Telecommunications providers often use buried facilities (fibers and cables) as part of telecommunications networks (e.g., cable TV, phone, internet, etc). The facilities are marked on physical maps and diagrams that may be provided to service technicians in the field. The maps and diagrams may be cumbersome to carry and organize, and are limited in the amount of information they can provide and in the geographical areas they can depict.
These and other drawbacks exist.
The present invention, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:
A system and method described here may include various embodiments for providing a dynamic display of buried facilities at a user device. The dynamic facility display may provide a view of buried facilities to the user of the user device based on the user's location, direction of travel, speed, etc. The buried facilities may include underground network cables. One or more servers may receive location data from the user device. The location data may include latitude, longitude, altitude, speed, direction of travel, etc. The one or more servers may compare the location data to a database of location points that have been previously associated with one or more buried facilities. The one or more servers may identify a buried facility that is within a predetermined distance of the user device's current location based on the location data. The one or more servers may return a response that provides a graphical representation of the buried facility on the user device. The graphical representation may be overlaid on a mapping application. The graphical representation may be overlaid on a head-mounted display. The graphical representation may include facility information, such as the name of the cable pair, the type of cable, the status, the transmission speed, splicing information, customer information, etc. The graphical representation may be updated at regular intervals as the location of the user device changes.
The description below describes interface modules, lookup modules, dynamic display modules, facility data modules, user devices, servers, data storages, and networks that may include one or more modules, some of which are explicitly shown while others are not. As used herein, the term “module” may be understood to refer to computing software, firmware, hardware, and/or various combinations thereof. It is noted that the modules are examples. The modules may be combined, integrated, separated, and/or duplicated to support various applications. Also, a function described herein as being performed at a particular module may be performed at one or more other modules and/or by one or more other devices instead of or in addition to the function performed at the particular module. Further, the modules may be implemented across multiple devices and/or other components local or remote to one another. Additionally, the modules may be moved from one device and added to another device, and/or may be included in both devices.
It is further noted that software described herein may be tangibly embodied in one or more physical media, such as, but not limited to, a compact disc (“CD”), a digital versatile disc (“DVD”), a floppy disk, a hard drive, read only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), as well as other physical media capable of storing software, and/or combinations thereof. The functions described as being performed at various components may be performed at other components, and the various components may be combined and/or separated. Other modifications also may be made.
User device 102 may be, for example, but not limited to, smartphone, a tablet computer, a head-mounted display, a cellular telephone, Session Initiation Protocol (“SIP”) phone, software client/phone, a laptop/notebook, a server, a module, a satellite phone, a personal digital assistant (“PDA”), a handheld PC, a handheld MP3 player, a handheld video player, a personal media player, a gaming device, a thin system, a fat system, a network appliance, and/or other mobile communication device that may be capable of transmitting and/or receiving data. Also, user device 102 may include one or more transmitters, receivers, and/or transceivers to transmit and/or receive one or more signals to and/or from other components depicted in
Network 108 may be a wireless network, a wired network, or any combination of wireless network and wired network. For example, network 108 may include one or more of a fiber optics network, a passive optical network, a cable network, an Internet network, a satellite network (e.g., operating in Band C, Band Ku or Band Ka), a wireless LAN, a Global System for Mobile Communication (“GSM”), a Personal Communication Service (“PCS”), a Personal Area Network (“PAN”), D-AMPS, Wi-Fi, Fixed Wireless Data, IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.15.1, 802.11n and 802.11g or any other wired or wireless network for transmitting and/or receiving a data signal. In addition, network 108 may include, without limitation, telephone line, fiber optics, IEEE Ethernet 802.3, a wide area network (“WAN”), a local area network (“LAN”), or a global network such as the Internet. Also, network 108 may support, an Internet network, a wireless communication network, a cellular network, or the like, or any combination thereof. Network 108 may be a 4G network that complies with the International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) specification. Network 108 may be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. Network 108 may be a LTE Advanced (LTE-A) network. Network 108 may be a Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e). Network 108 may be a Mobile WiMAX Release 2 (IEEE 802.16m) network. Network 108 may further include one, or any number of the exemplary types of networks mentioned above operating as a stand-alone network or in cooperation with each other. Network 108 may utilize one or more protocols of one or more network elements to which it is communicatively coupled. Network 108 may translate to or from other protocols to one or more protocols of network devices. Although network 108 is depicted as one network, it should be appreciated that according to one or more embodiments, network 108 may comprise a plurality of interconnected networks, such as, for example, a service provider network, the Internet, a broadcaster's network, a cable television network, corporate networks, and home networks.
