Methods and systems for determining a telecommunications service location using global satellite positioning

• US 7,647,172 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2007
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sylvester, Jeffery A., Hamrick, Marvin R., Willis, Jr., Robert H., Davis, Mitchell E., Morton, Jr., Roland T., Smith, Steven G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanglaud, Gertrude Arthur
• Application Number:
  US11/935,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20080195317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/207, 701/213, 701/214, 701/208, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0252 Radio frequency fingerprinting

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for obtaining information related to a customer service location and directions for routing a service technician from one customer service location to another. One embodiment includes requesting at least one set of coordinates associated with the customer service location; accessing a technician server to direct a global satellite positioning system to obtain the set of coordinates for the customer service location; obtaining the coordinates and updating one or more databases with said coordinates. The coordinates may include at least one of a latitude and a longitude associated with the customer service location. Another embodiment includes obtaining through a technician server at least one set of “from” coordinates associated with the first customer service location and at least one set of “to” coordinates associated with the second customer location; transmitting the “from” and “to” coordinates to a mapping system; and, generating directions in the mapping system based on the “to” and “from” coordinates. At least one of the sets of coordinates includes latitude and longitude data. System and computer-readable media embodiments of these methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for generating travel directions for a technician traveling from a first location to at least a second location, the method comprising:

accessing a server for directing a global satellite positioning system to obtain at least one set of “

from”

coordinates associated with the first location;

accessing the server for directing the global satellite positioning system to obtain at least one set of “

to”

coordinates associate with the second location;

transmitting the at least one set of “

from” and

the at least one set of “

to”

coordinates to a mapping unit;

generating travel directions in the mapping unit based on the at least one set of “

to”

coordinates and the at least one set of “

from”

coordinates; and

outputting the travel directions to the technician.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the sewer to obtain the at least one set of “

to”

coordinates comprises receiving a data transmission from an input device indicating a street address of the second location.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising accessing the mapping system, by the input device, remotely.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising tracking a location of the input device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one set of “

from” and

the at least one set of “

to”

coordinates are stored in at least one database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second location is a customer service location where a customer service is to be performed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing, by the server, an address guide.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

associating the at least one set of “

from”

coordinates with a valid street address; and

retrieving the valid street address from the address guide.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

associating the at least one set of “

to”

coordinates with a valid street address; and

retrieving the valid street address from the address guide.

10. A system for generating travel directions for a technician traveling from a first location to at least a second location, the system being configured to perform the steps comprising:

accessing a server for directing a global satellite positioning system to obtain a set of “

from”

coordinates associated with the first location;

accessing the server for directing the global satellite positioning system to obtain a set of “

to”

coordinates associate with the second location;

transmitting the set of “

from”

coordinates and the set of “

to”

coordinates to a mapping unit;

generating travel directions in the mapping unit based on the set of “

to”

coordinates and the set of “

from”

coordinates; and

outputting the travel directions to the technician.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is configured to access the server to obtain the set of “

from”

coordinates by receiving a data transmission from an input device operatively associated with the mapping system.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is configured to access the server to obtain the set of “

to”

coordinates by receiving a data transmission from an input device operatively associated with the mapping system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is further configured to track a location of the input device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is further configured to store the set of “

from”

coordinates and the set of “

to”

coordinates in a database.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is further configured to access an address guide.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the system is further configured to:

associate the set of “

from”

coordinates with a valid street address; and

retrieve the valid street address from the address guide.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the system is further configured to:

associate the set of “

to”

coordinates with a valid street address; and

retrieve the valid street address from the address guide.

18. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for generating travel directions for a technician traveling from a first location to at least a second location, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

accessing a server for directing a global satellite positioning system to obtain at least one set of “

from”

coordinates associated with the first location;

accessing the server for directing the global satellite positioning system to obtain at least one set of “

to”

coordinates associate with the second location;

transmitting the at least one set of “

from”

coordinates and the at least one set of “

to”

coordinates to a mapping unit;

generating travel directions in the mapping unit based on the at least one set of “

to”

coordinates and the at least one set of “

from”

coordinates; and

outputting the travel directions to the technician.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein accessing the server to obtain the at least one set of “

to”

coordinates further comprises;

associating the at least one set of “

to”

coordinates with a valid street address; and

retrieving the valid street address from an address guide.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein accessing the server to obtain the at least one set of “

from”

coordinates comprises;

associating the at least one set of “

from”

coordinates with a valid street address; and

retrieving the valid street address from an address guide.