Method and system for providing service request notifications related to a communications network

• US 7,336,639 B1
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lowe, John A., Dwekat, Zyad Ahmad, Cheema, Farooq Ijaz, Fries, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez-Gutierrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arevalo; Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/041,467
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 705/45, 705/35, 370/352, 370/389, 370/392, 379/88.11, 379/88.09, 379/114.15, 379/88.22, 379/11, 379/111, 709/236, 709/219, 717/126
• US Class Current: 370/340
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2263 Network management

Abstract

A trunk-group request tool automates the process of manually receiving and analyzing trunk-group circuits pertaining to switch circuits located within a switch facility of a communications network. An embodiment of the computer-implemented method includes receiving a switch or vendor identifier from a data structure, presenting records of information of one or more trunk groups associated with the identifier(s), receiving one or more trunk-group attributes from one or more entry fields, populating a data structure by aggregating one or more records of information of a data structure of the switch and vendor identifier with one or more trunk-group attributes, providing an input field for receiving additional data to supplement one or more records of information or one or more trunk-group attributes, and presenting a report adhering to a predefined format using the information of the data structure.

Claims

1. A method for automatically generating service requests associated with trunk groups between one or more owners, the method comprising:

receiving a switch identifier,

receiving an indication of a desired vendor associated with said switch identifier;

retrieving one or more records of information related to said desired vendor;

populating one or more records of a data structure with said one or more records of information and with one or more trunk-group attributes associated with said trunk groups;

providing an input field for receiving additional data to supplement said one or more records of information or said one or more trunk-group attributes; and

presenting a report adhering to a predefined format using the information of said data structure associated with said one or more trunk groups of said desired vendor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more owners includes a selection from the following:

a telecommunications carrier, a data-packet carrier, a wireless-communications carrier, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said switch identifier includes one or more of the following:

a number, a name, a code, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving one or more records of information further comprises:

receiving said information from a database;

populating said information within one or more records of a table; and

presenting said table on a display device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said one or more records of information includes at least one selection from the group comprising:

an administrative section, a trunk-group detail section, a contact-information section, a remarks section, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said report includes at least one selection from the group comprising:

a document, a table, an image, an electronic slide presentation, or a combination thereof.

7. A method for automating a service-request notification between one or more entities sharing a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving a switch identifier, wherein said switch identifier is associated with one or more trunk groups;

receiving a trunk-group identifier associated with said switch identifier;

presenting one or more records of information relating to said switch identifier and said trunk-group identifier;

receiving one or more trunk-group attributes from one or more data-entry fields;

populating a data structure by aggregating said one or more data records of information with said one or more trunk-group attributes;

providing an input field for receiving additional data to supplement said one or more records of information or said one or more trunk-group attributes; and

presenting a report adhering to a predefined format using the information from said data structure.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said switch identifier includes a name, number, or combination thereof for at least one of the following:

a telecommunications switch, a data switch, a communications-connection facility, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said one or more trunk groups are identifiable communication interconnections with other competitive or local exchange carriers, wireless communications carriers, data-communications carriers, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said trunk-group identifier is an interconnected trunk group within said communications network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said one or more records of information includes at least one selection from the following:

an administrative section, a trunk-group detail section, a contact-information section, a remarks section, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein providing an input field for receiving additional data to supplement said one or more records of information or said one or more trunk-group attributes, further comprises:

adding data records to said data structure;

inputting information into said data structure; and

modifying one or more fields or records in said data structure.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said report includes at least on of the following:

a document, a table, an image, an electronically displayed image, or a combination thereof.

14. A method of automatically generating a trunk-group service request to expedite communication with one or more recipients, the method comprising:

receiving a switch identifier,

receiving a vendor identifier associated with said switch identifier;

presenting one or more records of information of one or more trunk groups associated with said switch identifier and said vendor identifier;

receiving one or more trunk-group attributes from one or more data-entry fields;

populating a data structure by aggregating said one or more records of information related to said switch identifier and said vendor identifier with said one or more trunk-group attributes;

providing an input field for receiving additional data to supplement said one or more records of information or said one or more trunk-group attributes; and

presenting a report adhering to a predefined format using the information of said data structure.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said switch identifier includes a name, number, or combination thereof for at least one of the following:

a telecommunications switch, a data switch, a communications-connection facility, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said vendor identifier is an interconnected trunk-group party.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein presenting said one or more records of information further comprises:

receiving said information from a database;

populating said information within one or more records of a table; and

presenting said table on a display device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said one or more records of information includes at least one selection from the following:

an administrative section, a trunk-group detail section, a contact-information section, a remarks section, or a combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said one or more trunk groups are identifiable communication interconnections with other competitive or local-exchange carriers, wireless-communications carriers, data-communications carriers, or a combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said data structure includes at least one of the following:

a database, a spreadsheet, or a document.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein providing an input field for receiving additional data to supplement said one or more records of information or said one or more trunk-group attributes, further comprises:

adding data records to said data structure;

inputting information into said data structure; and

modifying one or more fields or records in said data structure.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said report includes at least one selection form the group comprising:

a document, a table, an image, an electronically displayed image, or a combination thereof.