System for proactively maintaining telephone network facilities in a public switched telephone network

• US 5,790,633 A
• Filed: 07/25/1995
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Casey, William C., Blum, Frederick D., Kinser, James C. Jr., Youngs, Mary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/506,655
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 379/2, 379/5, 379/14, 379/10, 379/12, 379/13, 379/15, 379/26, 379/27, 379/29, 379/34, 370/247, 370/249, 370/251, 371/4, 371/11.2, 371/11.3, 371/20.1
• US Class Current: 379/9.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/08 Indicating faults in circuits or apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2254 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13521 fault management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0075 Fault management techniques

Abstract

In an administration system for a public switched telephone network, a service analysis system is provided for proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities including a communication line in a communication cable associated with a customer. The service analysis system includes an automatic line insulation test (ALIT) system testing the communication line in the communication cable associated with the customer producing trouble indicators indicating a potentially defective communication line, and a mechanized loop testing (MLT) system testing groups prioritized for the communication line. The service analysis system also includes a data processor filtering the trouble indicators received from the ALIT system from predetermined communication services associated with the communication line that provide potentially false trouble indicators producing valid trouble indicators, and generating a list of the valid trouble indicators to be considered when determining whether the communication line is potentially defective. The data processor generates a report to be used for examining the potentially defective communication line using the prioritized groups.

Claims

1. In an administration system for a public switched telephone network which includes an attendant station for receiving service requests and collecting customer information, credit verification means, service order processing (SOP) means for creating and distributing service orders for processing by downstream processing systems including at least one of a Service Order Analysis and Control (SOAC) means, a Computer System for Mainframe Operations (COSMOS) means, SWITCH means, and Loop Facility Assignment and Control System (LFACS) means;

and Adjunct Processor (AP) means having storage for storing data including Living Unit (LU) data, network facility data and Telephone Number (TN) data, a method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities including a communication line in a communication cable associated with a customer, comprising the steps of;

(a) performing a first level test of the communication line in the communication cable associated with the customer producing trouble indicators indicating a potentially defective communication line;

(b) filtering the trouble indicators from predetermined communication services associated with the communication line that provide potentially false trouble indicators producing valid trouble indicators;

(c) generating a list of the valid trouble indicators to be considered when determining whether the communication line is potentially defective;

(d) generating an end to end description of the communication line to be tested;

(e) grouping the valid trouble indicators that have common network elements in groups;

(f) prioritizing the groups for performing a second level test of the communication line;

(g) testing the groups prioritized for the communication line;

(h) discarding the groups that are in a satisfactory status responsive to predetermined criteria;

(i) prioritizing the groups that are potentially defective indicating the potentially defective communication line generating prioritized groups; and

(j) generating a report to be used for examining the potentially defective communication line using the prioritized groups.

2. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, wherein said performing step (a) further comprises the step of performing the first level test of the communication line producing the trouble indicators, the trouble indicators including at least one of:

(a1) a per call test failure (PCTF) indicator;

(a2) an automatic line insulation test indicator;

(a3) a customer trouble report including a mechanized loop test indicator;

(a4) an employee report indicator; and

(a5) a fiber network type indicator.

3. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, wherein said filtering step (b) further comprises the step of filtering the trouble indicators generating a list of the potentially false trouble indicators associated with the communication line including at least one of:

a ground start PBX;

a foreign exchange line;

a coin line;

a video on demand line;

a pair gain system without mechanized loop test or automatic line insulation test capabilities;

a multiple indicator at same address; and

a known station problem list.

4. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, wherein said generating step (d) further comprises the step of generating an end to end description of the communication line for each communication line to be tested including all cables, pairs, and terminals in the communication line.

5. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, wherein said grouping step (e) further comprises the step of grouping the filtered trouble indicators that have common network elements including at least one of:

F1 terminal;

F2 terminals with same F1 terminal;

F2 terminals with multiple F1 terminals;

F1 terminal cable and pair range;

F1 terminal in binding post range;

F1 terminal out binding post range;

F2 terminal cable and pair range;

F2 terminal in binding post range;

F2 terminal out binding post range; and

fiber network common elements.

6. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, wherein said prioritizing step (f) further comprises the steps of:

(f1) applying weighting factors to each indicator in the group;

(f2) totaling the weighting factors to obtain a group weighting for the group;

(f3) generating a weighting list for the second level testing responsive to the group weighting.

7. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 6, wherein said generating step (f3) further comprises the step of generating the weighting list for the second level testing including highest group weighting factors and lowest group weighting factors.

8. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, wherein said prioritizing step (i) further comprises the step of prioritizing the groups that are potentially defective indicating the potentially defective communication line using at least one of:

new weighting factors for each indicator in group;

additional weighting for low spare pair cable segments;

a dispatch list prioritizing the potentially defective communication line by dispatch area and priority.

9. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 1, further comprising the step of dispatching personnel to inspect the potentially defective communication line using the report.

10. In an administration system for a public switched telephone network which includes an attendant station for receiving service requests and collecting customer information, credit verification means, service order processing (SOP) means for creating and distributing service orders for processing by downstream processing systems including at least one of a Service Order Analysis and Control (SOAC) means, a Computer System for Mainframe Operations (COSMOS) means, SWITCH means, and Loop Facility Assignment and Control System (LFACS) means;

and Adjunct Processor (AP) means having storage for storing data including Living Unit (LU) data, network facility data and Telephone Number (TN) data, a service analysis system proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities including a communication line in a communication cable associated with a customer, comprising;

means for performing a first level test of the communication line in the communication cable associated with the customer producing trouble indicators indicating a potentially defective communication line;

means for filtering the trouble indicators from predetermined communication services associated with the communication line that provide potentially false trouble indicators producing valid trouble indicators;

means for generating a list of the valid trouble indicators to be considered when determining whether the communication line is potentially defective;

means for generating an end to end description of the communication line to be tested;

means for grouping the valid trouble indicators that have common network elements in groups;

means for prioritizing the groups for performing a second level test of the communication line;

means for testing the groups prioritized for the communication line;

means for discarding the groups that are in a satisfactory status responsive to predetermined criteria;

means for prioritizing the groups that are potentially defective indicating the potentially defective communication line generating prioritized groups; and

means for generating a report to be used for examining the potentially defective communication line using the prioritized groups.

11. In an administration system for a public switched telephone network which includes an attendant station for receiving service requests and collecting customer information, credit verification means, service order processing (SOP) means for creating and distributing service orders for processing by downstream processing systems including at least one of a Service Order Analysis and Control (SOAC) means, a Computer System for Mainframe Operations (COSMOS) means, SWITCH means, and Loop Facility Assignment and Control System (LFACS) means;

and Adjunct Processor (AP) means having storage for storing data including Living Unit (LU) data, network facility data and Telephone Number (TN) data, a service analysis system proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities including a communication line in a communication cable associated with a customer, comprising;

an automatic line insulation test (ALIT) system testing the communication line in the communication cable associated with the customer producing trouble indicators indicating a potentially defective communication line;

a mechanized loop testing (MLT) system testing groups prioritized for the communication line;

a data processor, operatively connected to said ALIT and MLT system, filtering the trouble indicators received from said ALIT system from predetermined communication services associated with the communication line that provide potentially false trouble indicators producing valid trouble indicators, generating a list of the valid trouble indicators to be considered when determining whether the communication line is potentially defective, generating an end to end description of the communication line to be tested, grouping the filtered trouble indicators that have common network elements in groups, prioritizing the groups for performing a second level test of the communication line by said MLT system,

wherein said data processor discards the groups tested by said MLT system that are in a satisfactory status responsive to predetermined criteria, prioritizes the groups that are potentially defective indicating the potentially defective communication line generating prioritized groups, and generates a report to be used for examining the potentially defective communication line using the prioritized groups.

12. In an administration system for a public switched telephone network which includes an attendant station for receiving service requests and collecting customer information, credit verification means, service order processing (SOP) means for creating and distributing service orders for processing by downstream processing systems including at least one of a Service Order Analysis and Control (SOAC) means, a Computer System for Mainframe Operations (COSMOS) means, SWITCH means, and Loop Facility Assignment and Control System (LFACS) means;

and Adjunct Processor (AP) means having storage for storing data including Living Unit (LU) data, network facility data and Telephone Number (TN) data, a service analysis system proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities including a communication line in a communication cable associated with a customer, comprising;

a first test system testing the communication line in the communication cable associated with the customer in accordance with a first test producing trouble indicators indicating a potentially defective communication line;

a second test system testing groups of the trouble indicators associated with the communication line in accordance with a second test;

a data processor, operatively connected to said first and second test systems, filtering the trouble indicators received from said first test system from predetermined communication services associated with the communication line that provide potentially false trouble indicators producing valid trouble indicators, generating a list of the valid trouble indicators to be considered when determining whether the communication line is potentially defective, generating an end to end description of the communication line to be tested,

wherein said data processor discards the groups tested by said second test system that are in a satisfactory status, prioritizes the groups that are potentially defective indicating the potentially defective communication line generating prioritized groups, and generates a report to be used for examining the potentially defective communication line using the prioritized groups.

