Patent Application
20090217097
1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to telecommunications networks and, more particularly, installation and repair services for telecommunications networks.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of telecommunications, installation and repair encompasses a wide variety of services including the testing and benchmarking of installed or otherwise existing connections, configuring connections for a selected speed, resetting user passwords, customer equipment configuration, and other services.
In the following description, details are set forth by way of example to facilitate discussion of the disclosed subject matter. It should be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the field, however, that the disclosed embodiments are exemplary and not exhaustive of all possible embodiments. Throughout this disclosure, a hyphenated form of a reference numeral refers to a specific instance of an element and an un-hyphenated form of the reference numeral refers to the element generically or collectively. Thus, for example, widget 12-1 refers to an instance of a widget class, which may be referred to collectively as widgets 12 and any one of which may be referred to generically as a widget 12.
Many I&R services are deployed on legacy computing systems including legacy mainframe systems and legacy server systems. Field service technicians, on the other hand, are most frequently located at customer premises and only have direct access to a laptop or similar computing device. The disclosed subject matter encompasses a web server that includes software to support a remotely accessible web portal for installation and repair services in conjunction with a telecommunication service provided to a customer by a provider. The software includes instructions to provide a first I&R user interface, including a plurality of selectable I&R objects in response to a first input from a remote field device, receive a second input from the remote field device indicating a user's selection of one of the I&R objects, generate a request to invoke an I&R test or application in response to receiving the input, transmit the request to invoke the I&R test or application to an I&R system, receive I&R data generated by the I&R test or application from the I&R system, and convey information indicative of the I&R data to the remote field device. The I&R data might, in some cases, include an indication of a result or completion of the I&R test or application.
Referring now to the drawings,
RFD 102 is operable to establish a communication connection with I&R portal web server 110. In the embodiment depicted in
At least some portion of the connection between RFD 102 and I&R portal web server 110 may be implemented using a layered or tunneled virtual private network (VPN) 120. VPN 120 as shown overlays public network 115, which may represent or include the Internet. VPN 120 represents a network that provides a desired functionality for an I&R user group. VPN 120 ensures a secure connection between RFD 102 and I&R portal web server 110. In the depicted embodiment, RFD 102 includes a wireless interface operable to establish wireless connection 162 with base station 164 using a cellular network technology.
I&R portal web server 110 as shown in
In the depicted embodiment, a local loop 152 connects customer premises equipment (CPE) 105 to a DSL access multiplexer (DSLAM) 150. In the depicted embodiment, DSLAM 150 is physically located in a central office (CO) 151 of a service provider. In other embodiments, DSLAM 150 may be located remotely from CO 151 to provide DSL access to customers that might not be located sufficiently close to a CO 151.
CPE 105 may include hardware used by a customer or other user to establish a broadband network connection. In some implementations, CPE 105 includes a digital customer line (DSL) modem, often connected to a combination router and gateway device. The router/gateway device may implement wireless technology to establish a wireless local area network in the customer applicable residence and/or business. CPE 105, as suggested by its name, generally resides in close proximity to a customer's physical location such as the home of a consumer customer or the business of a business customer.
In some embodiments, I&R portal web server 110 provides an interface that enables RFD 102 to access and invoke A&T tools 140 directly, i.e., without the assistance of an intervening human or other type of agent. Historically, filed I&R personnel needed to call CO 151 or a customer support service (not depicted) to obtain information and/or execute certain tests. For example, field service technicians have historically required the assistance of personnel located at a provider's central office or other location to initiate line test and/or manage the configuration of a customer's account. Using RFD 102 and I&R web portal server 110, communication network 100 as depicted in
A&T tools 140 may include resources for managing the customer's account, testing the customer's network connection, and/or configuring the customer's network connection. Using portal web server 110 and RFD 102, I&R field personnel are enabled to initiate and perform I&R services independently.
In some embodiments, A&T tools 140 represent legacy resources for testing a customer's broadband connection, managing the customer's account and/or user profile, and other resources and applications that may be required or desired to support the services provided to the customer. Additional detail of an embodiment of A&T tools 140 is provided below.
