Method and apparatus for providing automatic notification

• US 6,421,725 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2000
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Vermilyea, David G., Kirby, Jamie E., Jha, Manoj K., Adamson, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, OANH
• Application Number:
  US09/564,878
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/206, 709/207, 709/223, 709/227, 709/226, 379/32, 379/14, 379/134, 379/9, 379/242, 371/33, 371/32, 714/755, 714/788
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A system receives information from users relating to activities that may impact a network. The system then automatically generates a ticket to track the activity. The system also automatically selects a recipient(s) for a notification message relating to the activity and transmits the notification message to the intended recipient(s).

Claims

1. A method for providing notification regarding an activity that may impact a telecommunications network, comprising:

receiving information relating to the activity; and

automatically transmitting a message to a party responsible for monitoring the activity,

wherein the activity represents construction-related activity and the information includes a start time and at least one of a location and a cable identifier associated with the construction-related activity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the message was received.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

automatically retransmitting the message when the message was not received.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a pager message using the received information, the pager message including a priority indicator;

automatically accessing a database to determine a pager number associated with the party responsible for monitoring the construction-related activity; and

transmitting the pager message with the priority indicator.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the received information in a queue;

assigning a priority to the received information based on a time in which the activity is to occur;

retrieving the stored information based on the priority; and

transmitting at least a portion of the stored information with a priority indicator and an identifier for acknowledging receipt of the message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically transmitting includes:

sending a pager message that identifies a priority and a cable associated with the activity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically transmitting includes:

transmitting the message to at least one recipient via at least one of a paging system, a cellular system, a facsimile system and an electronic mail system.

8. A system for providing notification regarding an activity that may impact a telecommunications network, comprising:

a memory configured to receive and store information relating to the activity; and

a processor configured to;

generate a message using the received information, and

automatically transmit the message to a party responsible for monitoring the activity,

wherein the activity represents construction activity and the information includes a start time and at least one of a location and a cable identifier associated with the construction activity.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the message was received, and

automatically retransmit the message when the message was not received.

10. The system of claim 8, the processor being further configured to:

generate a pager message using the received information, the pager message including a priority indicator,

automatically access a database to determine a pager number associated with the party responsible for monitoring the construction activity, and

transmit the pager message with the priority indicator.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory is further configured to:

store pager numbers associated with parties responsible for monitoring construction activity associated with the telecommunications network, and wherein the processor is further configured to;

assign a priority to the received information based on a time in which the activity is to occur,

access the memory to determine a pager number associated with a party responsible for monitoring the construction activity, and

transmit at least a portion of the stored information with a priority indicator and an identifier for acknowledging receipt of the message.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein when automatically transmitting, the processor is configured to:

send a pager message that identifies a priority and a cable associated with the activity.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein when automatically transmitting, the processor is configured to:

transmit the message to at least one recipient via at least one of a paging system, a cellular system, a facsimile system and an electronic mail system.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one modem for transmitting the message via a network to a paging system.

15. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions, said sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of:

receiving information relating to an activity that may impact a telecommunications network; and

automatically transmitting a message to a party responsible for monitoring the activity,

wherein the activity represents construction activity and the information includes a start time and at least one of a location and a cable identifier associated with the construction activity.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 causing said processor to perform the further steps of:

determining whether the message was received; and

automatically retransmitting the message when the message was not received.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further causing the processor to perform the steps of:

generating a pager message using the received information, the pager message including a priority indicator;

automatically accessing a database to determine a pager number associated with the party responsible for monitoring the construction activity; and

transmitting the pager message with the priority indicator.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 causing said processor to perform the further steps of:

storing the received information in a queue;

assigning a priority to the received information based on a time in which the activity is to occur;

retrieving the stored information based on the priority; and

transmitting at least a portion of the stored information with a priority indicator and an identifier for acknowledging receipt of the message.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the automatically transmitting includes sending a pager message that identifies a priority and a cable associated with the activity.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the automatically transmitting includes transmitting the message to at least one recipient via at least one of a paging system, a cellular system, a facsimile system and an electronic mail system.

21. A method for providing notification of construction activity that may impact a telecommunications network, comprising:

receiving information relating to the construction activity;

generating an electronic ticket to track the construction activity; and

automatically transmitting a message to a party responsible for monitoring the construction activity,

wherein the received information includes a start time and at least one of a location and a cable identifier associated with the construction activity.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining whether the message was received;

automatically retransmitting the message when the message was not received; and

storing information relating to whether the message was received.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

generating a pager message from the received information, the pager message including a priority indicator;

automatically accessing a database to determine a pager number associated with the party responsible for monitoring the construction activity; and

transmitting the pager message with the priority indicator.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the automatically transmitting includes:

transmitting the message to at least one recipient via at least one of a paging system, a cellular system, a facsimile system and an electronic mail system.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the automatically transmitting includes:

transmitting the message to multiple pagers, at least two of the pagers utilizing different paging service providers.