Geographic management system

• US 9,118,579 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2004
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 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:
  US10/839,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20040260720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,130 Days
• Field of Search: 370/320, 370/332, 370/349, 370/60, 370/241, 370/245, 370/238, 370/338, 370/328, 455/446, 455/424, 455/67.4, 455/423, 455/453, 455/67.11, 709/224, 709/223, 709/235
• 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, the system comprising:

generating, by a processor, display elements for display on a map, the display elements comprising;

geographic elements each having at least one geographic characteristic;

one or more trouble tickets each representing a reported problem and that is displayed on the map using a first shape;

at least one trouble area that is automatically created in response to a new trouble ticket being created within a specified range of a specified number of other trouble tickets and that is displayed on the map using a second shape;

a plurality of network elements each having at least one network characteristic and that are displayed on the map using a third shape that is configured to vary depending on a value of a corresponding performance attribute of that network element; and

a separate performance element for each of the plurality of network elements, each performance element comprising another shape for display on the map surrounding the third shape and having at least one performance characteristic and having a position that is configured to vary depending on the value of the corresponding performance attribute; and

receiving, by the processor, selection of one of a network element from the plurality of network elements displayed on the map and a trouble ticket from the one or more trouble tickets displayed on the map for navigating through network data and geospatial data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein a plurality of performance elements are generated for display for each network element of the plurality of network elements.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a communication network and another business network.

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

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one performance characteristic for at least one performance element comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a color, a shade, a cross-hatch, a fill, and the shape.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein at least one other performance characteristic for the at least one performance element comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a second color, a second shade, a second cross-hatch, a second fill, and a second shape.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein at least one other performance characteristic for at least one other performance element comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a second color, a second shade, a second cross-hatch, a second fill, and a second shape.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one performance element comprises at least a portion of at least one member of a group consisting of a concentric ring, a pie-shape, a circle, and a polygon.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein a plurality of the performance elements comprise at least a portion of at least one member of a group consisting of a plurality of stacked polygons and a plurality of concentric rings.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further is configured to generate for display at least one member of a group consisting of a hot spot, a coverage area, the trouble ticket relative to at least one geographic element, and the trouble ticket relative to at least one network element.

11. A method for managing a network, the method comprising:

generating, by a processor, display elements for display on a map, the display elements comprising;

geographic elements each having at least one geographic characteristic;

one or more trouble tickets each representing a reported problem and that is displayed on the map using a first shape;

at least one trouble area that is automatically created in response to a new trouble ticket being created within a specified range of a specified number of other trouble tickets and that is displayed on the map using a second shape;

a plurality of network elements each having at least one network characteristic and that are displayed on the map using a third shape that is configured to vary depending on a value of a corresponding performance attribute of that network element; and

a separate performance element for each of the plurality of network elements, each performance element comprising another shape for display on the map surrounding the third shape and having at least one performance characteristic and having a position that is configured to vary depending on the value of the corresponding performance attribute; and

receiving, by the processor, selection of one of a network element from the plurality of network elements displayed on the map and a trouble ticket displayed on the map from the one or more trouble tickets for navigating through network data and geospatial data.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating for display a plurality of performance elements for each network element of the plurality of network elements.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating the display elements for display wherein the network comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a communication network and another business network.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating the display elements for display wherein the network comprises at least one member of a group consisting of an oil network, a gas network, a store network, a packaging network, and another business network.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating the at least one performance characteristic for at least one performance element comprising at least one member of a group consisting of a color, a shade, a cross-hatch, a fill, and the shape.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising generating at least one other performance characteristic for the at least one performance element comprising at least one member of a group consisting of a second color, a second shade, a second cross-hatch, a second fill, and a second shape.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising generating at least one other performance characteristic for at least one other performance element comprising at least one member of a group consisting of a second color, a second shade, a second cross-hatch, a second fill, and a second shape.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating at least one performance element comprising at least a portion of at least one member of a group consisting of a concentric ring, a pie-shape, a circle, and a polygon.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating a plurality of the performance elements comprising at least a portion of at least one member of a group consisting of a plurality of stacked polygons and a plurality of concentric rings.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating for display at least one member of a group consisting of a hot spot, a coverage area, the trouble ticket relative to at least one geographic element, and the trouble ticket relative to at least one network element.

21. A system for managing a network, the system comprising:

generating, by a processor, display elements for display on a map, the display elements comprising;

at least one geographic element;

at least one trouble ticket representing a reported problem and that is displayed on the map;

at least one network element having at least one network characteristic and that is displayed on the map using a first shape that is configured to vary depending on a value of a corresponding performance attribute of the network element; and

at least one performance element, the at least one performance element comprising a concentric shape displayed concentrically around the first shape of a separate corresponding network element from the at least one network element displayed on the map and having at least one performance characteristic and having a position, the performance characteristic corresponding to at least one performance attribute, the at least one performance characteristic and the position varying based on a performance level of the performance attribute and indicating the performance level of the performance attribute; and

receiving, by the processor, selection of one of a network element from the at least one network element displayed on the map and a trouble ticket from the at least one trouble ticket displayed on the map for navigating through network data and geospatial data.

22. A method for managing a network, the method comprising:

generating, by a processor, display elements for display on a map, the display elements comprising

at least one geographic element;

at least one trouble ticket representing a reported problem and that is displayed on the map;

at least one network element having at least one network characteristic and that is displayed on the map using a first shape that is configured to vary depending on a value of a corresponding performance attribute of the network element; and

at least one performance element, the at least one performance element comprising a concentric shape displayed concentrically around the first shape of a separate corresponding network element from the at least one network element displayed on the map and having at least one performance characteristic and having a position, the at least one performance characteristic corresponding to at least one performance attribute, the at least one performance characteristic and the position varying based on a performance level of the performance attribute and indicating the performance level of the performance attribute;

receiving, by the processor, selection of one of a network element from the at least one network element displayed on the map and a trouble ticket from the at least one trouble ticket displayed on the map for navigating through network data and geospatial data.