System for managing telecommunication sites

• US 6,366,919 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lexent, Inc. (LX Merger Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Lexent, Inc. (LX Merger Corp.)
• Inventors: OʼKane, Hugh Jr., Stanton, Frank L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US09/867,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/5, 707/6, 707/9, 707/10, 707/101, 707/200-201, 705/5, 705/26-28, 705/412, 703/21, 709/223-226, 379/9.03, 379/15.03, 379/201.05, 379/221.03
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A system for maintaining, updating repairing and monitoring remotely located communication equipment sites is described with which the sites can be managed and maintained. Data relative to each site is stored and alterations proposed for the site are automatically monitored and verified prior to implementation. Clients who own and use the sites can confirm the status of the communication equipment through a web site where the client can have access to the data while preserving the proprietary nature of the data as it relates to the client. The status of various equipment is maintained to promptly inform an owner of the site, through access of the web site, of the feasibility of a proposed change in interconnections, or power use or availability of a particular device.

Claims

1. A system for managing equipment at a site, said system comprising:

a computer;

a rules database accessible by said computer, said rules database having a plurality of rules stored thereon;

a site information database accessible by said computer, said site information database having site information data stored thereon;

an equipment specification database accessible by said computer, said equipment specification database having technical specification data for a plurality of equipment stored thereon;

software executing on said computer for receiving a site identifier and a component selection submitted by a client; and

software executing on said computer for retrieving technical specification data for the selected component from said equipment specification database, for retrieving site information data for the identified site from said site information database, and for analyzing the retrieved technical specification data and the retrieved site information data with respect to the rules stored on said rules database.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the site information data includes site capacity data and an installed equipment listing.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising software executing on said computer for retrieving a component listing from the component database, and forwarding the component listing to a client.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising software executing on said computer for generating and transmitting to the client a rule violation notice if the analysis of the retrieved technical specification data and the retrieved site information data with respect to the rules stored on said rules database indicates that a rule has been violated.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the analysis of the retrieved technical specification data and the retrieved site information data with respect to the rules stored on said rules database compares rack configuration and space with specifications for the selected component.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the analysis of the retrieved technical specification data and the retrieved site information data with respect to the rules stored on said rules database compares cooling capacity with heat generated by the selected component.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the analysis of the retrieved technical specification data and the retrieved site information data with respect to the rules stored on said rules database compares power capacity with power consumption for the selected component.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the component selection is made by the client on a graphical representation of the site.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the site information database includes a graphical representation of the site and wherein the component selection is made by modifying the graphical representation of the site.

10. A method for managing a telecommunications site comprising the steps of:

providing a computer;

storing engineering rules on a database accessible by the computer;

storing site information including site capacity data and an installed equipment listing on a database accessible by the computer;

storing components technical specification data on a database accessible by the computer;

retrieving a component listing from the component database, and forwarding the component listing to a client;

receiving a site identifier and a component selection submitted by the client; and

retrieving technical specification data about the selected component, and analyzing the component selection and installed equipment with reference to the site capacity and with rules retrieved from the engineering database.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of forwarding a rule violation notice to the client.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the engineering rules analysis step compares rack configuration and space with specifications for the component selection.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the engineering rules analysis step compares cooling capacity with heat generated by the component selection.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the engineering rules analysis step compares power capacity with power consumption for the component selection.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the component selection is made by the client on a drawing of the site.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the site information database includes a drawing of the site and wherein the component selection is made by modifying the drawing of the site.

