Patent Application
20070291914
The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.
An interactive, web-based mapping tool is disclosed that integrates data from diverse sources including: vendor supplied fiber data; internal fiber and pricing data; and external market research data. The research data includes street-level pricing information, cost of construction and margin requirements. The system provides a view for a single or multiple circuit bid showing the proximity of lit buildings, the distance from fiber routes to designated addresses, and identification of alternate business entities having fiber in a specific geographic area. The information is processed and presented geographically and in report format to enable a user to make pricing decisions based upon all available data. Point-and-click and query functions are used to permit the user to customize and limit the data displayed. The data can be presented globally, regionally, or at a state, or other designated level, based on user selections.
The disclosed system provides the ability to have a single view of a geographic area including: differentiation between wire center areas; location of switching offices and central offices; location of alternative business entity switch locations and central offices; identification of lit buildings and the business entities having fiber-enabled equipment in those building; differentiation between lit buildings; and identification of fiber routes. Additional functionality allows the user to: locate an address on the map and determine the proximity of a lit building or a fiber route to that address; calculate the distance between an address and another geographic feature such as a lit building, fiber route, wire center, or another address; create a customized pricing report that displays one or more circuits showing the serving wire center (SWC) for the A and Z locations; calculates and displays the distance between the SWCs and the distance to the nearest lit building to each of the A and Z locations; identifies companies with fiber equipment in or near each of the buildings identified by the addresses; calculates circuit level pricing using one set of rates; calculates circuit level pricing using other rates; calculates special construction pricing based upon an alternate providers current fiber availability and their cost to build out to the different locations; store, track, and analyze historical pricing information for a geographic area and produce win/loss reports; and integration of the disclosed system with other upstream and downstream systems.
The storage 108 may be configured to store parameters associated with the operation of the mapping system 100, such as initialization parameters, graphical elements, map primitives, data related to building, street, and geographical elements, or other system parameters. The processor 106 may comprise a microprocessor, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a network appliance, a mobile device processor, or other circuit devices adapted for use in the network resources mapping system 100.
The GUI 110 may include a computer screen interface configured to accept information from the input module 114 and transmit information to the display 112. The GUI 110 may include windows and screen display information for data entry, manipulation and display. The GUI 110 may include computer-executable code adapted to accept and process information, and to display output information. The GUI 110 may comprise a static form that is displayable on the display 112, an interactive dialog script, a database query screen, a web-based form, a client-server interactive form, or other graphical input and output module.
The display 112 may include a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display device, a lighted electronic diode display (LED), an organoluminescent electronic diode display (OLED), a field emission display, or other display device. The display 112 may also include printing output devices such as inkjet, laser printer, plotter, dot matrix, or impact printers.
The input module 114 may include tactile or haptic inputs such as touch screens, styli, keypads, keyboards, touch pads, a mouse, a light pen, joysticks, track balls, or pens. The input module 114 may also include a voice input module, such as a voice recognition/text-to-speech module (VR/TTS), with a microphone, for example. The input module 114 may also include a wired or wireless remote to interface with the GUI 110. Other input module 114 examples may be available.
The first business entity database 102 includes data related to wired circuit services, facilities, and pricing corresponding to a first business entity, such as a first provider of network services. Examples of data include wire center area information, a location of switching offices and central offices, identification of fiber-enabled, or lit buildings and fiber-enabled equipment in those buildings along with coordinates of lit and fiber-enabled buildings, a differentiation between lit buildings, identification of fiber routes, address information for fiber-enabled, or lit, buildings, switching offices and central offices, and fiber routes to an address. The data may correspond to geographical and/or regional levels, such as a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) level, a Local Access and Transport Area (LATA) level or other regional classifications. Other examples of data include product information, such as Digital Signal (DS)1, DS3, OC3 Point-to-Point (PTP), OC3 dedicated ring, OC12 PTP, OC12 dedicated ring, OC48 PTP, OC48 dedicated ring, OC192 PTP, and OC192 dedicated ring, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Frame Relay, or Ethernet wired circuit products, and billing rates and/or wholesale pricing data associated with each of the product types. The data may include mileage bands, per mile rates, central office node rates, and non-recurring or one-time charges. Contract terms, service level agreements, and other business parameters may be included in the first business entity database 102. The data included in the first business entity database 102 may include specifications of whether a fiber-enabled building or wired circuit resource is on-net (whether a specific building is fiber-enabled and accessible to the first business entity) or off-net (an un-lit building).
