Method and apparatus for providing network infrastructure information for a network control center

• US 6,067,030 A
• Filed: 03/13/1998
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Delany, Michael R., Burnett, Jim, Eslambolchi, Hossein
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US09/039,115
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.11, 340/870.05, 340/870.07, 340/870.16, 340/870.17, 340/501, 340/637, 340/636, 379/1, 379/32, 379/33, 455/423, 455/424, 320/48, 320/43, 320/106, 320/110, 320/113
• US Class Current: 340/870.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0075 Fault management techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

This infrastructure computer and program uses information supplied by sensors to calculate the operational characteristics of back up systems located at central offices during times of crisis such as the loss of commercial power, or some other natural or man-made disaster. The sensors transmit the battery float voltage, power requirements, temperature of critical telecommunication equipment components, average telecommunication equipment temperature, and the amount of fuel available for backup generators provides data to an infrastructure management computer program. The computer program accesses databases containing known information such as the power curves for the backup generators, and battery discharge curves for the battery string. The infrastructure management computer program calculates the battery hour reserve, the fuel hour reserve, and thermal reserves to more accurately predict the operational status of the central office for improved disaster planning.

Claims

1. A method for generating automated infrastructure status information supporting operation of a telecommunication equipment, comprising the steps of:

collecting temperature data from the telecommunication equipment;

collecting backup battery reserve power data for the telecommunication equipment;

collecting electrical power demand data of the telecommunication; and

transmitting the temperature data, backup battery reserve power data, and electrical power demand data to a server capable of processing the data and calculating battery hours reserves, battery discharge rates and generating the battery hours reserves and battery discharge rates output data.

2. The method for generating automated infrastructure status information supporting the operation of the telecommunication equipment of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

collecting spot temperature data from critical spots in the telecommunication equipment; and

transmitting the spot temperature data to the server and generating output data from the calculation of estimated failure time.

3. The method for generating automated infrastructure status information supporting the operation of the telecommunication equipment of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the output data in a graphical user interface.

4. The method for generating automated infrastructure status information supporting the operation of the telecommunication equipment of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

collecting interruption of commercial power data to the telecommunication equipment;

transmitting the interruption of commercial power data to the server; and

generating output data indicating loss of commercial power to the telecommunication equipment.

5. The method for generating automated infrastructure status information supporting the operation of the telecommunication equipment of claim 1, where at least one Internet channel is used to facilitate transmission of the data.

6. The method for generating automated infrastructure status information supporting the operation of the telecommunication equipment of claim 1, where at least one Intranet channel is used to facilitate transmission of the data.

7. A method for generating automated infrastructure status information supporting the operation of the telecommunication equipment, comprising the steps of:

collecting temperature data from the telecommunication equipment;

collecting battery reserve power data from a battery string supporting the telecommunication equipment;

collecting battery discharge rates from the battery string;

collecting electrical power demand data of the telecommunication equipment;

collecting fuel supply data from fuel quantity for at least one backup generator;

collecting fuel consumption data from the fuel consumption rate of the at least one backup generator; and

transmitting the temperature data, the battery reserve power data, the battery discharge rates data, the electric power demand data, the fuel supply data, and the fuel consumption data to a server capable of calculating battery hours reserves and fuel hours reserves from the collected data.

8. The method for generating automated infrastructure status information supporting operation of the telecommunication equipment of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

collecting spot temperature data from critical spots in the telecommunication equipment; and

transmitting the spot temperature data to the server and generating output data from calculating estimated full duplex failure time.

9. The method for generating automated infrastructure status information supporting operation of the telecommunication equipment of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

collecting recharging data from the recharging of the battery string from current generated by at least one backup generator; and

transmitting the recharging data to the server and generating output from the calculation of the battery hours reserves when the battery string is recharging from current supplied by the at least one backup generator and the battery discharge rates data.

10. The method for generating automated infrastructure status information supporting the operation of the telecommunication equipment of claim 7, where Internet channels are used to facilitate transmission of the data.

11. The method for generating automated infrastructure status information supporting the operation of the telecommunication equipment of claim 7, where Intranet channels are used to facilitate transmission of the data.