Method and system for verifying modem status

• US 7,792,937 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lasker, Kory, Knudsen, Joseph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chankong; Dohm
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOANG, HIEU T
• Application Number:
  US10/960,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20050050207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,162 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/202, 709/203, 709/238, 709/239
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/304 and using xDSL modems xDSL line qualification H04M3/306

Abstract

A system for verifying modem status for a telecommunications service provider in a broadband network serviced by a central office. The system comprising an internet interface for receiving a modem status request from the telecommunications service provider via a telecommunications network and an integrator capable of retrieving subscriber information and a server connected to the internet interface for receiving the modem status request and transmitting the modem status request to the integrator. The integrator interprets the modem status request and retrieves corresponding subscriber information and transmits the corresponding subscriber information to the server, the server thereby converting the corresponding subscriber information to a central office request and sending the central office request to the central office. The central office responding to the request and transmitting a status signal to the server and the server transmitting the signal to the internet interface which converts the status signal to a readable format for the telecommunications service provider.

Claims

1. A method for verifying modem status, the method comprising:

providing an internet website interface for a webserver to determine a modem status for each of a plurality of customers of an Internet Service Provider (ISP);

receiving, at the internet website interface, a request from the ISP to check a status of a modem associated with a first one of the customers;

automatically electronically transferring the request from the webserver to a status server;

automatically electronically retrieving subscriber location information associated with the first customer;

automatically electronically transmitting the subscriber location information to the status server;

automatically electronically using the subscriber location information by the status server, to determine a central office of a telecommunications provider associated with the modem;

automatically electronically transmitting, to the central office, by the status server, a modem status request to query the status of the modem;

receiving at the status server, from the central office, a status signal indicating the status of the modem;

receiving at the webserver, from the status server, the status signal; and

converting the status signal at the webserver into a readable format for the internet website interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modem is a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem, and wherein retrieving subscriber location information comprises retrieving information indicating a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) associated with the DSL modem.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the modem status request comprises transmitting the modem status request to the DSLAM.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the modem status request comprises an SNMP request.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the status signal comprises receiving the status signal from the DSLAM.

6. The method, of claim 1, wherein receiving the status signal comprises receiving one of a connected status, a not connected status, and a connecting status.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the status signal in the readable format on the internet website interface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, on the internet website interface, a list of one or more customer names, each customer name associated with a phone number and wherein receiving the request to check the status of the modem comprises receiving a selection of one of the customer names on the list.

9. A system for verifying modem status, the system comprising:

an internet website interface for a webserver, the internet website interface adapted to receive a request from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to check a status of a modem associated with a customer of the ISP; and

the webserver adapted to transmit the request to a status server, to receive from the status server a status signal regarding a modem status, and to convert the status signal to a readable format for the internet website interface;

the status server adapted to receive the request from the webserver, to determine a central office of the Internet Service Provider associated with the modem, to transmit, to the central office, a modem status request, and to receive, from the central office, a status signal indicating the status of the modem;

an integrator storing subscriber location information, and wherein the webserver is further configured to obtain the subscriber location information from the integrator and to use the subscriber location information to determine the central office associated with the modem.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the internet website interface is further configured to display the status signal in a readable format.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the modem is a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem and wherein the status server is to transmit the modem status request to the Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) associated with the DSL modem.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising a DSLAM.