The alternative business entity database 104 may include data similar to the data contained in the first business entity database 102. As described above, the alternative business entity database 104 may include data related to wired circuit services, facilities, and pricing corresponding to a first business entity, such as a first provider of network services. The alternative business entity data may include street-level or other location level pricing information related to wired circuit services, such as DSL or Ethernet products related to the alternative business entity. Other examples of data include alternative business entity wire center area information, a location of alternative business entity switching offices and central offices, identification of alternative business entity lit buildings and fiber-enabled equipment in those buildings along with coordinates of lit and fiber-enabled buildings, a differentiation between lit buildings, identification of alternative business entity fiber routes, address information for fiber-enabled, or lit, buildings, alternative business entity switching offices and central offices, and fiber routes to an address. The data may correspond to geographical and/or regional levels, such as a MSA level, a LATA level or other regional classifications. Pricing data for different product types may also be included in the alternative business entity database 104. The first business entity database 102 and the alternative business entity database 104 may be combined in other embodiments, and the data contained within the databases may be organized differently or contain different information.
The first business entity database 102 and the alternative business entity database 104 may be stored in a computer-readable medium, such as a hard disk drive, disk-based media such as a compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), or floppy disk, or other volatile or non-volatile storage media. The first business entity database 102 and the alternative business entity database 104 may comprise structured query language (SQL) databases configured to store the data as structured records with the databases. The first business entity database 102 and the alternative business entity database 104 may further comprise component databases contained within the first business entity database 102 and the alternative business entity database 104 where the component databases are configured to store different datasets. The first business entity database 102 and the alternative business entity database 104 may be stored within the same medium or may be stored separately, such as in different servers or memory modules.
An alternative business entity database 104 is initialized, at block 204. As described above, the alternative business entity database 104 includes wired network services data related to the alternative business entity, such as pricing data and product availability of wired network services.
A network services mapping system 100 receives input data related to addresses and product types for a wired circuit network, at block 206. The mapping system may receive input through a GUI 110, using an input module 114. Other input mechanisms may be available, such as through an automated script, electronic mail request, or batch processing of a script or data file. A user enters the beginning address and end address for locations to connect a wired circuit between. The user also specifies the product type desired, such as a DSL product or an Ethernet product.
The input data is validated, at block 208. The mapping system 100 may determine if the input addresses are valid addresses, such as by checking a map database contained in the storage 108, or other map validation database. The mapping system 100 may determine if the input product type is supported by the first business entity or the alternative business entity. If the input data is not valid, the mapping system 100 prompts for valid data input, at block 210, such as by prompting through the GUI 110 using the display 112 or other output module available. The mapping system 100 may transmit an error message, or provide suggested corrections to the input data to allow valid data entry at block 206. Alternatively, the mapping system 100 may terminate if the input data is not valid.
If the input data is valid, the mapping system 100 determines wired circuits based on the input addresses and product type, at block 212. The mapping system 100 determines a location of switch locations and central offices related to the first business entity, and a location of switch locations and central offices related to the alternative business entity. The mapping system 100 determines a wire center area related to the first business entity and wire center related to the alternative business entity, if applicable. Building network wiring information related to the first business entity and building network wiring information related to the alternative business entity are determined and fiber route data related to the first business entity and fiber route data related to the alternative business entity are identified. Building network information may include whether the building is lit or un-lit, or whether the specific building is on-net or off-net.
The mapping system 100 may further determine a distance between a first address, received at block 206, and at least one of a geographic feature. The geographic feature may include a lit building, the fiber route, the wire center area, or a second address. The mapping system 100 determines the distance between serving wire centers to serve each end of the wired circuit based on the input address locations. The mapping system 100 locates the nearest building proximate a lit building associated with the first business entity, or a lit building associated with the alternative business entity.
After processing wired network data from the first business entity database 102 and the alternative business entity database 104, the mapping system 100 determines a wired circuit satisfying the input data conditions and the data accessed from the first business entity database 102 and the alternative business entity database 104. The mapping system 100 may store the wired circuit information in the storage 108. If more than one wired circuit is determined, or if multiple address pairs are received at block 206, a list of wired circuits may be stored or output to the GUI 110 or to the display 112.
The mapping system 100 generates pricing report data, at block 214, based on the data accessed from the first business entity database 102 and the alternative business entity database 104, and the wired circuit or wired circuit list determined at block 212. The pricing report data is based on wholesale product pricing information data associated with the received product information, address, and other related first business entity data. The pricing report data also is based on alternative business entity information associated with the received product type and address information. The mapping system 100 is configurable to create a customized pricing report data that displays one or more circuits showing the serving wire center (SWC) for the first address location and the second address locations. To generate the pricing report, the mapping system 100 calculates the distance between the SWCs and the distance to the nearest lit building to each of the first and second locations, identifies first business entity or second business entities with fiber equipment in or near each of the buildings identified by the addresses, calculates circuit level pricing data using one set of rates, and calculates circuit level pricing data using other rates, such as alternative business entity rates. The mapping system 100 may additionally calculate special construction pricing data based upon an alternative business entity current fiber availability data and cost to build out to the different locations.
