Method and apparatus providing notification of network conditions

• US 6,449,365 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1999
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hodges, Michael P., Munsat, Steven J., Pombrio, Robert, Westerhoff, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/465,348
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1.01, 379/1.03, 379/2, 379/9, 379/9.01, 379/9.02, 379/9.03, 379/32.01, 379/33, 379/22, 379/26.01, 379/29.02, 379/133, 379/134
• US Class Current: 379/9.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/08 Indicating faults in circuits or apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2263 Network management

Abstract

A client/server interface enables a user to provide information to a server relating to a change in the status of a network resource. The user also identifies an intended recipient of a notification message regarding the status of the network resource. The server then automatically handles the transmission of a notification message to the designated recipient or group of recipients.

Claims

1. A method for providing notification regarding a change in a telecommunications network, comprising:

establishing, by a first user, a connection with a network management computer;

downloading a first user interface from the network management computer to the first user via a first workstation;

entering, by the first user via the first workstation, information relating to a change in status of a network resource;

transmitting the information relating to the change in status of the network resource to the network management computer;

receiving, by a second user via a second workstation, a state change indication relating to the change is status of the network resource;

downloading a second user interface from the network management computer to the second workstation, the second user interface comprising the information entered by the first user;

entering, by the second user via the second workstation, additional information relating to the change in status of the network resource;

selecting, by the second user via the second workstation, at least one recipient for notification of the change in status of the network resource; and

automatically notifying the at least one recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting at least one distribution system from a plurality of distribution systems for sending the notification.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the automatically notifying includes transmitting a message to the at least one recipient via at least one of a paging system, an electronic mail system, a video display system, a telephone system, a cellular system and a facsimile system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a list of electronic mail addresses and pager numbers in a memory; and

accessing the memory to identify at least one of an electronic mail address and a pager number for the least one recipient.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically notifying includes:

sending a message that identifies the network resource and includes information relating to a problem with the network resource.

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

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

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting at least one recipient comprises identifying a group of recipients, and the automatically notifying includes accessing a memory to identify at least one of electronic mail addresses for members of the group and pager numbers for members of the group.

8. A system for providing notification regarding a change in a telecommunications network, comprising:

a server coupled to a network and configured to;

receive information from a first user, the information relating to a change in status of a network resource;

download a user interface to a second user, the user interface comprising the information relating to the change in status of the network resource;

receive, from the second user, modifications or additions to the information;

receive, from the second user, a selection identifying at least one recipient for notification of the change; and

automatically notify the at least one recipient.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the selection further identifies at least one distribution system for sending the notification.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one distribution system is selected by the second user from a group comprising at least one of a paging system, an electronic mail system, a video display system, a cellular system, a telephone system and a facsimile system.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a memory accessible to the server and configured to store at least one of pager numbers and electronic mail addresses of potential recipients of the notification.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the server is further configured to access the memory to identify at least one of an electronic mail address and a pager number for the at least one recipient.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a paging server configured to receive information from the server and transmit a message to at least one pager.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the server is further configured to transmit a message to the at least one recipient via electronic mail.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the selection identifies a group of recipients and the server is further configured to access a memory to identify at least one of electronic mail addresses for members of the group and pager numbers for members of the group.

16. In a network comprising a plurality of workstations, a method for providing notification regarding a change in a telecommunications network, comprising:

inputting, by a first user at a first workstation, information relating to a change in status of a network resource, the first user being associated with a first level of users;

sending the information to a first server;

transmitting the information to a second workstation;

inputting, by a second user at the second workstation, information representing at least one recipient for a notification relating to the change in status, the second user being associated with a second level of users, the second level of users having more authority with respect to entering information relating to the change in status of the network resource than the first level of users;

selecting, at the second workstation, at least one system from a plurality of systems for sending the notification;

transmitting the information from the second workstation to the first server; and

sending the notification to the at least one recipient.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of systems comprises at least one of a paging system, an electronic mail system, a video display system, a telephone system, a cellular system and a facsimile system.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

storing in a memory a list of electronic mail addresses and pager numbers of potential recipients of the notification; and

accessing the memory to identify at least one of an electronic mail address and a pager number for the least one recipient.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the sending the notification includes transmitting a message that identifies the network resource and includes information relating to a problem with the network resource.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the sending the notification includes:

transmitting, from the first server to a second server, a signal indicating that a message is ready to be sent;

accessing a memory, by the second server, to identify the at least one recipient and the message to be transmitted to the at least one recipient; and

sending the message to the at least one recipient.

21. 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 a method comprising:

obtaining identifying information from a user;

transmitting a user interface to the user based on the identifying information;

obtaining, from the user, information representing a change in status of a network resource, the information identifying at least one impacted circuit and location information associated with the impacted circuit;

identifying at least one recipient for a notification message relating to the impacted circuit;

sending the notification message to the at least one recipient;

transmitting, after obtaining the information representing the change is status, a state change indicator to a plurality of workstations; and

obtaining information from at least one of the plurality of workstations, the information representing additional information relating to the network resource.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, causing said processor to perform the further steps of:

setting an indicator when the change in status is received.

23. 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 a method comprising:

transmitting a user interface to a user;

obtaining, via the user interface, information relating to a change in status of a network resource, the information identifying at least one impacted circuit, location information associated with the impacted circuit, and a plurality of recipients for a notification relating to the impacted circuit;

accessing a memory based on the received information to identify the plurality of recipients for the notification; and

automatically transmitting the notification to the plurality of recipients.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the automatically transmitting includes sending a message to the plurality of recipients via at least one of a paging system, an electronic mail system, a video display system, a telephone system, a cellular system and a facsimile system.