Negative feedback loop for defect management of plant protection ticket screening

• US 7,626,496 B1
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Asher, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US11/653,613
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 340/531, 340/538, 340/539.13, 340/995.1, 340/286.01, 340/286.02, 340/286.14, 702/5, 702/6, 707/1, 707/3, 707/10, 709/223, 715/734, 715/853
• US Class Current: 340/531
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 2200/20 Identification of installed cables
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 9/02 laid directly in or on the ground, river-bed or sea-bottom; Coverings therefor, e.g. tile
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

This is a method for use in automated screening of tickets for plant protection based on negative feedback from past performance. In particular this invention provides an automated screening process that takes a dig ticket address from a ticket request and correlates it to known cable locations to determine which ticket dig addresses are too close to the buried fiber. This is done using a method that balances the risk of extra labor charges due to a Type I error with the risk of costs associated with a cable cut due to a Type II error.

Claims

1. A method for screening dig request alerts in an underground plant protection system, to identify involved dig requests, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting, by an automated computer, historical error data containing dig request screening, by an automated computer, errors and containing geographical locations of those errors;

receiving, by an automated computer, a dig request alert containing location information of a planned excavation;

determining, by an automated computer, a bounded zone containing locations satisfying the location information;

scaling, by an automated computer, the bounded zone based on the historical error data that contains geographical locations in a same geographical region as the dig request location information; and

if the scaled bounded zone overlaps an underground plant buffer zone, then identifying, by an automated computer, the dig alert as involved.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of collecting historical error data further comprises:

associating each screening error with one of a plurality of geographical regions; and

incrementing a counter associated with the one geographical region.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the geographical regions are delineated by a rectangular grid.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of collecting historical error data further comprises:

determining whether each screening error is a Type I error or a Type II error; and

wherein the counter is further associated with the determined error type.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of scaling the bounded zone further comprises using predetermined weighting coefficients to assign relative weights to counter values for Type I and Type II errors.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of scaling the bounded zone further comprises:

determining a scaling factor

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of scaling the bounded zone further comprises using predetermined thresholds to assign minimum values for Type I and Type II error counts below which such errors are not considered.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of scaling the bounded zone further comprises:

determining a scaling factor

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining from the location information a bounded zone in which the planned excavation lies, further comprises:

converting the location information into a point having geographical coordinates; and

constructing a box surrounding the point, the box containing possible locations of the point that satisfy the location information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the dig alert as involved, further comprises:

generating an alarm identifying the dig request alert.

11. A computer-usable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method for screening dig request alerts in an underground plant protection system, to identify involved dig requests, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting, by said computer-usable medium, historical error data containing dig request screening, by said computer-usable medium, errors and containing geographical locations of those errors;

receiving, by said computer-usable medium, a dig request alert containing location information of a planned excavation;

determining, by said computer-usable medium, a bounded zone containing locations satisfying the location information;

scaling, by said computer-usable medium, the bounded zone based on the historical error data that contains geographical locations in a same geographical region as the dig request location information; and

if the scaled bounded zone overlaps an underground plant buffer zone, then identifying, by said computer-usable medium, the dig alert as involved.

12. The computer-usable medium of claim 11, wherein the step of collecting historical error data further comprises:

associating each screening error with one of a plurality of geographical regions; and

incrementing a counter associated with the one geographical region.

13. The computer-usable medium of claim 12, wherein the geographical regions are delineated by a rectangular grid.

14. The computer-usable medium of claim 12, wherein the step of collecting historical error data further comprises:

determining whether each screening error is a Type I error or a Type II error; and

wherein the counter is further associated with the determined error type.

15. The computer-usable medium of claim 14, wherein the step of scaling the bounded zone further comprises using predetermined weighting coefficients to assign relative weights to counter values for Type I and Type II errors.

16. The computer-usable medium of claim 14, wherein the step of scaling the bounded zone further comprises:

determining a scaling factor

17. The computer-usable medium of claim 14, wherein the step of scaling the bounded zone further comprises using predetermined thresholds to assign minimum values for Type I and Type II error counts below which such errors are not considered.

18. The computer-usable medium of claim 14, wherein the step of scaling the bounded zone further comprises:

determining a scaling factor

19. The computer-usable medium of claim 11, wherein the step of determining from the location information a bounded zone in which the planned excavation lies, further comprises:

converting the location information into a point having geographical coordinates; and

constructing a box surrounding the point, the box containing possible locations of the point that satisfy the location information.

20. The computer-usable medium of claim 11, wherein the step of identifying the dig alert as involved, further comprises:

generating an alarm identifying the dig request alert.