The components depicted in
Data storage 120 may be network accessible storage and may be local, remote, or a combination thereof to the components depicted in
User device 102 may include a dynamic display application 104. Dynamic display application 104 may be a combination of software and hardware configured to provide an interface for user device 102 to exchange data with dynamic display server 110. Dynamic display app 104 may provide a map-like display on user device 102, as shown in
Underground facility 106 may comprise a bundle of underground network cables and fibers that provide telecommunications services to residences and businesses. Telecommunications services may include cable TV, phone, internet, etc. Underground facility 106 may have been previously installed by a service provider. Underground facility 106 may be associated with multiple location points, including, for example, location 106a and location 106b. When cables are placed in underground facility 106 (e.g., by technicians and/or engineers), those individuals may record location data associated with the location points of underground facility 106. The location data for each location point may be stored in data storage 120 and associated with one or more underground facilities. The location data may include GPS coordinates associated with each location point (e.g., location points 106a and 106b). The location data may include a physical address associated with each location point (e.g., locations 106a and 106b). Each underground facility may be associated with a plurality of location points in data storage 120. Data storage 120 may include facility data associated with each underground facility, as will be described in greater detail below in reference to
Dynamic display server 110 may include one or more devices, modules, and/or components for providing routing information for transmitting data over a network, such as, for example, an IP network and/or a PSTN. For example, dynamic display server 110 may be part of, or communicatively coupled to, network 108, and may receive data from user device 102. Dynamic display server 110 may include an interface module, a lookup module, a dynamic display module, and a facility data module as described herein in reference to
Interface module 202 may be configured to interface with user device 102. Interface module 202 may represent a network connection between a user device and dynamic display server 110. Interface module 202 may receive data from user device 102 and provide data to user device 102. The user of user device 102 may interact with interface module 202 using manual input (e.g., typing into a keyboard or keypad, etc.), voice input, touch screen input, graphical input (e.g., camera or camcorder) and/or any other method for inputting information or data to user device 102. Interface module 202 a dynamic facility display for user device 102. User device 102 may access interface module 202 via dynamic display application 104.
Interface module 202 may receive device location data from user device 102. User device 102 may transmit its device location data to interface module 202 in response to the user entering a command in dynamic display application 104. User device 102 may automatically and periodically transmit its device location data to interface module 202. The device location data may identify the current geographical location of user device 102. Device location data may include latitude, longitude, and altitude coordinates. Device location data my include a physical address. Device location data may include the current velocity of user device 102 (e.g., the speed and direction of travel), as measured by a gyroscope, compass, and/or accelerometer in user device 102 (e.g., if the user is traveling in a car).
Interface module 202 may provide the received device location data to lookup module 204, dynamic display module 206, and/or facility data module 208. Lookup module 204 may search data storage 120 for location points that are within a predetermined distance of the device location data received from user device 102. The predetermined distance may be based on the speed of user device 102. If user device 102 is moving at 60 mph, lookup module 204 may search for location points in data storage 120 that are within a 1 mile radius of the location of user device 102. In various embodiments, if user device 102 is moving at 80 mph, lookup module 204 may search for location points in data storage 120 that are within a 1.5 mile radius of the location of user device 102. In various embodiments, if user device 102 is stationary, lookup module 204 may search for location points in data storage 120 that are within a 0.5 mile radius of the location of user device 102.
Lookup module 204 may return a group of one or more location points that are within the predetermined distance of user device 102, based on the search of data storage 120. The one or more location points may be associated with one or more underground facilities (such as underground facility 106). For example, user device 102 may be within 100 feet of location 106a. Lookup module 204 may search data storage 120, compare the device location data associated with user device 102 with the location data associated with location 106a and determine that user device 102 is currently within 100 feet of location 106a. Based on this match, facility data module 208 may retrieve facility data associated with underground facility 106 at location 106a. Facility data may have been previously stored in data storage 120 and associated with underground facility 106 and/or with the various location points along underground facility 106. Facility data may include the type of cable (or cables) in underground facility 106, the name of the cable pair, the status of the cable pair, splice information, the name and address of a customer associated with the cable, the depth at which the cables are buried, the account number of the customer associated with the cable, and other information. The facility data may be associated with the specific location data for that portion of the underground facility (e.g., the facility data may change depending on the specific location along the underground facility). Facility data module 208 may retrieve facility data associated with other location points along underground facility 106 that are within the predetermined distance of the location of user device 102. For example, if location 106b is within 0.5 miles of user device 102, facility data module 208 may retrieve the facility data associated with location 106b.
Dynamic display module 206 may create a graphical representation of the underground facility based on the location data associated with the underground facility and the facility data. Dynamic display module 206 may provide the graphical representation to user device 102 via dynamic display application 104. In some embodiments, dynamic display application 104 may create the graphical representation using data received from dynamic display module 206. The graphical representation may be integrated with a map-like display on user device 102. The graphical representation may comprise a graphical representation of one or more underground facilities that are within the predetermined distance of user device 102. The graphical representation may be overlaid on a “birds-eye view” map-display, such as dynamic display 104a shown in
The graphical representation of underground facility 303, 304, 305, and 306 may include interactive selection points. The selection points may coincide with the location points for the underground facility. The graphical representation of the underground facility may be continuously selectable. The user may be able to select a portion of the underground facility and view facility data associated with that portion of the underground facility. As shown in
The graphical representation of each of the individual fiber cables may be selectable. For example, the user may select fiber cable 308. Facility data module 208 may provide the facility data associated with fiber cable 308. The facility data may include fiber cable details 312. The details may include the name of the cable pair (same as shown in summary details 310). The details 312 may include the specific cable number of fiber cable 308 (in this example, cable number 0016). The details may include the address associated with the terminal and binding posts. In this example, fiber cable 308 may be connected to the address of 12 Jonathan Way, Pa., 18977. The details may include the latitude and longitude coordinates associated with the selection point. This indicates the specific location of this portion of fiber cable 308 (in this example, latitude 40.30 and longitude −74.9). The details may include the speed of the fiber. The details may include the depth at which the cable is buried at a given location point.
