Abstract: Methods and systems for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop. One embodiment includes acquiring at least one type of information selected from information from a Dynamic Network Analyzer or information from a Loop Facilities and Control System. Another embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of customer information associated with copper line pairs and service information associated with copper line pairs. Still another embodiment describes a system including software modules communicating with a communications network. Software modules include a Dynamic Network Analyzer module and a Loop Facilities and Control System module. A database interfaces with the Dynamic Network Analyzer module and with the Loop Facilities and Control System module. A processor is also included, and the processor is capable of processing information stored in the database and of generating proactive maintenance.

Abstract: A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks for a communication system. The method includes storing proactive maintenance tasks and searching the tasks using at least one search criteria. Deletion of a proactive maintenance tasks is permitted if the proactive maintenance task has not been sent to a technician dispatch module which dispatches proactive maintenance tasks to technicians. Exclusion of proactive maintenance tasks is permitted if the proactive maintenance task has been sent to the technician dispatch module.

Abstract: A method for creating and maintaining threads of communications comprises accepting an electronic-communication call from a caller, determining if the caller is a new or previous caller by determining if a prior-caller user identification is contained within a call-receiving system, responsive to determining that the caller is a new caller assigning a new-caller user identification to the new caller and assigning a unique thread identification for communications related to a new issue, and responsive to determining that the caller is a known previous caller verifying a known-caller user identification and determining whether the known previous caller is calling about a new issue. Responsive to determining that the known previous caller is calling about a new issue, the method further includes assigning a unique thread identification to the new issue.

Abstract: Calculating, detecting, observing, and validating operating characteristics, conditions, and metrics, especially quality of service metrics, of a system. The quality of service metrics are reported and utilized to manage the service. The various elements of the system for generating the quality of service metrics are integrated, with the same or substantially the same schema and metadata in the databases management systems of the externalized metric configuration data database, and the raw transaction data database. There is extensive code reuse, with the various engines, as the standard requirements methodology engine and thee standardized extensible calculation engine utilizing the same classes or objects, and as appropriate, the same function calls, interfaces, api's, and the like.

Abstract: An arrangement analyzes a plurality of call detail records from multiple sources and find those records related to multiple attempts to set up a particular user's call(s). The call detail records are filtered to establish an understanding of fault location likely to be responsible for what is deemed to be a defective call.

Abstract: A method and device for recording call failure information in a data transmission system is provided. The failure logs generated in response to a failure event include a failure type and a first timestamp. A log record is created for a first failure log based on the failure type, and storied in a log record storage. Whenever a further failure log is generated in response to the same failure event, the further failure log includes said failure type and a current timestamp, so that it will receive the same identifier. The log record is updated to document the current timestamp.

Abstract: A system, method, and media for managing messages, comprising a status push application in communication with a trouble ticket database and a work force administration and control system, the status push application being enabled to detect a status change for a trouble ticket associated with the trouble ticket database and further enabled to selectively push a message to one or more external and potentially non-compatible systems in response to detecting the status change.

Abstract: A network administration system for triggering commands in response to receipt of error logs, comprising a user interface for programming execution sets of commands in association with predetermined error logs, and means for receiving error logs and for each of the predetermined ones of the error logs triggering execution of the commands in the execution sets.

Abstract: An outage reporting method and system are disclosed for a telecommunications system. The outage reporting system includes a processor to record a data element value. The data element value indicates a type of outage that occurred in the telecommunications system, such as an administrative or network outage. The data element value can be sent to a network management system for use by the telecommunications provider, for example, to determine whether or not the telecommunications user should receive a refund.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for correlating work orders. One embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring new work order information representing a new work order. The new work order information is searched for at least one correlation parameter. A database of existing work orders is also searched for the at least one correlation parameter. The new work order information is grouped with existing work order information that shares the at least one correlation parameter and that has a date and time stamp within a predetermined interval of a date and time stamp of the new work order. The process, therefore, correlates the new work order with an existing work order having the at least one correlation parameter and a similar date and time stamp.

