Geographic management system for determining and displaying network data and geospatial data

• US 9,363,146 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carl R. Clark, CeleritasWorks, LLC (RGS Senior Management Group, LC)
• Original Assignee: CeleritasWorks, LLC (RGS Senior Management Group, LC)
• Inventors: Cossins, Robert N., Evans, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CASCA, FRED A
• Application Number:
  US12/200,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,840 Days
• Field of Search: 455/416, 455/457, 455/456.1, 455/12.1, 455/446, 455/422.1, 455/418, 455/424, 455/414.1, 455/423, 455/453, 455/456.4, 455/458, 455/63.1, 455/67.11, 370/328, 370/338, 370/252, 370/241, 370/216, 370/218, 370/242, 370/253, 370/259, 709/224, 709/223, 709/226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A geographic management system (GMS) comprises a web server, a database server, and a map server. A user browser connected to the GMS transmits a search criteria to the web server. The web server transmits the search criteria to the map server. The map server geocodes the search criteria, obtains network data and geospatial data from the database server corresponding to the geocode, and transmits the geocode, the network data, and the geospatial data to the web server. The web server transmits the geocode, the network data, and the geospatial data to the user browser. The network data and the geospatial data are displayed on the user browser as a map displaying network elements of a telecommunication network relative to other network elements, geographic elements, and customers. One or more of the network elements have associated performance elements or sectored performance elements that display performance characteristics or sectored performance characteristics that signify performance attributes associated with the network element. The user browser can navigate through other network data and geospatial data by selecting network elements on the map or by selecting navigation tools or navigation tabs displayed in conjunction with the map.

Claims

1. A system for managing a network comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a search criteria;

generate a geocode for the search criteria;

obtain network data and geospatial data within a range of the geocode represented by a latitude and a longitude, the range being based on distance, wherein the search criteria comprises an address, wherein the determined geocode corresponds to the address, and wherein the network data and the geospatial data are obtained within the range of the address; and

generate the network data and the geospatial data for display to depict at least one geographic element having at least one geographic characteristic, at least one network element having at least one network characteristic and generated for display in relation to the at least one geographic element, a performance element displayed as a concentric ring surrounding the at least one network element and parsed into a plurality of sectors to form a plurality of sectored performance elements, each of the plurality of sectored performance elements having at least one sectored performance characteristic generated according to a performance level of a sectored performance attribute, wherein each of the plurality of sectored performance elements has a shape that is configured to vary depending on a value of a corresponding sectored performance attribute of that network, and wherein the at least one sectored performance characteristic comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a color, a shade, a cross-hatch, and a fill; and

generate for display at least one member of a group consisting of a hot spot, a coverage area, a trouble area, and a trouble ticket, the trouble ticket relative to the at least one geographic element, and the trouble ticket relative to the at least one network element.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to generate the at least one network element for display with a display characteristic corresponding to a status of the at least one network element.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a communication network, an oil network, a gas network, a store network, a packaging network, and another business network.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises a cell network.

5. A method for managing a network using a processor comprising:

receiving, with the processor, a search criteria;

generating, with the processor, a geocode for the search criteria;

obtaining, with the processor, network data and geospatial data within a range of the geocode represented by a latitude and a longitude, the range being based on distance, wherein the search criteria comprises an address, wherein the determined geocode corresponds to the address, and wherein the network data and the geospatial data are obtained within the range of the address; and

generating, with the processor, the network data and the geospatial data for display to depict at least one geographic element having at least one geographic characteristic, at least one network element having at least one network characteristic and generated for display in relation to the at least one geographic element, a performance element displayed as a concentric ring surrounding the at least one network element and parsed into a plurality of sectors to form sectored performance elements, each of the plurality of sectored performance elements having at least one sectored performance characteristic generated according to a performance level of a sectored performance attribute, wherein each of the plurality of sectored performance elements has a shape that is configured to vary depending on a value of a corresponding sectored performance attribute of that network, and wherein the at least one sectored performance characteristic comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a color, a shade, a cross-hatch, and a fill; and

generating for display at least one member of a group consisting of a hot spot, a coverage area, a trouble area, and a trouble ticket, the trouble ticket relative to the at least one geographic element, and the trouble ticket relative to the at least one network element.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising generating, with the processor, the network data wherein the network comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a communication network, an oil network, a gas network, a store network, a packaging network, and another business network.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising, generating, with the processor, the at least one network element for display with a display characteristic corresponding to a status of the at least one network element.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the network comprises a cell network.