13. In an administration system for a public switched telephone network which includes an attendant station for receiving service requests and collecting customer information, credit verification means, service order processing (SOP) means for creating and distributing service orders for processing by downstream processing systems including at least one of a Service Order Analysis and Control (SOAC) means, a Computer System for Mainframe Operations (COSMOS) means, SWITCH means, and Loop Facility Assignment and Control System (LFACS) means;

and Adjunct Processor (AP) means having storage for storing data including Living Unit (LU) data, network facility data and Telephone Number (TN) data, a service analysis system proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities including a communication line in a communication cable associated with a customer, comprising;

an automatic line insulation test (ALIT) system testing the communication line in the communication cable associated with the customer producing trouble indicators indicating a potentially defective communication line;

a mechanized loop testing (MLT) system testing groups prioritized for the communication line;

a data processor, operatively connected to said ALIT and MLT system, filtering the trouble indicators received from said ALIT system from predetermined communication services associated with the communication line that provide potentially false trouble indicators producing valid trouble indicators, generating a list of the valid trouble indicators to be considered when determining whether the communication line is potentially defective, generating an end to end description of the communication line to be tested, grouping the valid trouble indicators that have common network elements in groups, prioritizing the groups for performing a second level test of the communication line by said MLT system,

wherein said data processor discards the groups tested by said MLT system that are in a satisfactory status responsive to predetermined criteria, prioritizes the groups that are potentially defective indicating the potentially defective communication line generating prioritized groups, and generates a report to be used for examining the potentially defective communication line using the prioritized groups.

14. In an administration system for a public switched telephone network which includes an attendant station for receiving service requests and collecting customer information, credit verification means, service order processing (SOP) means for creating and distributing service orders for processing by downstream processing systems including at least one of a Service Order Analysis and Control (SOAC) means, a Computer System for Mainframe Operations (COSMOS) means, SWITCH means, and Loop Facility Assignment and Control System (LFACS) means;

and Adjunct Processor (AP) means having storage for storing data including Living Unit (LU) data, network facility data and Telephone Number (TN) data, a method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities including a communication line in a communication cable associated with a customer, comprising the steps of;

(a) performing a first level test of the communication line in the communication cable associated with the customer producing trouble indicators indicating a potentially defective communication line;

(b) filtering the trouble indicators from predetermined communication services associated with the communication line that provide potentially false trouble indicators producing valid trouble indicators;

(c) generating a list of the valid trouble indicators to be considered when determining whether the communication line is potentially defective;

(d) generating an end to end description of the communication line to be tested;

(e) grouping the valid trouble indicators that have common network elements in groups;

(f) prioritizing the groups for performing a second level test of the communication line;

(g) testing the groups prioritized for the communication line;

(h) discarding the groups that are in a satisfactory status responsive to predetermined criteria;

(i) prioritizing the groups that are potentially defective indicating the potentially defective communication line generating prioritized groups; and

(j) generating a report to be used for examining the potentially defective communication line using the prioritized groups.

15. In an administration system for a communications network, a method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities including a communication line associated with a customer, comprising the steps of:

(a) performing a first level test of the communication line associated with the customer producing trouble indicators indicating a potentially defective communication line;

(b) filtering the trouble indicators from predetermined communication services associated with the communication line that provide potentially false trouble indicators producing the filtered trouble indicators;

(c) prioritizing the filtered trouble indicators for performing a second level test of the communication line generating prioritized groups; and

(d) generating a report to be used for examining the potentially defective communication line using the prioritized groups.

16. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 15, wherein said performing step (a) further comprises the step of performing the first level test of the communication line producing the trouble indicators, the trouble indicators including at least one of:

(a1) a per call test failure (PCTF) indicator;

(a2) an automatic line insulation test indicator;

(a3) a customer trouble report including a mechanized loop test indicator;

(a4) an employee report indicator; and

(a5) a fiber network type indicator.

17. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 15, wherein said filtering step (b) further comprises the step of filtering the trouble indicators generating a list of the potentially false trouble indicators associated with the communication line including at least one of:

a ground start PBX;

a foreign exchange line;

a coin line;

a video on demand line;

a pair gain system without mechanized loop test or automatic line insulation test capabilities;

a multiple indicator at same address; and

a known station problem list.

18. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 15, further comprising the step of generating an end to end description of the communication line for each communication line to be tested including all cables, pairs, and terminals in the communication line.

19. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 15, further comprising the step of grouping the filtered trouble indicators that have common network elements including at least one of:

F1 terminal;

F2 terminals with same F1 terminal;

F2 terminals with multiple F1 terminals;

F1 terminal cable and pair range;

F1 terminal in binding post range;

F1 terminal out binding post range;

F2 terminal cable and pair range;

F2 terminal in binding post range;

F2 terminal out binding post range; and

fiber network common elements.

20. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 15, wherein said prioritizing step (c) further comprises the steps of:

(c1) applying weighting factors to each indicator in the group;

(c2) totaling the weighting factors to obtain a group weighting for the group;

(c3) generating a weighting list for the second level testing responsive to the group weighting.

21. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 20, wherein said generating step (c3) further comprises the step of generating the weighting list for the second level testing including highest group weighting factors and lowest group weighting factors.

22. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 15, wherein said prioritizing step (c) further comprises the step of prioritizing the groups that are potentially defective indicating the potentially defective communication line using at least one of:

new weighting factors for each indicator in the group;

additional weighting for low spare pair cable segments;

a dispatch list prioritizing the potentially defective communication line by dispatch area and priority.

23. A method of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 15, further comprising the step of dispatching personnel to inspect the potentially defective communication line using the report.

24. A system of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities including a communication line associated with a customer for a communications network, comprising:

a test system performing a first level test of the communication line associated with the customer producing trouble indicators indicating a potentially defective communication line;

a data processor, filtering the trouble indicators from predetermined communication services associated with the communication line that provide potentially false trouble indicators producing the filtered trouble indicators, and prioritizing the trouble indicators for performing a second level test of the communication line generating prioritized groups by said test system, and generating a report to be used for examining the potentially defective communication line using the prioritized groups.

25. A system of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 24, wherein said test system performs the first level test of the communication line producing the trouble indicators, the trouble indicators including at least one of:

(a1) a per call test failure (PCTF) indicator;

(a2) an automatic line insulation test indicator;

(a3) a customer trouble report including a mechanized loop test indicator;

(a4) an employee report indicator; and

(a5) a fiber network type indicator.

26. A system of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 24, wherein said data processor filters the trouble indicators generating a list of the potentially false trouble indicators associated with the communication line including at least one of:

a ground start PBX;

a foreign exchange line;

a coin line;

a video on demand line;

a pair gain system without mechanized loop test or automatic line insulation test capabilities;

a multiple indicator at same address; and

a known station problem list.

27. A system of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 24, wherein said data processor generates an end to end description of the communication line for each communication line to be tested including all cables, pairs, and terminals in the communication line.

28. A system of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 24, wherein said data processor groups the filtered trouble indicators that have common network elements including at least one of:

F1 terminal;

F2 terminals with same F1 terminal;

F2 terminals with multiple F1 terminals;

F1 terminal cable and pair range;

F1 terminal in binding post range;

F1 terminal out binding post range;

F2 terminal cable and pair range;

F2 terminal in binding post range;

F2 terminal out binding post range; and

fiber network common elements.

29. A system of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 24, wherein said data processor performs the following:

(c1) applying weighting factors to each indicator in the group;

(c2) totaling the weighting factors to obtain a group weighting for the group;

(c3) generating a weighting list for the second level testing responsive to the group weighting.

30. A system of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 29, wherein said data processor generates the weighting list for the second level testing including highest group weighting factors and lowest group weighting factors.

31. A system of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 24, wherein said data processor prioritizes the groups that are potentially defective indicating the potentially defective communication line using at least one of:

new weighting factors for each indicator in the group;

additional weighting for low spare pair cable segments;

a dispatch list prioritizing the potentially defective communication line by dispatch area and priority.

32. A system of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities according to claim 24, wherein said data processor controls the dispatch of personnel to inspect the potentially defective communication line using the report.

33. In an administration system for a communications network, a system of proactively analyzing the working status of customer network facilities including a communication line associated with a customer, comprising:

means for performing a first level test of the communication line associated with the customer producing trouble indicators indicating a potentially defective communication line;

means for filtering the trouble indicators from predetermined communication services associated with the communication line that provide potentially false trouble indicators producing the filtered trouble indicators;

means for prioritizing the filtered trouble indicators for performing a second level test of the communication line generating prioritized groups; and

means for generating a report to be used for examining the potentially defective communication line using the prioritized groups.