communication line and generating test results;

(f) determining, responsive to criteria, whether additional information is needed, or whether the trouble report can be closed out, or whether the trouble report should be dispatched to a customer work group, and if so, transmitting the trouble report for review by the customer work group;

(g) transmitting the trouble report to the customer work group using trouble routing criteria, mapping the trouble report to a maintenance area, determining a trouble priority, and assigning a trouble report status;

(h) grouping related open work requests with the trouble report based on grouping rules including similarity of trouble, similarity of geographic area, and available time;

(i) building a work load for a technician responsive to the related open work requests and the trouble report.