In some embodiments, RFD 102 is implemented as a notebook computer or other hand held or mobile computing device. Selected elements of an embodiment of RFD 102 are depicted in
Storage 210 may store computer executable instructions and/or computer accessible data structures. In the depicted embodiment, instructions embedded or otherwise included in storage 210 include instructions representing an operating system 211 and instructions representing a web browser 212. Operating system 211 may be implemented with any of various Unix®-based or Windows®-based operating systems from Microsoft. Web browser instructions 212 may be implemented with any of various conventional web browser applications such as an Apache® web browser.
I/O adapter 230, as depicted, provides an interface between various use I/O devices including a keyboard 231, a mouse or pointing device 234, and a video display 232. Network adapter (NIC) 220 facilitates communication between RFD 102 and portal web server 110 via base station 164. Network adapter 220 may be implemented as a wireless network adapter. In some embodiments, for example, wireless network adapter 220 is operable to support a cellular connection with cellular base station 164.
Referring now to
Storage 310 may include instructions that are executable by processor 301 and data that is accessible to processor 301. The instructions represented in the depicted embodiment of storage 310 include instructions for an operating system 311, a web server 312, and a web server application or extension identified as I&R portal 314. Operating system 311 may be any suitable or conventional operating system including any suitable Unix® or Unix-like operating system and any Windows®-based operating system. Web server 312 represents a general web server application such as an Apache web server. The I&R portal 314 represents a set of web pages and/or a script called by web server 312 that implement the I&R portal application as described herein.
Referring to
Portal engine 420 processes requests from an RFD 102 or other end user and may serve a set of one or more user interface web pages 422 to the requester. Portal engine 420 may also generate and transmit requests for A&T tools 140 and receive and process responses and other messages from A&T tools 140. The I&R portal 314 may support multiple RFDs 102, in which case, portal engine 420 and/or web server 312 may include functionality to associate messages received from A&T tools 140 with the applicable requests from RFDs 102.
The I&R portal 314 may, as an example, provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to RFD 102 containing one or more selectable objects when RFD 102 accesses I&R portal web server 110. When RFD 102 sends a GUI action such as selecting a button or other menu object, portal engine 420 may receive the action and respond by generating a request for a test or application and transmitting the request to A&T tools 140. Portal engine 420 may further detect a message from A&T tools 140 that includes information pertaining to the request. In the case of a request to perform a test, for example, the response from A&T tools 140 may include the test results. Portal engine 420 may then interpret the results and/or generate a message containing information indicative of the results or a conclusion derived from the results and transmit the message to RFD 102.
Referring now to
In the depicted embodiment, method 500 includes a block for responding (block 502) to receipt of an initial message, referred to as an initiate session request, from RFD 102 by returning an I&R main menu GUI. Method 500 then loops or monitors until a user selection is detected (block 504) in the form of a user action taken with respect to main menu GUI.
Method 500 as depicted includes responding (block 506) to receiving a selection input indicating an action selected by RFD 102 by initiating the selected action. Initiating the selected action, in some cases, may include generating a request message indicating the action to be taken and transmitting the request message to A&T tools 140. For example, in the context of an embodiment of A&T tools 140 specific to digital customer line (DSL) applications and tests, a user of RFD 102 may select a benchmark test from the main menu GUI. Method 500 as depicted may respond to the RFD's selection of a benchmark test by requesting A&T tools 140 to initiate a DSL benchmark test. When the appropriate resource within A&T tools 140 executes and completes the benchmark test, A&T tools 140 may then send a message to I&R portal web server 110 containing the results of the benchmark test. Method 500 as depicted includes I&R portal web server 110 and/or I&R portal 314 receiving (block 508) the data that is indicative of a result of the action that was initiated, e.g., the result of the requested benchmark test.
The depicted embodiment of method 500 supports a user selectable option for receiving test results. In the depicted embodiment, method 500 determines (block 510) whether the user of RFD 102 has elected to be electronically paged (block 512) when test results are received or whether the user of RFD 102 has elected to view the results via the I&R main menu. (block 514).
