Digital loop carrier module for proactive maintenance application

• US 7,333,593 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beamon, Elizabeth Ann, Hunnicutt, Kenneth F.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US11/438,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20060233315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 379 902- 904, 379/1.01, 379/9, 379/10.01, 379/1.03, 379/14.01, 379/25, 379/26.01, 379 2701- 2704, 379 2908- 2909, 379/32.02
• US Class Current: 379/27.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/22 Arrangements for supervision, monitoring or testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2263 Network management

Abstract

Methods and systems for proactively maintaining Digital Loop Carriers and a telephone system local loop. One embodiment for proactively maintaining a Digital Loop Carrier in a telephone system local loop includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring status information associated with the Digital Loop Carrier. Proactive maintenance is predicted based upon the status information. The status information may be weighted. The status information may also be combined with information from a Dynamic Network Analyzer and information from a Loop Facilities and Control System. The embodiment may also generate and dispatch work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance. A further embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring at least one of customer information associated with copper line pairs, service information associated with copper line pairs, and status information associated with a Digital Loop Carrier. The acquired information is stored and combined. Proactive maintenance of the telephone system local loop is predicted based upon the combined information.

Claims

1. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop, the method comprising:

communicating with a communications network and acquiring status information associated with a Digital Loop Carrier; and

predicting proactive maintenance based upon the status information;

wherein acquiring status information includes acquiring equipment durability information and customer marketing information; and

wherein;

the equipment durability information comprises at least one of durability test results, wear indicators, gauge data, performance data, model shop errors, dimensions, tolerances, material specifications, manufacturing process data, shift production data, statistical process control data, warranty information, service tooling information, parts availability, or failure data; and

the customer information comprises at least one of purchasing preferences, marketing data, one or more suggestions for improvement received from customers, or demographic data.

2. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising weighting the status information and predicting proactive maintenance of the local loop based upon the weighted status information.

3. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising combining the status information with information from a Dynamic Network Analyzer.

4. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising combining the status information with information from a Loop Facilities and Control System.

5. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising generating work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance.

6. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 5, further comprising dispatching the work order information.

7. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising interfacing with a technician dispatch system to dispatch work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance.

8. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising updating the Digital Loop Carrier with completed service order information.

9. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising interfacing with a TELCORDIA Tech Access System to dispatch work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance.

10. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising interfacing with a Loop Maintenance Operating System to dispatch work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance.

11. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising acquiring work order information from a Loop Maintenance Operating System.

12. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop, the method comprising:

communicating with a communications network and acquiring status information comprising equipment durability information and customer marketing information;

storing the acquired status information;

combining the stored status information;

predicting proactive maintenance based upon the combined information;

wherein the equipment durability information comprises at least one of durability test results, wear indicators, gauge data, performance data, model shop errors, dimensions, tolerances, material specifications, manufacturing process data, shift production data, statistical process control data, warranty information, service tooling information, parts availability, or failure data; and

wherein the customer information comprises at least one of purchasing preferences, marketing data, one or more suggestions for improvement received from customers, or demographic data.

13. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 12, wherein the step of combining the stored information further includes weighting the stored information.

14. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 12, further comprising generating work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance.

15. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 12, further comprising dispatching work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance.

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

a Dynamic Network Analyzer module communicating with a communications network and acquiring Dynamic Network Analyzer information;

a Loop Facilities and Control System module communicating with the communications network and acquiring Loop Facilities and Control System information;

a Digital Loop Carrier module communicating with the communications network and acquiring Digital Loop Carrier information;

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

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

wherein the acquired information includes equipment durability information and customer marketing information;

wherein the equipment durability information comprises at least one of durability test results, wear indicators, gauge data, performance data, model shop errors, dimensions, tolerances, material specifications, manufacturing process data, shift production data, statistical process control data, warranty information, service tooling information, parts availability, or failure data; and

wherein the customer information comprises at least one of purchasing preferences, marketing data, one or more suggestions for improvement received from customers, or demographic data.

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

comprising;

a computer-readable medium; and

a Digital Loop Carrier module stored on the medium, the Digital Loop Carrier Module coupled to a Digital Loop Carrier over a communications network, the Digital Loop Carrier module acquiring equipment durability information and customer marketing information;

wherein the equipment durability information comprises at least one of durability test results, wear indicators, gauge data, performance data, model shop errors, dimensions, tolerances, material specifications, manufacturing process data, shift production data, statistical process control data, warranty information, service tooling information, parts availability, or failure data; and

wherein the customer information comprises at least one of purchasing preferences, marketing data, one or more suggestions for improvement received from customers, or demographic data.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising a Dynamic Network Analyzer module stored on the medium, the Dynamic Network Analyzer module coupled to a Dynamic Network Analyzer over a communications network, the Dynamic Network Analyzer module acquiring equipment durability information and customer marketing information.

19. A computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising a Loop Facilities and Control System module stored on the medium, the Loop Facilities and Control System module coupled to a Loop Facilities and Control System over a communications network, the Loop Facilities and Control System module acquiring equipment durability information and customer marketing information.