GPS for telephone line records

• US 6,753,809 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reddick, Charles E., Smith, Steven G., Hamrick, Marvin R., Ingman, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US10/174,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.15, 342/359, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/085 Fault locating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/22 Arrangements for supervision, monitoring or testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for enhancing telephone line records with Global Positioning System coordinates. One embodiment acquires Global Positioning System information associated with a telephone number. This embodiment uses the Global Positioning System information to create a telephone line record for a telephone number. The Global Positioning System information describes latitude, longitude, and elevation associated with the telephone number. The Global Positioning System information, for example, could define the location of a customer'"'"'s service address, a service terminal, a cross-connect box, a wire center, and/or a central office.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

acquiring Global Positioning System information associated with a telephone number; and

assembling a telephone line record using the Global Positioning System information.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising acquiring customer service information associated with the telephone number and creating the telephone line record using the customer service information.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising acquiring facility information associated with the telephone number and creating the telephone line record using the facility information.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising acquiring telephone equipment information associated with the telephone number and creating the telephone line record using the telephone equipment information.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the Global Positioning System information comprises acquiring a latitude and a longitude associated with the telephone number.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the Global Positioning System information comprises acquiring a latitude and a longitude from a database of Global Positioning System information.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the Global Positioning System information comprises acquiring a latitude and a longitude for a service address associated with the telephone number.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the Global Positioning System information comprises acquiring a latitude and a longitude for a cross-connect box associated with the telephone number.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the Global Positioning System information comprises acquiring a latitude and a longitude for a service terminal associated with the telephone number.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the Global Positioning System information comprises acquiring a latitude and a longitude for a central office associated with the telephone number.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the Global Positioning System information comprises acquiring a latitude and a longitude for a wire center associated with the telephone number.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving updated Global Positioning System information, and using this updated Global Positioning System information to correct the line record.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving updated Global Positioning System information from a Global Positioning System unit installed in a vehicle, and using this updated Global Positioning information to correct the line record.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the Global Positioning System information comprises acquiring an elevation measurement associated with the telephone number.

15. A system comprising:

a Line Record Assembler module stored in memory, the Line Record Assembler module acquiring Global Positioning information associated with a telephone number, the Line Record Assembler module using the Global Positioning System information to create a telephone line record for the telephone number; and

a processor communicating with the memory and executing instructions.

16. A method comprising:

communicating a telephone number to a database of Global Positioning System information, the database of Global Positioning System information associating Global Positioning System coordinates to the telephone number;

retrieving the Global Positioning System coordinates from the database of Global Positioning System information; and

assembling a telephone line record using the Global Positioning System information.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the step of retrieving the Global Positioning System coordinates comprises retrieving a latitude and a longitude associated with the telephone number.