Abstract: A network administration system includes an Internet-based repair (eRepair) subsystem that is configured to accept customer trouble tickets related to a network and to provide customer trouble ticket status information to customers. The administration system also includes a Work Force and Administration-Control (WFA/C) subsystem that is configured to manage repair services that are performed on the network in response to the customer trouble tickets. A repair status update system, method and/or computer program product is configured to automatically push a status change message from the WFA/C subsystem to the eRepair subsystem upon occurrence of a change in a status of a customer trouble ticket in the WFA/C subsystem as a result of repair services that are performed on the network. The customer trouble ticket status information is updated in response to receipt of the status change message.

Abstract: Methods and systems for proactively maintaining Digital Loop Carriers and a telephone system local loop. One embodiment for proactively maintaining a Digital Loop Carrier in a telephone system local loop includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring status information associated with the Digital Loop Carrier. Proactive maintenance is predicted based upon the status information. The status information may be weighted. The status information may also be combined with information from a Dynamic Network Analyzer and information from a Loop Facilities and Control System. The embodiment may also generate and dispatch work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance. A further embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring at least one of customer information associated with copper line pairs, service information associated with copper line pairs, and status information associated with a Digital Loop Carrier.

Abstract: Processes and systems are disclosed for screening a work order to diagnose and to isolate trouble in a telephone system. One embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring work order information, the work order information representing the work order. The work order information may be annotated with at least one of a date, a time, and an origin of the work order. The work order information is filtered for a screening criteria, with the screening criteria having a corresponding action. The work order information is updated according to the corresponding action, with the corresponding action updating at least one of a telephone system status code, a telephone system route code, and a narrative portion describing the telephone system. The process screens the work order for known indications of trouble in the telephone system.

Abstract: Methods and systems for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop. One embodiment includes acquiring at least one type of information selected from information from a Dynamic Network Analyzer or information from a Loop Facilities and Control System. Another embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of customer information associated with copper line pairs and service information associated with copper line pairs. Still another embodiment describes a system including software modules communicating with a communications network. Software modules include a Dynamic Network Analyzer module and a Loop Facilities and Control System module. A database interfaces with the Dynamic Network Analyzer module and with the Loop Facilities and Control System module. A processor is also included, and the processor is capable of processing information stored in the database and of generating proactive maintenance.

Abstract: Processes and systems are disclosed for creating and for managing trouble tickets and work orders. One embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and receiving a request to create a trouble ticket. The trouble ticket is created to investigate a problem with a communications system. The trouble ticket is assigned a work item number, with the work item number including a telephone number experiencing the problem with the communications system. The trouble ticket is tracked, from initial creation to final closure, using the assigned work item number.

Abstract: A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks for a communication system. The method includes storing proactive maintenance tasks and searching the tasks using at least one search criteria. Deletion of a proactive maintenance tasks is permitted if the proactive maintenance task has not been sent to a technician dispatch module which dispatches proactive maintenance tasks to technicians. Exclusion of proactive maintenance tasks is permitted if the proactive maintenance task has been sent to the technician dispatch module.

Abstract: A performance of a telecommunication feature for a telecommunication customer is monitored. Based on the monitored performance, if an estimate of future performance of the telecommunication feature for the telecommunication customer is determined to be unfavorable, the telecommunication customer is informed of same.

Abstract: A secondary source of dispatch information is provided in the event of a failure of a primary source of dispatch information. The second source of dispatch information can be accessed electronically by service technicians in the field when the primary source of dispatch information fails so that service technicians do not have to contact operators in a central office to obtain the dispatch information. The secondary source of dispatch information can distribute the dispatch information in a number of ways including e-mail, web and other methods.

Abstract: The invention includes a system and method for tracking errors, the system residing on a user's desktop communicating with a central database over a network. The system comprises an error log including error recording tools for enabling the user to record an error; error resolution tools for enabling the user to resolve the error; and error follow-up tools for enabling a user to follow up on resolved errors; error reporting tools for enabling a user to generate error reports from the user's desktop; and communication tools for enabling the user to transmit logged errors to the central database and to receive reports generate from errors logged in the central database.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for assembling a line record for a customer's telephone number. One embodiment communicates with a communications network and acquires, in real time, at least one of i) information associated with the customer's service, ii) facility information associated with the customer's service, and iii) information associated with equipment used by the customer. The acquired information is assembled as the line record. An alternative embodiment communicates a request, over a communications network, for the line record. This alternative embodiment acquires, in real time, at least one of customer information from a Customer Record Information System, facility information from a Loop Facility Assignment Control System, and equipment information from a switch system. The acquired information is assembled as the line record, wherein each request for the line record is comprised of fresh data.

