Patent Application
20070070917
The present disclosure relates generally to backup power systems in telecommunication networks, and more specifically to a method for installing a backup power source in a service access interface.
As broadband services such as high definition TV (HDTV), voice over IP (VoIP), and high speed data links expand to residences, telecommunication service providers are expected to incorporate new communication technologies in service access interfaces. Service access interfaces, also known as cross-connect interfaces (CCIs), distribute telecommunication services originating at a central office to residences, commercial enterprises, and so on.
A need therefore arises for a method to properly install these new technologies in the CCIs.
Links 107 can be twisted copper pairs for distributing power to the CCIs 110 throughout a region such as a city or metropolitan area. Alternatively, links 107 can be coupled to local commercial power near the CCIs 110 supplied by, for example, a utility company. When there is a power outage, the foregoing services are continued in whole or in part by way of a backup power source 200. The backup power source 200 can comprise an AC-DC rectifier 204, battery banks 206, and an CCI communication resources shelf 210 as shown in
The NMS 100 can comprise a controller 102 and a memory 104. The controller 102 utilizes common computing technology such as a desktop computer or scalable server. The memory 104 can be a mass storage medium such as a high-density disk drive for managing, for example, a database that maintains topologies of interconnects between the CO 106 and the CCIs 110, and the CCIs 110 and residences 112. It would be apparent to an artisan with ordinary skill in the art that one or more NMS 100 can be used to manage installation of a backup power source 200 for CCIs 110 coupled to one or more COs 106. Thus
The NMS 100 can be programmed to monitor and predict in step 308 demographic demand for CCI resources. The NMS 100 can for instance monitor a CRM (Customer Relations Management) database from its own memory 104 or from an independent system coupled thereto, which is periodically updated according to consumer demand by agents or an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system of the telecommunications provider. The NMS 100 alternatively or in addition thereto can monitor marketing systems that analyze regional demographics and/or psychographic data thereby providing the NMS 100 a means to utilize common techniques for modeling communication resource demand for the CCIs 110. From these predictions and the topology information discussed above, the NMS 100 can calculate in step 310 a load requirement for the selected CCI 110 in the form of any useful unit of energy such as Joules, or Watts.
Using common power management techniques, the NMS 100 selects in step 312 a battery type 206 having conductance capable of supporting the load requirement determined in step 310. Similarly, the NMS 100 selects in step 314 a rectifier 204 capable of supporting the load requirement and charge requirement of one or more batteries of a UPS system such as shown in
To avoid a future shortage in backup power capacity, the NMS 100 can be programmed to monitor and detect in step 320 a predicted change in the demographic demand for CCI communication resources. If no change is detected in step 320, the monitoring process continues. If a meaningful change is predicted calling to question the capacity of the backup power source 200, the NMS 100 proceeds to step 322 where it calculates an updated load requirement for the CCI 110 according to the predicted change in demand and the topology information of the CCI 110 existing at the time of the detection. In step 324, the NMS 100 determines whether there would be a shortfall in the capacity of the rectifier 204, the UPS 208 or both. If not, then the NMS 100 continues to monitor for changes in step 320. If a shortfall is detected, then the NMS 100 proceeds to steps 312 through 318 where it determines and recommends a change in the rectifier 204, the UPS 208, or both. This latter embodiment provides a proactive means to maintain a desirable quality of service without interruption to consumers. Steps 320 through 324 can operate as a background process once a backup power source 200 is installed in an CCI 110.
The computer system 400 may include a processor 402 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU, or both), a main memory 404 and a static memory 406, which communicate with each other via a bus 408. The computer system 400 may further include a video display unit 410 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flat panel, a solid state display, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 400 may include an input device 412 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 414 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 416, a signal generation device 418 (e.g., a speaker or remote control) and a network interface device 420.
The disk drive unit 416 may include a machine-readable medium 422 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 424) embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein, including those methods illustrated above. The instructions 424 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 404, the static memory 406, and/or within the processor 402 during execution thereof by the computer system 400. The main memory 404 and the processor 402 also may constitute machine-readable media. Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to, application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement the methods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of various embodiments broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions in two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and data signals communicated between and through the modules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, the example system is applicable to software, firmware, and hardware implementations.
In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, the methods described herein are intended for operation as software programs running on a computer processor. Furthermore, software implementations can include, but not limited to, distributed processing or component/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the methods described herein.
The present disclosure contemplates a machine readable medium containing instructions 424, or that which receives and executes instructions 424 from a propagated signal so that a device connected to a network environment 426 can send or receive voice, video or data, and to communicate over the network 426 using the instructions 424. The instructions 424 may further be transmitted or received over a network 426 via the network interface device 420.
While the machine-readable medium 422 is shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present disclosure.
The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such as a memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only (non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable (volatile) memories; magneto-optical or optical medium such as a disk or tape; and carrier wave signals such as a signal embodying computer instructions in a transmission medium; and/or a digital file attachment to e-mail or other self-contained information archive or set of archives is considered a distribution medium equivalent to a tangible storage medium. Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more of a machine-readable medium or a distribution medium, as listed herein and including art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which the software implementations herein are stored.
Although the present specification describes components and functions implemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standards and protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards and protocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switched network transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) represent examples of the state of the art. Such standards are periodically superseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentially the same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocols having the same functions are considered equivalents.
The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments, and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all the elements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use of the structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept if more than one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