The pricing report data may comprise a data file such as a text file, a graphical output file, a SQL database report, a web-based form, or other data file. The mapping system 100 may prompt a user to decide if a graphical output of the pricing report data is desired, at block 216. If a graphical output is desired, the mapping system 100 generates a geographical information systems (GIS) output file. The GIS file comprises layers of data associated with the wired circuit output, available wire centers, lit buildings, geographical features, coordinate information, and regional information. The GIS file may be displayed with a GIS program having a GIS graphical user interface, or the GIS file may be transmitted to the display 112 for output, at block 220. A user may interact with the GUI 110 to determine what layers, format, scale, or other display parameters to select in displaying the data.
If a graphical output is not desired, the mapping system 100 generates and outputs summary report data of SWCs, mileage, nearest lit buildings, and pricing components for the product type and address received at block 206 and processed at block 212. The summary report data includes pricing report information based on first business entity and alternative business entity information. The summary report data may be output to a display 112, a printer or plotter, stored in the storage 108, output to a computer-readable medium, or transmitted to an external storage or computer system. The summary report data may be accessible to a user through the GUI 110 as an interactive form, a dialog script, a web-based form, SQL query form or report, or other interactive report format.
The bidding amount data may be generated by the mapping system 100 alone, or may be adjusted by a user based on the above mentioned factors or other considerations. In some systems, the bidding amount data is transmitted to the display 112, while in other systems, the bidding amount data is stored in the storage 108, or transmitted to an external storage or computer system. In some systems, the bidding amount data is displayed in conjunction with the output GIS file described in
A user submits the bidding amount data to a customer, and it is determined whether the bidding amount data is accepted, at block 318. The bidding amount data may be submitted electronically, such as through an electronic mail message, an encrypted electronic delivery, through a web-based interface, a data file, or other electronic format. The bidding amount data may be submitted to the customer in a printed format, such as a printed report. Alternatively, the bidding amount data may be submitted to the customer orally. If it is determined that the bidding amount data is accepted, the mapping system 100 records the bidding amount data and result data associated with any geographical information for the product type and addresses, at block 320. The bidding result data includes data associated with the bidding amount data, such as customer comments, first business entity comments, adjustments to the bidding amount, or other bidding result information. If it is determined that the bidding amount data is not accepted, the mapping system 100 records the bidding amount data and a reason for rejection of the bidding amount data, if applicable. Information associated with the rejected bidding amount data may be recorded, such as customer comments, first business entity comments, or requests for more information by the customer or the first business entity.
In some systems, new pricing report data or bidding amount data is generated for submission to the customer after a rejected bidding amount. The process is iterated until either the customer accepts revised bidding amount data, or negotiations halt. In some embodiments, the mapping system 100 is configured to track win/lose reports based on the bidding results. The win/lose reports are stored in the storage 108, or transmitted to an external storage or external computer system. The win/lose reports may be associated with the GIS output file, or may comprise additional layers of GIS information displayable in the GIS output file.
The communications interface 510 may be a wired interface, such as a telephone dial-up, cable, DSL, or Ethernet communication network. The communications interface 510 may also be a wireless interface, such as a WiFi, cellular telephone, or Bluetooth interface.
The customer GUI 520 is coupled to the communications interface 510 and includes interface modules that allow a customer to enter input data, such as addresses for desired wired network services, and product type information. The customer GUI 520 includes display modules that display information input by the customer, or information transmitted from the mapping system 100, such as pricing reports, bidding amounts, and/or graphical output data. The customer GUI 520 includes graphical input and output elements, such as display windows, interactive dialog and query forms, or data verification display windows. In some embodiments, the customer GUI 520 is coupled to an input module 525. The input module 525 includes tactile or haptic input 526, such as keyboards, keypads, touch screens, touch pads, light pens, touch styli, joysticks, a mouse, a tablet input, or remote key input. The input module 525 may, in some embodiments, include a voice input module 527, such as a VR/TTS system and microphone inputs. The customer GUI 520 includes an output module 530, such as a display screen, printer, plotter, and/or audio output.
By providing a customer GUI 520 coupled to the mapping system 100, the mapping system 100 receives customer requests for wired network services, generates a pricing report and/or a bidding amount, and outputs graphical data files, such as GIS data files with layers associated with wired circuit location. A customer may conveniently access wired network service availability and pricing from remote locations.
Like the methods shown in
A “computer-readable medium,” “machine-readable medium,” “propagated-signal” medium, and/or “signal-bearing medium” may comprise any means that contains, stores, communicates, propagates, or transports software for use by or in connection with an instruction executable system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium may selectively be, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. A non-exhaustive list of examples of a machine-readable medium would include: an electrical connection “electronic” having one or more wires, a portable magnetic or optical disk, a volatile memory such as a Random Access Memory “RAM” (electronic), a Read-Only Memory “ROM” (electronic), an Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM or Flash memory) (electronic), or an optical fiber (optical). A machine-readable medium may also include a tangible medium upon which software is printed, as the software may be electronically stored as an image or in another format (e.g., through an optical scan), then compiled, and/or interpreted or otherwise processed. The processed medium may then be stored in a computer and/or machine memory.
It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that it is the following claims, including all equivalents, that are intended to define the spirit and scope of this invention.