The facility data may include customer details 314. Facility data module 208 may retrieve customer data associated with each fiber cable in each underground facility. This data may be stored in data storage 120. For a specific fiber cable, the customer details 314 may include the name or initials of the customer that is serviced by the cable. The details 314 may include contact information associated with the customer (e.g., a phone number, an email address, social media information, etc). The details 314 may include one or more account numbers associated with the customer. The details 314 may include a physical address of the customer (in this example, 220 Locust St, Pa.). The details 314 may include the customer's passive optical network (PON) view providing details of how optical splitters are used to enable the fiber service at the customer's premises. The details 314 may include details of the Optical Line Terminal (OLT), Optical Network Terminals (ONT), and the details of the fibers and splitters between them. In this way, a field service technician may view specific information associated with a buried fiber cable based on the technician's current location relative to the location of the fiber cable.
In various embodiments, the graphical representation of underground facilities shown in
In various embodiments, the graphical representation of the underground facility 306 cross-section shown in
In various embodiments, dynamic display module 206 may allow the user to filter the view shown in
At block 404, method 400 may receive device location data from a user device. The location data may be GPS coordinates and/or a physical address. In various embodiments, the device location data may further include the device velocity (e.g., speed and direction of travel). At block 406, method 400 may compare the device location data with stored location points. The stored location points may be associated with one or more underground facilities in a database. The stored location points may comprise location data (e.g., GPS coordinates and/or a physical address). The stored location points may be compared with the device location data to determine whether the device is within a predetermined distance of one or more location points in the database. The predetermined distance may vary based on the velocity of the user device. If the device is within a predetermined distance of the one or more location points, method 400 may proceed to block 408. Otherwise, method 400 may end. At block 408, method 400 may retrieve facility data and location data from the database associated with location points that were determined to be within a predetermined distance of the device location in block 406. The facility data may be data associated with an underground facility and/or one or more location points of the underground facility. Facility data may include the type of cable (or cables) in underground facility, the name of the cable pair, the status of the cable pair, splice information, the name and address of a customer associated with the cable, the depth at which the cables are buried, the account number of the customer associated with the cable, and other information.
At block 410, method 400 may provide a dynamic facility display for the user device. The dynamic facility display may include a graphical representation of one or more underground facilities associated with the retrieved location data and facility data from blocks 406 and 408. The graphical representation may be provided on a map-like interface on the user device. The graphical representation may be provided on a street-view interface on the user device. The graphical representation may be overlaid on a head-mounted display of the user device, based on which direction the head mounted display is facing. The graphical representation may include a three-dimensional representation of the one or more underground facilities, based on the location data and facility data associated with the location points from blocks 406 and 408. Embodiments of the graphical representation are shown in
The user may be able to view facility data associated with a specific location along the underground facility, as shown in
The various computing devices above (including phones and network equipment), generally include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions may be executable by one or more processors. Computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted from computer programs created using a variety of programming languages and/or technologies, including, without limitation, and either alone or in combination, Java™, C, C++, Visual Basic, Java Script, Perl, etc. In general, a processor or microprocessor receives instructions, e.g., from a memory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes these instructions, thereby performing one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein. Such instructions and other data may be stored and transmitted using a variety of computer-readable media.
Databases, data repositories or other data stores described herein, such as the data storage 120, may include various kinds of mechanisms for storing, accessing, and retrieving various kinds of data, including a hierarchical database, a set of files in a file system, an application database in a proprietary format, a relational database management system (RDBMS), etc. Each such data store is generally included within a computing device employing a computer operating system such as one of those mentioned above, and are accessed via a network in any one or more of a variety of manners. A file system may be accessible from a computer operating system, and may include files stored in various formats. An RDBMS generally employs the Structured Query Language (SQL) in addition to a language for creating, storing, editing, and executing stored procedures, such as the PL/SQL language mentioned above.
In the preceding specification, various preferred embodiments have been described with references to the accompanying drawings. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto, and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing from the broader scope of invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.
With regard to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It further should be understood that certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments, and should in no way be construed so as to limit the claims.
Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent upon reading the above description. The scope should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the technologies discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the application is capable of modification and variation.
All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those knowledgeable in the technologies described herein unless an explicit indication to the contrary in made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to 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 various embodiments 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.