System and method of retrieving and formatting data from cellular telephone switches

• US 6,259,907 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1999
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GTE Wireless Service Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GTE Wireless Service Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Lavender, Roger Brian, Tobey, Mathew John, Bellamy, Gary Wayne Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US09/451,599
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/419, 455/422, 455/466, 455/566, 455/567, 455/445, 455/408, 455/405, 455/67.1, 455/67.7, 455/409, 380/247, 380/248, 380/270, 379/112, 379/113, 379/133, 379/136
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13139 Fraud detection/prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0087 Network testing or monitoring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A method and system is provided for automatically retrieving cellular telephone data for analysis of call data associated with cellular telephone calls. Such method and system ensure reliable retrieval and reporting of information from cellular telephone switches for use in analyzing cellular telephone technology and data deployed in various regions of the country serviced by a service provider. Such system and method automatically download cellular telephone data from cellular switches of a telephone network at predetermined time periods. The cellular telephone data pertains to cellular calls routed through the switches. Certain elements of the cellular telephone data is chosen for storage in a central database and is reformatted for placement in tables in the central database. The tables have a format that enables the cellular telephone data to be selectively chosen for inclusion in various documents that summarize the cellular telephone data that is downloaded.

Claims

1. A method for consolidating cellular telephone data from telephone networks deployed in different geographic regions, said cellular telephone data being associated with cellular telephone calls, said method comprising the steps of:

automatically downloading, at service control points for said telephone networks, said cellular telephone data at predetermined time periods, said cellular telephone data being collected at a plurality of cellular switches in communication with said service control points, said cellular telephone data pertaining to cellular calls routed through said cellular switches, and said telephone networks having different types of said cellular telephone data based on different types of cellular technology deployed in said different geographic regions;

selectively choosing said cellular telephone data for storage in a central database of a service management system for said telephone networks, said service management system being in communication with each of said service control points; and

reformatting said cellular telephone data for placement in tables in said central database so that said cellular telephone data from said each of said telephone networks is consolidated in said central database, said tables having a format that enables said cellular telephone data to be selectively chosen for inclusion in various documents that summarize said cellular telephone data that is downloaded.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of automatically downloading comprises:

automatically downloading said cellular telephone data to a temporary data storage facility; and

searching said temporary data storage facility for files that contain information that is to be stored in said central database.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

retrieving said information from said temporary data storage facility;

storing said information in a temporary location; and

determining whether said information stored in said temporary storage facility is formatted properly.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of storing information that is determined to be formatted properly to cellular information tables in said central database.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

determining if said information that is determined to be formatted properly represents changes to data that was previously stored in said cellular information tables; and

storing changed information in changed information tables.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of storing said properly formatted information in archive tables.

7. The method of claim 4 comprising displaying said information contained in said cellular information tables to a display in response to a request initiated by a user.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising the steps of:

comparing said request to queries stored in query tables stored in said central database;

selecting a query that corresponds to said request;

searching said tables with said query; and

displaying said information contained in said properly formatted tables that correspond to said query.

9. A computer readable medium having instructions, which when executed by a computer system, perform the steps of:

periodically retrieving raw cellular telephone call information collected at each of a plurality of cellular telephone switches associated with telephone networks deployed in different geographic regions, said telephone networks having different types of said raw cellular telephone call information based on different types of cellular technology deployed in said different geographic regions, said raw cellular telephone call information being previously downloaded by service control points for said telephone networks associated with ones of said cellular telephone switches, and said periodically retrieving step being performed by said computer system at a service management system for said telephone networks, said service management system being in communication with each of said service control points to periodically receive said raw cellular telephone call information;

converting, at said service management system, said raw cellular telephone call information retrieved from said service control points to a second format of information customized for summarizing said raw cellular telephone call information; and

storing said second format of information in a central database of said service management system, said central database being accessible by a plurality of users over a computer network.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 comprising instructions which when executed by a computer system convert NNBR data to a second format used in displaying the informational content of the NNBR data to a user.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 comprising instructions which when executed by a computer system retrieve second cellular call information from an external database source, not associated with switch, and storing the second cellular call information in the second format in the central database.

12. A method, operable from a service management system of a telephone service company, for providing access to cellular telephone data from cellular telephone networks of said telephone service company, said cellular telephone networks being deployed in different geographic regions and in communication with said service management system, said cellular telephone networks having different types of said cellular telephone data based on different types of cellular technology deployed in said different geographic regions, said cellular telephone data being associated with cellular telephone calls, and said method comprising:

periodically receiving, at said service management system, data representing a set of calls within said cellular telephone networks;

consolidating said data in a central database of said service management system;

filtering said consolidated data based on said predetermined search criteria; and

permitting a user access to said filtered data.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of periodically receiving data representing calls within a cellular telephone network includes:

storing the received data in at least one temporary storage component.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the method further comprises establishing said predetermined search criteria to include an area information criterion, a tools criterion, and a reports criterion; and

the step of filtering includes selecting portions of said consolidated data responsive to one of said area information criterion, said tools criterion, and said reports criterion.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of permitting access to the filtered data includes:

selectively providing a set of reports, each report indicating at least one service aspect associated with said cellular telephone networks, said set of reports including an authentication report, a regional report, and a global report.

16. A telephone service company that consolidates cellular telephone data comprising:

a plurality of telephone networks deployed in different geographic regions, said telephone networks producing different types of cellular telephone data based on different types of cellular technology deployed in said different geographic regions, each of said telephone networks including;

cellular service switching points configured to generate cellular telephone data in a first format, said cellular telephone data pertaining to cellular calls routed through said cellular service switching points; and

a service control point in communication with each of said cellular service switching points and configured to automatically download said cellular telephone data collected at said cellular service switching points at predetermined time periods and store said downloaded cellular telephone data in said first format to files in a download database of said service control point; and

a service management system in communication with each said service control point for each of said telephone networks, said service management system being configured to initiate a search of said cellular telephone data stored in said download database to retrieve selected files of said cellular telephone data, said service management system being further configured to store said selected files of said cellular telephone data in a second format in a central database that is customized for display of reports that summarize said cellular telephone data collected from said cellular service switching points.