Utilities module for proactive maintenance application

• US 6,845,148 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beamon, Elizabeth Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/728,195
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 379/9, 379/9.01, 379/9.02, 379/9.03, 379/9.04, 379/9.06, 379/14, 379/15.01, 379/15.02, 379/15.03, 379/32.01, 379/32.02, 379/32.04, 379/201.12, 379/201.03, 379/27.01
• US Class Current: 379/9.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/051 technician dispatch system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2254 in networks

Abstract

Methods and systems of managing proactive maintenance tasks for a telephone system local loop. One embodiment includes predicting local loop proactive maintenance tasks, storing local loop proactive maintenance tasks, and searching the tasks using at least one search criteria. The at least one search criteria could include at least one of Proactive Maintenance Application number, Trouble Ticket Number, area code, status, Wire Center, district, manager, and supervisor. The at least one search criteria could also include at least one of technician, date, address, description, technician narrative, disposition code, priority, intermediate status code, work code, authorization, cable, and line pair. The embodiment also permits sorting and editing the local loop proactive maintenance tasks. The tasks may be sorted using at least one sort criteria The at least one sort criteria could include at least one of Proactive Maintenance Application number, Trouble Ticket Number, area code, status, Wire Center, district, manager, and supervisor. The at least one sort criteria could also include at least one of technician, date, address, priority, status code, work code, and authorization. The embodiment may further edit the local loop proactive maintenance tasks using at least one edit criteria, the edit criteria including at least one of wire center, district, priority, date, work code, manager, supervisor, technician, maintenance center, authorization, address, and work description.

Claims

1. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks for a telephone system local loop, the method comprising:

storing local loop proactive maintenance tasks;

searching the tasks using at least one search criteria;

permitting deletion of proactive maintenance tasks if said proactive maintenance task has not been sent to a technician dispatch module which dispatches proactive maintenance tasks to technicians;

permitting exclusion of proactive maintenance tasks if said proactive maintenance task has been sent to said technician dispatch module.

2. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 1, further comprising predicting local loop proactive maintenance tasks.

3. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 1, wherein the at least one search criteria includes at least one of Proactive Maintenance Application number, Trouble Ticket Number, area code, status, Wire Center, district, manager, and supervisor.

4. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 1, wherein the at least one search criteria includes at least one of technician date, address, description, technician narrative, disposition code, priority, intermediate status code, work code, authorization, cable, and line pair.

5. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 1, further comprising sorting the tasks using at least one sort criteria.

6. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 5, wherein the sort criteria includes at least one of Proactive Maintenance Application number, Trouble Ticket Number, area code, status, Wire Center, district, manager, and supervisor.

7. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 5, wherein the sort criteria includes at least one or technician, date, address, priority, status code, work code, and authorization.

8. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 1, further comprising editing the local loop proactive maintenance tasks using at least one edit criteria, the edit criteria including at least one of wire center, district, priority, date, work code, manager, supervisor, technician, maintenance center, authorization, address, and work description.

9. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 1, further comprising acquiring cable and line pair information associated with the local loop proactive maintenance tasks.

10. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 1, further comprising generating work order information describing the local loop proactive maintenance tasks.

11. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 1, further comprising dispatching the local loop proactive maintenance tasks.

12. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 1, further comprising adding additional local loop proactive maintenance tasks to the stored tasks.

13. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 1, further comprising communicating with a communications network and acquiring information associated with a loop Maintenance Operating System.

14. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 1, further comprising searching pending proactive maintenance tasks.

15. A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks according to claim 1, further comprising generating summary reports describing the tasks.

16. A system configured for predicting proactive maintenance of a telephone system local loop, the system comprising:

at least one of a Dynamic Network Analyzer module and a Loop Facilities and Control System module, the Dynamic Network Analyzer module communicating with a communications network and acquiring information associated with a Dynamic Network Analyzer, the Loop Facilities and Control System module communicating with the communications network and acquiring information associated with a Loop Facilities and Control System;

a database stored in memory, the database storing the acquired information;

a processor capable of processing information stored in the database and of generating predicted proactive maintenance; and

a Utilities module for managing the predicted proactive maintenance, said managing including;

storing local loop proactive maintenance tasks;

searching the tasks using at least one search criteria;

permitting deletion of proactive maintenance tasks if said proactive maintenance task has not been sent to a technician dispatch module which dispatches proactive maintenance tasks to technicians;

permitting exclusion of proactive maintenance tasks if said proactive maintenance task has been sent to said technician dispatch module.

17. A computer program product for proactively maintaining a telephone system;

comprising;

a computer-readable medium; and

a Utilities module stored on the medium, the Utilities module managing local loop proactive maintenance tasks, said managing including;

storing local loop proactive maintenance tasks;

searching the tasks using at least one search criteria;

permitting deletion of proactive maintenance tasks if said proactive maintenance task has not been sent to a technician dispatch module which dispatches proactive maintenance tasks to technicians;

permitting exclusion of proactive maintenance tasks if said proactive maintenance task has been sent to said technician dispatch module.