Telecommunications virtual simulator

• US 6,976,846 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2002
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Dupont, Anne, Koldyke, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US10/142,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20030215779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/219, 434/224, 434/236, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/365, 345/8, 345/156, 345/168, 345/419, 345/420, 345/805, 345/854, 348/39, 700/182, 702/150, 703/1, 703/6, 382/128, 318/568.17
• US Class Current: 434/219
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

A method and system for simulation training of one or more persons in the installation and/or repair of telecommunications equipment. The method includes presenting a plurality of scenarios associated with the installation and/or repair of telecommunications equipment to a user viewing a display, providing predetermined desired user inputs responsive to the presented plurality of scenarios, and providing a user input device for the user to transmit user inputs to the computer for responding to the plurality of scenarios. The user inputs represent actions by a user controllable virtual person representing the user to perform a series of simulated person interactions and simulated physical tasks associated with telecommunications equipment installation. The user inputs responsive to the plurality of scenarios are received and stored. The user inputs responsive to the plurality of scenarios are compared with the desired user inputs, and subsequent possible simulated person interactions and simulated physical tasks presented to the user are partially dependent on the previous user inputs.

Claims

1. A method for training a user in administering telecommunications equipment, the method comprising:

presenting a first scenario associated with the administering of the telecommunications equipment to the user by a computer, wherein said first scenario comprises a virtual simulation of a user, a virtual simulation of the telecommunications equipment, and a virtual simulation of interaction of the user with the telecommunications equipment, and wherein the scenario further comprises a desired action;

accepting and storing a user input submitted in response to the first scenario by said computer, wherein the user input represents a proposed action by the user to the first scenario;

comparing the user input responsive to the first scenario with the desired action by said computer; and

presenting a second scenario representing a predicted change to the first scenario from the user input by said computer, so as to provide training to the user in administering telecommunications equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scenario reflects an area of of training predetermined as integral to the administration of the telecommunications equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the scenario comprises:

a first plurality of images associated with a telecommunications technician'"'"'s work location;

a second plurality of images associated with an inside terminal room at a customer building; and

a third plurality of images associated with a communications equipment room at a customer building.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising a fourth plurality of images associated with a customer lobby at the customer building.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer displaying a video file responsive to the user input following the comparing the user input responsive to the scenario with the desired action.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer playing an audio file and displaying associated text to the user responsive to user input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input comprises textual information responsive to the scenario.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input comprises movement data directing a movement of the virtual simulation of user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input comprises location data controlling a location of the virtual simulation of user within a scenario.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of the computer evaluating user performance, wherein the evaluating step comprises comparing the user input with the desired action.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of computer presenting the first scenario comprises displaying a first area displaying a scenario and a second area displaying a textual interface box, wherein the textual interface box displays text, wherein said text is entered by the user, associated with a communication from the virtual simulation of user in a scenario, or responsive to user questions.

12. A computerized method for providing simulation training of a user in administering telecommunications equipment, the method comprising:

providing a computer readable storage medium encoded with computer executable code for executing in a computer that corresponds to a plurality of scenarios associated with the administering of telecommunications equipment, wherein each scenario comprises computer code to represent a plurality of images to the users, said images comprising a virtual simulation of the user, a virtual simulation of the telecommunications equipment, and a virtual simulation of interaction of the user with the telecommunications equipment, and wherein said images reflect a prior user input;

wherein each scenario includes computer code that accepts responsive user inputs to the plurality of images and compares the responsive user inputs with predetermined desired user inputs, and wherein each scenario further comprises computer code for comparing the responsive user inputs with the desired user inputs and presenting image representing a predicted change to the image from the user input, so as to provide simulation training to the user in administering telecommunications equipment.

13. A computer system for simulation training of a user in the administration of telecommunications equipment comprising:

a memory means for storing a plurality images associated with the simulated administration of telecommunications equipment;

a display means for displaying to the user a plurality of scenarios associated with simulated administration of telecommunications equipment, the scenarios comprises a virtual simulation of a user, a virtual simulation of the telecommunications equipment, and a virtual simulation of interaction of the user with the telecommunications equipment;

an input means for accepting user inputs in response to the plurality of scenarios, wherein the user inputs comprise directions for actions by the virtual simulation of user to the virtual simulation of the telecommunications equipment, and action representing the performing of a series of interactions and physical tasks associated with telecommunications equipment administration;

a processor means for comparing the user inputs with the desired user inputs, wherein subsequent possible simulated interactions and simulated physical tasks presented to the user are partially dependent on the user inputs, so as to provide simulation training to the user in the administration of telecommunications equipment.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the display means and input means are remote from the memory means and processor means.

15. A computer readable storage medium for executing in a computer to provide simulation training to a user in administration of telecommunications equipment comprising:

computer readable code for executing in a computer that corresponds to a plurality of scenarios associated with the administration of telecommunications equipment, wherein each scenario includes computer code to represent a plurality of images to the use, the images comprising a virtual simulation of a user, a virtual simulation of the telecommunications equipment, and a virtual simulation of interaction of the user with the telecommunications equipment, and wherein each scenario includes computer code that can receive responsive user inputs to the plurality of images and compares the responsive user input with predetermined desired user inputs, and computer code for updating the scenario to reflect a predicted changes to the scenarios from the user inputs, so as to provide simulation training to the user in administration telecommunications equipment.