Abstract: A method for automatically testing elements in a telecommunications network. An automated testing protocol is initiated based on the notification of a network event. When test results are received from the automated testing protocol, a trouble ticket is automatically opened containing the test results. The trouble ticket is then routed to the appropriate party. In embodiments of the invention, test results are logged, a database is queried to determine if the event has occurred previously, the trouble ticket is prioritized based on the severity of the event, and a time stamp is placed on the trouble ticket. The automated testing protocol and the event correlation database can be accessed through a graphical user interface. Multiple automated testing modules can be integrated into a single graphical user interface. Users can log in to prevent interference among users.

Abstract: Methods and systems for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop. One embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring information associated with pressure or flow sensors along fiber optic cables. Proactive maintenance of the fiber optic cables is predicted using the information associated with pressure or flow sensors. The embodiment may further include generating and dispatching work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance. The embodiment may also include predicting proactive maintenance of telephone lines using information from a Dynamic Network Analyzer and using information from a Loop Facilities and Control System. Another embodiment includes a system for predicting proactive maintenance of a telephone system local loop. This embodiment includes a Pressure Alarms and Reports System Module, a database stored in memory, and a processor.

Abstract: Methods and systems for proactively maintaining Digital Loop Carriers and a telephone system local loop. One embodiment for proactively maintaining a Digital Loop Carrier in a telephone system local loop includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring status information associated with the Digital Loop Carrier. Proactive maintenance is predicted based upon the status information. The status information may be weighted. The status information may also be combined with information from a Dynamic Network Analyzer and information from a Loop Facilities and Control System. The embodiment may also generate and dispatch work order information describing the predicted proactive maintenance. A further embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring at least one of customer information associated with copper line pairs, service information associated with copper line pairs, and status information associated with a Digital Loop Carrier.

Abstract: A method of managing proactive maintenance tasks for a communication system. The method includes storing proactive maintenance tasks and searching the tasks using at least one search criteria. Deletion of a proactive maintenance tasks is permitted if the proactive maintenance task has not been sent to a technician dispatch module which dispatches proactive maintenance tasks to technicians. Exclusion of proactive maintenance tasks is permitted if the proactive maintenance task has been sent to the technician dispatch module.

Abstract: A remote site managing system manages, in a unified fashion, computers and peripheral devices installed at a customer site. The remote site managing system automatically receives information indicating a failure which has occurred or indicating a high possibility that a failure will occur in some of PC/servers or peripheral devices installed in a customer's office and provides maintenance services without causing a customer to be concerned about anything. Furthermore, transmission of a request to a maintenance service company and reception of a service operation report from the service company are performed by the remote site managing system in an unified fashion.

Abstract: A Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) administration system includes an Internet-based repair (eRepair) subsystem that is configured to accept customer trouble tickets related to the PSTN via the Internet and to provide customer trouble ticket status information to customers via the Internet. The administration system also includes a Work Force and Administration-Control (WFA/C) subsystem that is configured to manage repair services that are performed on the PSTN in response to the customer trouble tickets. A repair status update system, method and/or computer program product is configured to automatically push a status change message from the WFA/C subsystem to the eRepair subsystem upon occurrence of a change in a status of a customer trouble ticket in the WFA/C subsystem as a result of repair services that are performed on the PSTN. The customer trouble ticket status information is updated in response to receipt of the status change message.

Abstract: Systems of operating a telecommunications contracting company are described herein. The systems generally includes introducing a business structure to the telecommunications contracting company, introducing field operations to the telecommunications contracting company, introducing office administration to the telecommunications contracting company, introducing customer service to the telecommunications contracting company, introducing a centralized management structure comprising: research and development, setting standards, and measuring results in relation to the standards set and requiring implementation of the introduced concepts for the company.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining when to close a problem case associated with a machine that includes identifying at least one failure condition associated with the problem case, determining whether the failure condition is repeated after a recommended fix instruction is executed and closing the problem case if the failure condition does not repeat within a predetermined amount of time after the fix instruction has been executed. The machine may be a remote machine such as a locomotive and electronic data indicative of the failure condition may be transmitted from the remote machine to a control center over a telecommunications medium such as the Internet. The control center may include a processor for managing the electronic data that may be transmitted from a plurality of remote machines.

