Cell site maintenance scheduler

• US 7,395,053 B1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Metters, Dahl Brougham, Yu, Xinhua, Watson, Vincent Perry, Mak, Tin Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US11/145,435
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 707/102, 707/202
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/22 Arrangements for supervision, monitoring or testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

A cell site maintenance scheduling and monitoring system is accessible by a maintenance user and a control center user via a public telephone network and via a private computer network. A scheduling database stores event records, wherein each event record includes a switch name, a cell site number, and an event time. An activity processor is coupled to the scheduling database for managing the scheduling database and for generating a web page displaying the event records. An IVR unit is coupled to the activity processor and coupled to the public telephone network for communicating with the maintenance user, wherein the IVR unit is responsive to the maintenance user during respective telephone calls for directing the activity processor to create a new event record and for directing the activity processor to mark existing event records as closed. The IVR unit collects the switch name, the cell site number, and the event time from the maintenance user for creating the new event record. A web server is coupled to the activity processor and the private computer network for serving the web page to the control center user.

Claims

1. A cell site maintenance scheduling and monitoring system accessible by a maintenance user and a control center user via a public telephone network and via a private computer network comprising:

a scheduling database storing event records and via a private computer network each event record including a switch name, a cell site number, and an event time;

an activity processor coupled to said scheduling database for managing said scheduling database and for generating a web page displaying said event records;

an IVR (Intelligent voice response) unit coupled to said activity processor and coupled to said public telephone network for communicating with said maintenance user, wherein said IVR unit is responsive to said maintenance user during respective telephone calls for directing said activity processor to create a new event record and for directing said activity processor to mark existing event records as closed, said IVR unit collecting said switch name, said cell site number, and said event time from said maintenance user for creating said new event record; and

a web server coupled to said activity processor and said private computer network for serving said web page to said control center user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said IVR unit collects said switch name and said cell site number when said maintenance user is marking an existing event record as closed.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said event time comprises a start date, a start time, an end data, and an end time.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said event records further includes a contact telephone number of a respective maintenance user.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said event records further includes a power alarm flag.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said web page generated by said activity processor displays said event records alphabetically by said switch name.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said web page generated by said activity processor displays said event records grouped according to a plurality of status categories.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said status categories include overdue, open, future, and closed.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said status categories include a first closed category including event records that have been closed for less than a predetermined period of time and a second closed category including event records that have been closed for more than said predetermined period of time.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said web page includes a link for directing said activity processor to mark selected existing event records as closed.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said web page includes a link to an event creation page by which a new event record is created.

12. A method of scheduling and monitoring cell site maintenance using a system accessible by a maintenance user and a control center user via a public telephone network and a private computer network, said control center user monitoring a cellular network including a plurality of switches and a plurality of cell sites coupled to said switches, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a database of event records for cell site maintenance, each event record including a switch name, a cell site number, and an event time;

said maintenance user generating a respective event record for storing in said database in response to a telephone call to an IVR unit (Intelligent voice response) coupled to said database, said respective event record having a respective switch name, a respective cell site number, and a respective event time corresponding to a planned service visit;

generating a web page for displaying said event records to said control center user;

said control center user receiving alarm messages from said switches indicative of malfunctions at said cell sites;

said control center user viewing said web page in response to an alarm message to identify an event record corresponding to a cell site identified in said alarm message;

said maintenance user performing said service visit; and

said maintenance user accessing said database to mark said respective event record as closed.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said maintenance user establishes a second telephone call to said IVR unit to access said database when marking said respective event record as closed.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

generating a second web page accessible by said maintenance user over said private computer network for generating a further event record corresponding to a further planned service visit at one of said cell sites.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of generating a web page is comprised of:

ordering said event records alphabetically by said switch name.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of generating a web page is comprised of:

grouping said event records according to a plurality of status categories.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said status categories include overdue, open, future, and closed.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of generating a web page further comprises:

ordering said event records within each category alphabetically by said switch name.