Interactive, menu-driven interface to database

• US 7,246,327 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Iyer, Gopal N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLAND, SARA M
• Application Number:
  US09/925,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20030030676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,168 Days
• Field of Search: 345/810, 345/968, 707/10, 715/810, 715/968, 715/815, 715/780, 709/217, 709/225, 709/229
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90 Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

An interactive, menu-driven interface to a cellular site information database is disclosed. The user may enter a form name such as channel, cell, trkgrp, trkmem, etc. into a form selection screen. The user may enter the operation desired to be performed on the form such as review, delete, insert, update, etc. to choose which form to view. After the user has entered the form name and the operation desired into the interface, the entered form is displayed to the user. A query, such as a SQL query, is issued to populate the fields of the form displayed on the interface with data from the database. The user may select one or more of the fields in the form and make revisions, addition, edits, etc. The user may then select the action command such as insert, review, update or delete. Commands, such as SQL commands, are generated to perform the action desired by the user on the database.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing an interactive, menu-driven interface to a cellular site information database comprising cell site data, the method comprising:

receiving a form name input corresponding to a type of cell site data stored in the cellular site information database associated with a plurality of forms, wherein the plurality of forms include a plurality of fields and wherein the form name input is chosen from one of the following;

a control channel, cell, trunk group and trunk member, wherein the control channel carries a control signal including a cellular transmission frequency;

in response to receiving the form name input, displaying on a display device one of the plurality of forms on which the type of cell site data corresponding to the received form name input is stored, wherein the plurality of fields of the displayed one of the plurality of forms are blank;

after displaying the one of the plurality of forms on which the type of cell site data corresponding to the received form name input is stored, receiving a value in one of the plurality of blank fields, wherein the value corresponds to a cellular site;

generating a plurality of queries to retrieve the type of cell site data corresponding to the form name input for the cellular site corresponding to the received value from the cellular site information database;

sending the plurality of queries to the cellular site information database;

receiving the type of cell site data corresponding to the form name input for the cellular site corresponding to the received value from the cellular site information database;

displaying the type of cell site data corresponding to the form name input for the cellular site corresponding to the received value from the cellular site information database in the plurality of blank fields of the displayed one of the plurality of forms;

receiving user input editing the data in at least one of the plurality of fields;

generating commands corresponding to the user input to edit the data; and

sending the commands to the cellular site information database to edit the data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the value corresponding to the cellular site is input by a user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the cellular site information database is database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of queries are SQL queries.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of queries are a plurality of line commands that are executed by a command handler application which interfaces with the cellular site information database.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the command handler application is operated in conjunction with a cellular site operating system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the cell site operating system is an Operation &

Support System (OSS).

8. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, are operable to perform the steps of claim 1.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the commands are SQL commands.

10. A cellular site information database system, comprising:

a database for maintaining a plurality of forms related to a cellular site, wherein the plurality of forms include a plurality of fields;

a cellular processor connected to the database for accessing the plurality of forms stored in the database; and

an update application program module in communication with the cellular processor, wherein the update application program module is operative to

receive a form name input, wherein the form name input corresponds to a type of data stored in the cellular site information database associated with a plurality of forms, and wherein the form name input is chosen from one of the following;

a control channel, cell, trunk group and trunk member, wherein the control channel carries a control signal including a cellular transmission frequency;

in response to receiving the form name input, display on a display device one of the plurality of forms on which the type of data corresponding to the received form name input is stored, wherein the plurality of fields of the displayed one of the plurality of forms are blank;

after displaying the one of the plurality of forms on which the type of data corresponding to the received form name input is stored, receive a value in one of the plurality of blank fields, wherein the value corresponds to the cellular site;

generate a plurality of queries to retrieve the type of data corresponding to the form name input for the cellular site corresponding to the received value from the cellular site information database; and

display the type of data corresponding to the form name input for the cellular site corresponding to the received value from the cellular site information database in the plurality of blank fields of the displayed one of the plurality of forms.

11. The cellular site information database system of claim 10, wherein the update application program module is further operative to transmit commands to the cellular processor.

12. The cellular site information database system of claim 11, wherein the commands are SQL commands.

13. The cellular site information database system of claim 12, wherein the SQL commands comprise an update command.

14. The cellular site information database system of claim 12, wherein the SQL commands comprise a review command.

15. The cellular site information database system of claim 12, wherein the SQL commands comprise an insert command.

16. The cellular site information database system of claim 12, wherein the SQL commands comprise a delete command.

17. A method for editing a cellular site information database, comprising:

receiving a form name input corresponding to a type of data stored in the cellular site information database associated with a plurality of forms, wherein the plurality of forms include a plurality of fields and wherein the form name input is chosen from one of the following;

a control channel, cell, trunk group and trunk member, wherein the control channel carries a control signal including a cellular transmission frequency;

in response to receiving the form name input, displaying on a display device one of the plurality of forms on which the type of data corresponding to the received form name input is stored, wherein the plurality of fields of the displayed one of the plurality of forms are blank;

after displaying the one of the plurality of forms on which the type of data corresponding to the received form name input is stored, receiving a value in one of the plurality of blank fields, wherein the value corresponds to a cellular site;

generating a plurality of queries to retrieve the type of data corresponding to the form name input for the cellular site corresponding to the received value from the cellular site information database;

receiving the type of data corresponding to the form name input for the cellular site corresponding to the received value from the cellular site information database;

displaying the type data corresponding to the form name input for the cellular site corresponding to the received value from the cellular site information database in the plurality of blank fields of the displayed one of the plurality of forms;

receiving an edited value for at least one of the plurality of fields of the displayed one of the plurality of forms;

receiving a selection of an action command, wherein the action command corresponds to an operation to be performed on the displayed one of the plurality of forms;

generating a plurality of editing commands corresponding to the selected action command to edit the at least one of the plurality of fields; and

transmitting the plurality of editing commands to the cellular site information database.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of editing commands are SQL commands.