Digital loop carrier module for proactive maintenance application

• US 20060233315A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elizabeth Ann Beamon, Kenneth F. Hunnicutt
• Original Assignee: Elizabeth Ann Beamon, Kenneth F. Hunnicutt
• Inventors: Beamon, Elizabeth Ann, Hunnicutt, Kenneth F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/27.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/22 Arrangements for supervision, monitoring or testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2263 Network management

Abstract

Methods and systems for proactively maintaining Digital Loop Carriers and a telephone system local loop. One embodiment for proactively maintaining a Digital Loop Carrier in a telephone system local loop includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring status information associated with the Digital Loop Carrier. Proactive maintenance is predicted based upon the status information. The status information may be weighted. The status information may also be combined with information from a Dynamic Network Analyzer and information from a Loop Facilities and Control System. The embodiment may also generate and dispatch work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance. A further embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring at least one of customer information associated with copper line pairs, service information associated with copper line pairs, and status information associated with a Digital Loop Carrier. The acquired information is stored and combined. Proactive maintenance of the telephone system local loop is predicted based upon the combined information.

Claims

1. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop, the method comprising:

communicating with a communications network and acquiring status information associated with a Digital Loop Carrier; and

predicting proactive maintenance based upon the status information.

2. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising predicting proactive maintenance of the local loop based upon the status information.

3. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising weighting the status information.

4. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising combining the status information with information from a Dynamic Network Analyzer.

5. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising combining the status information with information from a Loop Facilities and Control System.

6. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising generating work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance.

7. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 6, further comprising dispatching the work order information.

8. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising interfacing with a technician dispatch system to dispatch work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance.

9. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising updating the Digital Loop Carrier with completed service order information

10. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising interfacing with a TELCORDIA Tech Access System to dispatch work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance.

11. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising interfacing with a Loop Maintenance Operating System to dispatch work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance.

12. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 1, further comprising acquiring work order information from a Loop Maintenance Operating System.

13. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop, the method comprising:

communicating with a communications network and acquiring at least one of customer information associated with copper line pairs, service information associated with copper line pairs, and status information associated with a Digital Loop Carrier;

storing the acquired information;

combining the stored information; and

predicting proactive maintenance based upon the combined information.

14. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 13, wherein the step of combining the stored information further includes weighting the stored information.

15. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 13, further comprising generating work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance.

16. A method for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop according to claim 13, further comprising dispatching work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance.

17. A system for predicting proactive maintenance of a telephone system local loop, the system comprising:

a Dynamic Network Analyzer module communicating with a communications network and acquiring Dynamic Network Analyzer information;

a Loop Facilities and Control System module communicating with the communications network and acquiring Loop Facilities and Control System information;

a Digital Loop Carrier module communicating with the communications network and acquiring Digital Loop Carrier information;

a database stored in memory, the database storing the acquired information; and

a processor capable of processing information stored in the database and of generating proactive maintenance.

18. A computer program product for proactively maintaining a telephone system;

comprising;

a computer-readable medium; and

a Digital Loop Carrier module stored on the medium, the Digital Loop Carrier Module coupled to a Digital Loop Carrier over a communications network, the Digital Loop Carrier module acquiring information concerning the Digital Loop Carrier.

19. A computer program product according to claim 18, further comprising a Dynamic Network Analyzer module stored on the medium, the Dynamic Network Analyzer module coupled to a Dynamic Network Analyzer over a communications network, the Dynamic Network Analyzer module acquiring information concerning the Dynamic Network Analyzer.

20. A computer program product according to claim 18, further comprising a Loop Facilities and Control System module stored on the medium, the Loop Facilities and Control System module coupled to a Loop Facilities and Control System over a communications network, the Loop Facilities and Control System module acquiring information concerning the Loop Facilities and Control System.