Abstract: A control interface for linking a computer supported telephony application with a PBX switch utilizing CSTA protocols utilizes ActiveX properties, methods, events, and pages to access all of the events and services provided by the CSTA protocols. Common paradigms such as Invoke—ID and timers are built in to the interface. The interface further provides statistics and diagnostics via property pages.

Abstract: Methods and systems for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop. One embodiment includes acquiring at least one type of information selected from information from a Dynamic Network Analyzer or information from a Loop Facilities and Control System. Another embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of customer information associated with copper line pairs and service information associated with copper line pairs. Still another embodiment describes a system including software modules communicating with a communications network. Software modules include a Dynamic Network Analyzer module and a Loop Facilities and Control System module. A database interfaces with the Dynamic Network Analyzer module and with the Loop Facilities and Control System module. A processor is also included, and the processor is capable of processing information stored in the database and of generating proactive maintenance.

Abstract: A control interface for CSTA protocols utilizes ActiveX properties, methods, events, and pages to access all of the events and services provided by the CSTA protocols. Common paradigms such as Invoke—ID and timers are built in to the interface. The interface further provides statistics and diagnostics via property pages.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for performing diagnostics and gathering statistics in computer supported telephony applications includes a control interface for CSTA protocols which utilizes ActiveX property pages to collect and display statistics and diagnostics. According to the preferred embodiment, Active X properties, methods, events, and pages are used to access all of the events and services provided by the CSTA protocols. Common paradigms such as Invoke—ID and timers are built in to the interface.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for automatically generating common paradigms in computer supported telephony applications (CSTA) protocols includes a control interface for CSTA protocols utilizes ActiveX properties, methods, events, and pages. Common paradigms such as Invoke—ID and timers are built in to the interface. The interface further provides statistics and diagnostics via property pages. According to the preferred embodiment, the interface is able to access all of the events and services provided by the CSTA protocols.

Abstract: A method for managing a plurality of failures in a video and data network is provided. The method includes discovering a failure in the video and data network. The discovered failure is the root cause of the failure. Next, the root cause failure is correlated with the plurality of failures to determine related failures generated as a result of the root cause failure. The related failures are then suppressed. One or more user's affected by the root cause failure are determined. If the root cause failure is automatically resolvable, the root cause failure is automatically resolved.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus is disclosed for capturing call processing failures in a telecommunication system occurring at a telecommunication switch control processor as the failures occur. The system includes a computing system adapted for communicating with the telecommunication system. The computing system includes one or more computers having one or more processors for executing logic instructions; a memory associated with the computing system for storing the instructions; a storage device adapted for communicating with the computing system for storing data; and a communication device associated with the computing system for establishing a communication link between the computing system and the telecommunication system.

Abstract: A system and method for a monitor process is disclosed. The monitor process manages, directs, and retains a record of the output from software applications and the tasks associated with such output. The monitor process does so by determining which notification messages output by the software applications do not match notification messages stored within a system monitor's message database. The monitor process then analyzes the non-matching notification messages using a rule set to determine an appropriate severity and contact list for each message. The monitor process then relays the non-matching notification messages to members of the contact list along with the message's appropriate severity. The monitor process may also be used to assist and encourage members of the contact list to update the system monitor's message database with the non-matching notification messages.

Abstract: A hybrid fiber coax (HFC) network management system and method for managing an HFC network having network elements operable for communicating telephony, data, and video signals with customer-premises equipment (CPE) of a subscriber. The HFC network management system includes an HFC network manager for monitoring status and configuration of the network elements and the CPE and for controlling configuration of the network elements and the CPE. A database is operable for storing data indicative of the configuration of the network elements and the CPE and the assigned capacity of the network elements. An online provisioning application link (OPAL) is operable for provisioning network elements with CPE based on the assigned capacity of the network elements to enable communication of telephony, data, and video signals between the HFC network and the CPE. A fault manager is operable for generating displays of the status and configuration of the network elements and the CPE.

Abstract: A method and system for use in a central office (CO) having network elements for communicating information between a central office technician (COT) stationed within the CO and network element monitoring personnel or monitoring center stationed remote from the CO. A local area network (LAN) having a hub stationed remote from the CO and a fiber communication line connected to the hub is provided. The fiber communication line has one end extending to the hub and the other end extending within the central office. The hub is operable for communicating with network element monitoring personnel stationed remote from the CO. A node transceiver is coupled to the other end of the fiber communication line within the central office. A wireless transceiver is operable with the node transceiver for providing a communication link between a COT stationed within the CO and the network element monitoring personnel stationed remote from the CO via the local area network.

