Method and system for monitoring air pressure in a telecommunications network

• US 6,965,318 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Steven W., Rozier, Ron L., Ashcraft, Philip B.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/842,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20040222895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 340/611, 340/825.21, 340/853.2, 340/853.3, 731/525.2, 731/525.1, 379 37- 42, 379/106.01, 379/106.02, 702/47, 702/50
• US Class Current: 340/611
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/28 structurally associated with devices for indicating the presence or location of non-electric faults

Abstract

A system for monitoring air pressure in a telecommunications network comprises a plurality of monitoring units, at least one device server, a computer network, and a terminal. Each monitoring unit is connected to a device server. A user at the terminal receives air pressure data from the monitoring units over the computer network.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring air pressure in a telecommunications network, comprising:

a device server in communication with a terminal, the device server receiving a request from the terminal to select a monitoring unit to retrieve real-time air pressure data associated with the selected monitoring unit and, in response to the request, the device server retrieving the real-time air pressure data from the selected monitoring unit and communicating the real-time air pressure data to the terminal.

2. The system of claim 1, the device server further communicating the real-time air pressure data from a selected monitoring unit to at least one other terminal.

3. The system of claim 1, the device server comprising at least one of a multiprotocol server and a multi-port device server.

4. The system of claim 1, the device server communicating the real-time air pressure data from the selected monitoring unit to the terminal via a computer network.

5. The system of claim 1, the device server further communicating the real-time air pressure data from at least two selected monitoring units to the terminal.

6. A system for monitoring air pressure in a telecommunications network, comprising:

a plurality of monitoring units;

a plurality of device servers;

a computer network, the plurality of device servers communicating with the computer network; and

a terminal in communication with at least one of the plurality of device servers, the terminal communicating a signal to select a monitoring unit from the plurality of monitoring units to retrieve real-time air pressure data associated with the selected monitoring unit,

wherein each of the plurality of monitoring units communicates with at least one of the device servers, and wherein the terminal receives the real-time air pressure data over the computer network.

7. The system of claim 6, the plurality of monitoring units measuring air pressure in telephone cables.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of monitoring unit comprises a first port connecting the monitoring unit to the computer network and a second port allowing a remote terminal to access the monitoring unit.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of monitoring units has a unique internet protocol address.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of device servers comprises a multiprotocol server.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of device servers is dedicated to a single monitoring unit.

12. The system of claim 6, the terminal comprising at least one of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, and a wireless communication device.

13. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a printer, the printer communicating with at least one of the terminal and the computer network.

14. A method for monitoring air pressure in a telecommunications network, comprising:

accessing a computer network having at least one device server;

receiving a request from a terminal to select an air pressure monitoring unit, the selected air pressure monitoring unit selected from a plurality of air pressure monitoring units in the telecommunications network;

querying the selected air pressure monitoring unit for the real time air pressure data;

retrieving the real time air pressure data from the selected air pressure monitoring unit; and

communicating the real time air pressure data from the selected air pressure monitoring unit over the computer network to the terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising communicating the real-time air pressure data from the selected air pressure monitoring unit to at least one other terminal.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising communicating the real-time air pressure data from at least two selected monitoring units to the terminal.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

printing the real time air pressure data to a printer.

18. A storage medium on which is encoded instructions for monitoring air pressure in a telecommunications network, including instructions for performing the steps of:

accessing a computer network having at least one device server;

receiving a request from a terminal to select an air pressure monitoring unit, the air pressure monitoring unit selected from a plurality of air pressure monitoring units in the telecommunications network;

querying the selected air pressure monitoring unit for the real time air pressure data;

retrieving the real time air pressure data from the selected air pressure monitoring unit; and

communicating the real time air pressure data from the selected air pressure monitoring unit over the computer network to the terminal.

19. The storage medium of claim 18, the instructions further including instructions for performing the step of communicating the real-time air pressure data from the selected air pressure monitoring unit to at least one other terminal.

20. The storage medium of claim 18, the instructions further including instructions for performing the step of communicating the real-time air pressure data from at least two selected monitoring units to the terminal.