17. A method for managing equipment at a site comprising the steps of:

providing a computer;

storing a plurality of rules on a rules database accessible by the computer;

storing site information data on a site information database accessible by the computer;

storing technical specification data for a plurality of equipment on an equipment specification database accessible by the computer;

receiving a site identifier and a component selection submitted by a client; and

retrieving technical specification data for the selected component from the equipment specification database, retrieving site information data for the identified site from the site information database, and analyzing the retrieved technical specification data and the retrieved site information data with respect to the rules stored on the rules database.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the site information data includes site capacity data and an installed equipment listing.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of retrieving a component listing from the component database, and forwarding the component listing to a client.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of generating and transmitting to the client a rule violation notice if the analysis of the retrieved technical specification data and the retrieved site information data with respect to the rules stored on the rules database indicates that a rule has been violated.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the analysis of the retrieved technical specification data and the retrieved site information data with respect to the rules stored on the rules database compares rack configuration and space with specifications for the selected component.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the analysis of the retrieved technical specification data and the retrieved site information data with respect to the rules stored on the rules database compares cooling capacity with heat generated by the selected component.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the analysis of the retrieved technical specification data and the retrieved site information data with respect to the rules stored on the rules database compares power capacity with power consumption for the selected component.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the component selection is made by the client on a graphical representation of the site.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the site information database includes a graphical representation of the site and wherein the component selection is made by modifying the graphical representation of the site.

26. A telecommunication site management system comprising

a computer;

software executing on said computer for automatically forwarding a survey request to a technician;

site data collected by the technician from the telecommunication site, said site data input to said computer;

a device accessible by said computer for storing data;

a database of telecommunication component technical specification data accessible by said computer;

a program executing on said computer for retrieving component technical specification data corresponding to said site data, said program automatically generating a schedule of tasks to be performed for maintenance of the telecommunication site based at least in part upon the retrieved technical specification component data, and storing said tasks on said data storage device.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said survey request is prepared on said computer by a client.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein said computer is connected to the Internet.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said survey request is forwarded to the technician by email.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein said site data is stored on said data storage device.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein said site data includes information selected from the group comprising client, location, spare part inventory, power capacity, cooling capacity, rack capacity, component list, rack configuration, and combinations of these.

32. The system of claim 26 wherein said computer generates a CAD drawing of the site for storage on the data storage device.

33. A telecommunication site management system comprising:

a work request including a site identifier and task to be performed;

a computer for receiving said work request;

a database of site information accessible by said computer;

a database of technician capabilities accessible by said computer; and

a program executing on said computer for retrieving site information corresponding to said work request to determine required technician capabilities, said program for identifying a technician based on the required capabilities for said work request, and for sending a work order to the identified technician.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein said work request is prepared on said computer by a client.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said computer receives an as-built report prepared by the technician and forwards it to the client.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said computer updates said site information database upon receipt from the client of an as-built approval.

37. The system of claim 33 including a database of maintenance tasks, and wherein said work request is prepared on said computer from said maintenance task database.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein said maintenance task database is updated upon completion of the work order.

39. The system of claim 33 wherein said computer is connected to the Internet.

40. The system of claim 33 wherein the work order includes a drawing of the site.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein the drawing of the site is updated upon completion of work and is stored on said site information database.

42. A telecommunication site management system comprising:

a computer;

a database of engineering rules accessible to said computer;

a database of site information including site capacity data and an installed equipment listing accessible to said computer;

a database of telecommunication components technical specification data accessible to said computer;

a program executing on said computer for retrieving a component listing from said component database, and for forwarding the component listing to a client; and

a site identifier and a component selection submitted to said computer by the client;

said program retrieving technical specification data about the selected component, and analyzing the component selection and installed equipment with reference to the site capacity and with rules retrieved from said engineering database.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein said computer forwards a rule violation notice to the client.

44. The system of claim 42 wherein the engineering rules analysis compares rack configuration and space with specifications for said component selection.

45. The system of claim 42 wherein the engineering rules analysis compares cooling capacity with heat generated by said component selection.

46. The system of claim 42 wherein the engineering rules analysis compares power capacity with power consumption for said component selection.

47. The system of claim 42 wherein said component selection is made by the client on a drawing of the site.

48. The system of claim 42 wherein said site information database includes a drawing of the site and wherein said component selection is made by modifying the drawing of the site.