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
In some embodiments, I&R portal main menu 701 is accessed when RFD 102 logs into the VPN 120 illustrated in
I&R portal main menu 701 includes various selectable menu objects including fillable fields and various buttons corresponding to various applications and tests and to various user preferences. For example, the depicted embodiment of I&R main menu 701 includes a field 712 for entering a job number and a field 714 for entering a telephone number (TN) for the DSL connection being serviced. The I&R main menu 701 as shown also includes support for a user preference regarding delivery of test results. Specifically, I&R main menu 701 as shown includes mutually exclusive buttons 716 and 718 for indicating whether the user of RFD 102 is to be paged (button 716) when a test result is available or whether the user wishes to view the results manually (button 718).
I&R portal 314 and I&R portal main menu 701 provide the option for the user to manually review the results of the functions they have initiated. When the I&R portal user (the user of RFD 102) imitates a test or other action by clicking the “OK” button 722 with manual test results button 718 asserted, I&R portal 314 will queue the requested test or action to be processed and refresh I&R portal main menu 701. The refreshed I&R portal main menu 701, and example of which is depicted in
Above the list 752 of transactions, the depicted embodiment of I&R portal main menu 701 includes a “Refresh Status” button 770. Clicking button 770 causes I&R portal 314 to retrieve and display the current status of the listed transactions. In the depicted embodiment, transactions have one of four status types, namely, “Pending,” “In Process,” “Complete,” or “Failed.” In some embodiments, the I&R portal user can retrieve results for listed transactions having a “Complete” or “Failed” by clicking on the Job ID field 758 of the applicable transaction.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that one of the most frequently requested transactions in a DSL I&R environment is the DSL benchmark test. A DSL benchmark test measures parameters including upstream and downstream capacity, noise margin, signal attenuation, and speed. In conventional provider networks, a benchmark test for a DSL connection is hosted on a mainframe or other legacy system of the provider. When a field technician needs to benchmark a customer's line, the field technician makes a telephone call to a call center or service support center and makes a verbal request to initiate the benchmark test.
The I&R portal 314 alleviates the inconvenience and wasted time associated with making service center calls each time a particular test is desired. As shown in the embodiment depicted in
Whenever the RFD user clicks the OK button 722, I&R portal 314 identifies the transaction that has been specified and, when applicable, generates and transmits a request to initiate the transaction to application and test tools 140.
In some, embodiments, I&R portal 314 posts Benchmark Line readings directly to a log file each time a benchmark transaction is initiated. In addition, I&R portal 314 may display the results of a benchmark transaction, for example, when the user clicks on a completed benchmark transaction from the transaction list 752 of
I&R portal 314 supports on-demand speed upgrades and profile management. The embodiment of main menu 701 depicted in
I&R portal 314 also supports profile management in via profile management button 726 in I&R main menu 701. The illustrated embodiment of I&R portal main menu 701 presents a profile management GUI in response to an RFD user selecting the profile management button and clicking the main menu OK button 722.
Another transaction that frequently requires field technicians on conventional networks to call a call center or service support center is the password management transaction. I&R portal 314 addresses the number of password reset calls field technicians would be required to make by enabling the field technician to initiate a password request using RFD 102. As depicted in
Some embodiments of I&R portal 314 support functionality enabling RFD users to post notes to a work force administration/control (WFA/C) system. I&R main menu 701, for example, includes a disable WFA/C button 730 that, when clicked, suspends the posting of WFA/C notes. When an RFD user clicks button 730 and then clicks OK button 722, some embodiments of I&R portal 314 present the user with a WFA/C GUI 706, an example of which is depicted in
The depicted embodiment of I&R portal 314 supports field-initiated end user data lookup (EUDL) requests. I&R main menu 701 includes an EUDL button 732 that enable the RFD user to initiate an EUDL request. When an EUDL request is initiated, by clicking EUDL button 732 and then clicking I&R main menu OK button 722, the illustrated embodiment of I&R portal 314 presents an EUDL GUI 707 to the RFD user. An exemplary EUDL GUI 707 is depicted in
I&R portal 314 may further support various types of metallic testing functions. Metallic testing generally refers to tests on the physical layer, local loop, or last mile of a DSL connection. I&R main menu 701 as depicted in
I&R portal 314 further supports functionality enabling the RFD user to transfer a job from one group to another group within the provider's enterprise. I&R main menu 701, for example, includes a set of buttons 738 enabling the RFD user to specify which of various groups to a send a job to. The set of buttons 738 illustrated in
The above disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present disclosure is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.
