Graphical user interface and method for customer centric network management

• US 7,143,152 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.), Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kenneson, David G., Elman, Boris S., Silletti, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US09/539,972
• Time in Patent Office: 2,433 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-226, 709227-229, 709/230, 709217-219, 370/234, 370/254, 370/351, 345733-750, 379201-218, 715730-737
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A graphical user interface and method for customer centric network management. The graphical user interface includes a first view showing text input by a user indicative of customer identification data corresponding to a customer in a network. This data is received by a server connected to the user. The server retrieves stored information corresponding to the customer identification data from a database and provides the stored information and actual circuit path information corresponding to a customer service based on the stored information to the graphical user interface. A second view of the graphical user interface shows the stored information, and a third view shows a graphical representation of a customer path corresponding to the actual circuit path information.

Claims

1. A method for customer centric network management comprising the steps, performed by a processor, of:

receiving component access information for accessing at least one component in a network;

collecting new network component information from the at least one component based on the component access information;

storing the new network component information in a temporary database;

comparing the temporary database with a generic information model database;

modifying the generic information model database according to comparison rules;

receiving identification data corresponding to a customer in a network, wherein the customer is an entity of a type selected from the group consisting of a natural person, a company, an organization, and an enterprise;

accessing the generic information model database for one or more customer records corresponding to the customer identification data;

receiving selection information identifying a selected one of the one or more customer records, wherein the selected customer record corresponds to the customer; and

providing actual circuit path information corresponding to a customer service based on the selected customer record, wherein the selected customer record contains the actual circuit path information having heterogeneous network components associated with the selected customer record and the heterogeneous network components support a specific service for the customer, and wherein the actual circuit path information is used to generate a graphical representation of the heterogeneous network components spanning the customer and the specific service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the component access information to the element management system, the element management system retrieving network component information from at least one component in the network;

receiving the network component information from the element management system; and

storing the network component information in the generic information model database.

3. A method for customer centric network management in a network comprising the steps, performed by a processor, of:

receiving component access information for accessing at least one component in a network;

populating a permanent database with network component information, the permanent database storing the network component information according to a generic information model;

receiving customer identification data corresponding to a customer in the network, wherein the customer is an entity of a type selected from the group consisting of a natural person, a company, an organization, and an enterprise;

accessing the permanent database for one or more customer records corresponding to the customer identification data;

receiving selection information identifying a selected one of the one or more customer records, wherein the selected customer record corresponds to the customer;

collecting new network component information from the at least one component based on the component access information;

storing the new network component information in a temporary database;

comparing the temporary database with the permanent database;

modifying the permanent database according to comparison rules; and

providing actual circuit path information corresponding to a customer service based on the selected customer record, wherein the selected customer records contains the actual circuit path information having heterogeneous network components associated with the customer record and the heterogeneous network components support a specific service for the customer, and wherein the actual circuit path information is used to generate a graphical representation of the heterogeneous network components spanning the customer and the specific service.

4. The method of claim 3, said populating step further comprising:

sending the component access information to an element management system, the element management system retrieving network component information from at least one component in the network;

receiving the network component information from the element management system; and

storing the network component information in the permanent database.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

modifying the permanent database based on an automatic event.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

modifying the permanent database based on a manual event.

7. A method for customer centric network management comprising the steps, performed by a processor, of:

receiving component access information for accessing at least one component in a network;

collecting new network component information from the at least one component based on the component access information;

storing the new network component information in a temporary database;

comparing the temporary database with a generic information model database;

modifying the generic information model database according to comparison rules;

receiving identification data corresponding to a customer in a network, wherein the customer is an entity of a type selected from the group consisting of a natural person, a company, an organization, and an enterprise;

accessing the generic information model database for one or more customer records corresponding to the customer identification data;

receiving selection information identifying a selected one of the one or more customer records, wherein the selected customer record corresponds to the customer; and

providing actual circuit path information corresponding to a customer service based on the selected customer record, wherein the selected customer record contains the actual circuit path information having network components associated with the selected customer record and the network components support a specific service for the customer, and wherein the actual circuit path information is used to generate a graphical representation of a customer path spanning the customer and the specific service.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising;

sending the component access information to the element management system, the element management system retrieving network component information from at least one component in the network;

receiving the network component information from the element management system; and

storing the network component information in the generic information model database.

9. A method for customer centric network management in a network comprising the steps, performed by a processor, of:

receiving component access information for accessing at least one component in a network;

populating a generic information model database with network component information, the database storing the network component information according to a generic information model;

collecting new network component information from the at least one component based on the component access information;

storing the new network component information in a temporary database;

comparing the temporary database with the permanent database;

modifying the permanent database according to comparison rules;

receiving customer identification data corresponding to a customer in the network, wherein the customer is an entity of a type selected from the group consisting of a natural person, a company, an organization, and an enterprise;

accessing the database for one or more customer records corresponding to the customer identification data;

receiving selection information identifying a selected one of the one or more customer records, wherein the selected customer record corresponds to the customer; and

providing actual circuit path information corresponding to a customer service based on the selected customer record, wherein the selected customer record contains the actual circuit path information having network components associated with the selected customer record and the network components support a specific service for the customer, and wherein the actual circuit path information is used to generate a graphical representation of a customer path spanning the customer and the specific service.

10. The method of claim 9, said populating step further comprising:

sending the component access information to an element management system, the element management system retrieving network component information from at least one component in the network;

receiving the network component information from the element management system; and

storing the network component information in the permanent database.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising;

modifying the permanent database based on an automatic event.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

modifying the permanent database based on a manual event.