49. A method for managing, maintaining and monitoring telecommunications systems and telecom equipment distributed in a geographic region and located in telecom equipment rooms in buildings where telecom equipment of various types are connected to communication links formed of copper and/or optical fiber cables entering the building and leading to communication hard-ware at subscribers as part of a communication service provided by a telecommunication client, comprising the steps of:

storing data representative of telecom equipment performance and power requirements in a library data base;

storing data representative of environmental characteristics of remote telecom rooms in a data base;

storing data representative of physical dimensions of racks in which telecom equipment is mounted in a data base;

storing data representative of installed telecom equipment in racks in respective telecom rooms in a data base including data including available telecom equipment space on the racks;

storing data representative of the capacity of power sources available in respective racks and connected to installed telecom equipment in the racks, and storing data representative of the resulting electrical loads on the power sources in the racks in a data base;

determining from the data stored in the data base the electrical capacity remaining for respective power sources located in the racks;

generating a visible computer screen with data relevant for the addition of a telecom equipment for a particular rack;

deriving a new value for the electrical capacity remaining in the power source for the particular rack when said other telecom equipment data is added; and

generating a visible computer screen indication representative of a validation of the addition of the telecom equipment to the particular rack on the basis of available electrical power in the rack; and

following validation, installing the additional telecom equipment in a particular rack location which is determined to be available from information in the data base related to the particular rack.

50. The method as claimed in claim 49 and further including the steps of:

generating electronic images of racks with telecom equipment installations at respective telecom rooms and related to a particular client;

storing the electronic images in a data base in association with respective clients;

providing a client access through the web to stored images relevant to that client and transmitting images desired by the client along the web to the client to enable the client to make a visual verification of telecom equipment installed in a rack at a telecom room.

51. A method for managing, maintaining and monitoring a telecommunication system through the use of the web with the telecommunication system including telecom equipment distributed in a geographic region and located in telecom equipment rooms in buildings where telecom equipment of various types are connected to communication links formed of copper and/or optical fiber cables entering the building and leading to communication hardware at subscribers as part of a communication service provided by a telecommunication client, comprising the steps of:

storing in a data base, at a control station, data representative of telecom equipment installed in racks at various telecom rooms and of the racks so that data representative of available electrical power in respective racks and power consumed by the installed telecom equipment, the physical layout of telecom equipment in respective racks and available space on the racks are accessible through the web;

enabling a remotely located client to access the data base through the web and retrieve data related to installed telecom equipment and the racks in which the telecom equipment is installed;

entering, through the web, a desired change to the telecom equipment for a particular telecom equipment room into the data base;

deriving an evaluation within a signal processor having access to the data base whether the power requirements of telecom equipment for a rack in the particular telecom room after the desired change is implemented is feasible with respect to a total available power for the telecom equipment in the rack;

implementing the desired change to the telecom equipment;

forming an electronic image of the rack in which telecom equipment was changed;

storing the electronic image in the data base for viewing by the remotely located client.

52. The method as claimed in claim 51 and further including the steps of:

storing termination ports of individual communication lines entering into and exiting from telecom equipment relevant to a telecom equipment room into the data base;

entering the termination ports for telecommunication lines to be connected to the desired equipment into the data base; and

comparing the termination ports for the respective telecommunication lines to validate the installation for the telecom equipment.

53. A method for communicating telecommunications information over an on-line service between a client and a technician at an on-site location, comprising:

providing an on-line service accessible by the client and by the technician;

providing an on-site image capturing device;

allowing the client information over the on-line service to specify a modification to be made to telecommunications equipment at the on-site location;

informing the client through the on-line service of the feasibility of the modification;

performing the modification to the equipment at the on-site location; and

transmitting an on-site image of the modification to the on-line service such that the image is accessible by the client.

54. The method for communicating telecommunications information according to claim 53, wherein a modification comprises adding equipment or removing equipment.

55. The method for communicating telecommunications information according to claim 54, further comprising placing equipment manuals on the on-line service for the technicians to use at the on-site location.

56. The method for communicating telecommunications information according to claim 53, wherein informing the client through the on-line service of the feasibility of the modification comprises informing the client of a power input requirement of the equipment and of an available power output.