Method and system for calculating the estimated time of arrival of a service technician

• US 6,370,231 B1
• Filed: 11/24/1999
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hice, Janice Paris
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/448,652
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8-9, 379/1.01, 379/9-2-, 379/15.03, 379/32-1-
• US Class Current: 379/32.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2263 Network management

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for reporting an estimated time at which a task will be processed. A user interface receives a status query and transfers this information to a controller. The controller is configured to receive the status query and based upon the status query, selects a proper task administration system from a plurality of task administration systems. The controller then collects status data from the proper task administration system and from this status data calculates the estimated time at which a task will be processed. After the calculation has been made, the controller then reports the estimated time at which the task will be processed back to the user interface.

Claims

1. A system for reporting an estimated time at which a task related to telecommunication service orders will be processed, comprising:

a first task administration system containing status data for a first plurality of tasks;

a second task administration system containing status data for a second plurality of tasks;

a user interface for receiving a status query related to a specified one of the tasks, said status query having one or more characteristics unique to one of the said task administration systems;

a controller configured to;

retrieve status data related to said specified task from one of said task administration systems identified by the query characteristics;

calculate the estimated time of arrival; and

send the estimated time of arrival relating to said specified task from one of said task administration systems identified by the query characteristics to the user interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first task administration system comprises a maintenance administration system for a first telecommunications system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second task administration system comprises a maintenance administration system for a second telecommunications system.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the maintenance administration system for a first telecommunications system comprises a system for providing status information on service orders for plain old telephone systems.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the maintenance administration system for a second telecommunications system comprises a system for providing status information on service orders for business telephone lines.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the maintenance administration system for a second telecommunications system comprises a system for providing status information on service orders for complex business telephone lines and special service circuits.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to translate coded status data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the query characteristic are selected from the group:

designed order numbers, non-designed order numbers, trouble ticket numbers, and the NPA-NXX of the telephone number.

9. A method for reporting an estimated time at which a task related to telecommunication service orders will be processed, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for an estimated time of processing;

analyzing the request for unique parameters;

accessing a proper task administration system from a plurality of task administration systems based upon said analysis;

receiving status data from said proper task administration system;

calculating an estimated time of processing utilizing said status data; and

transmitting said estimated time of processing to a recipient.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the plurality of task administration systems is a maintenance administration system for a first telecommunications system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein one of the plurality of task administration systems is a maintenance administration system for a second telecommunications system.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the maintenance administration system for the first telecommunications system is a system for providing status information on service orders for plain old telephone systems.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the maintenance administration system for the second telecommunications system is a system for providing status information on service orders for business telephone lines.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the maintenance administration system for the second telecommunications system is a system for providing status information on service orders for complex business telephone lines and special service circuits.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

if the status data is encoded, decoding said status data.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

if the status data is encoded, converting the code to English.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the unique parameters analyzed are designed order numbers, non-designed order numbers, trouble ticket numbers, or the NPA-NXX of the telephone number.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the request for an estimated time at which a task will be processed is a request for an estimated time of arrival for a service technician;

the status data comprises a bulk load list containing time necessary to complete the task and travel time to the next task for a plurality of tasks assigned; and

calculating the estimated time of arrival further comprises the steps of;

(a) starting with the current time;

(b) adding the time necessary to complete the current task;

(c) adding the travel time between the current task and the next task in the bulk load list;

(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) for each task until the next task in the bulk load list is the task for which the request was received; and

when the next task in the bulk load list is the task for which the request was received, returning the calculated estimated time of arrival.