Abstract: An outage reporting method and system are disclosed for a telecommunications system. The outage reporting system includes a processor to record a data element value. The data element value indicates a type of outage that occurred in the telecommunications system, such as an administrative or network outage. The data element value can be sent to a network management system for use by the telecommunications provider, for example, to determine whether or not the telecommunications user should receive a refund.

Abstract: Processes and systems are disclosed for managing a request for a test of a communication system. One embodiment communicates with a communications network and acquires the request. The request may be annotated with at least one of a date, a time, and an origin of the request. The embodiment formats the request with testability data desired by a test system conducting the test of the communication system. The formatted request is submitted to the test system, and then the results of the test are acquired. The embodiment distributes the results, wherein the process manages requests and results for tests of the communication system.

Abstract: Methods and systems for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop. One embodiment includes acquiring at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of information from a Dynamic Network Analyzer and information from a Loop Facilities and Control System. This information is stored in memory, and the stored information is combined. This method may also include predicting proactive maintenance based upon the combined information. Another embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of customer information associated with copper line pairs and service information associated with copper line pairs. The acquired information is stored in memory and combined to predict proactive maintenance of the telephone system local loop. Still another embodiment describes a system including software modules communicating with a communications network.

Abstract: An alarm mechanism is provided. The alarm mechanism includes a hardware component and a software component. The hardware component includes first and second registers. The first register is adapted to store a value that indicates a change in state of at least one alarm and the second register is adapted to store current states of each of the at least one alarm. The software component is responsive to interrupt requests from the hardware component and is adapted to read the first and second registers.

Abstract: Methods and systems of managing proactive maintenance tasks for a telephone system local loop. One embodiment includes predicting local loop proactive maintenance tasks, storing local loop proactive maintenance tasks, and searching the tasks using at least one search criteria. The at least one search criteria could include at least one of Proactive Maintenance Application number, Trouble Ticket Number, area code, status, Wire Center, district, manager, and supervisor. The at least one search criteria could also include at least one of technician, date, address, description, technician narrative, disposition code, priority, intermediate status code, work code, authorization, cable, and line pair. The embodiment also permits sorting and editing the local loop proactive maintenance tasks.

Abstract: A method for analyzing automatic line insulation testing data comprising receiving an electronic version of ALIT test results and parsing the ALIT test results to extract error data. The error data is inserted into an ALIT database. The ALIT database includes one record for each exception located in the error data and each record includes: a wire center attribute, an exception date attribute, a facility number attribute, a cable attribute, a pair attribute, a repair package attribute, a maintenance analyst name attribute, a trouble message attribute, a telephone number attribute, a tea attribute and a test result attribute. The number of exceptions per wire center occurring on a selected summary date is calculated in response to receiving a summary request from a user. The summary request includes the selected summary date and input to the calculating is the selected summary date and the ALIT database.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for utilizing existing systems and components in a cellular network for managing network functionality to reduce event pressure between managers and agents. In accordance with the preferred embodiments of the invention, a filter, an event counter module, and a performance measurement module, all residing on the agent, perform event notification filtering, counting, and thresholding in the agent. In accordance with the preferred embodiments, only an alarm is sent to the manager from the agent if event notifications exceed a threshold that is established by the manager on the agent.

Abstract: A method and structure for discovering problem resolution in a helpdesk data set of problem tickets is based on using an enumerated set of phrases that have been identified as indicating diagnosis, instruction, or corrective action. A count of these phrases is then obtained and used along with any accompanying structured information to score each problem ticket. The tickets are then sorted so that the most useful problem tickets appear first.

Abstract: A method and system for logging debugging information for a communication connection includes receiving a user initiated signal indicating a problem with a communication connection. In response to at least the user initiated signal, a type of debugging information not previously logged for the communication connection is logged for the communication connection.

Abstract: A method of generating a tree hierarchy display of error logs received from network devices and applications, each of the logs including a brief description of error cause and predetermined higher level ones of the logs being created in response to generation of predetermined combinations of lower level ones of the logs in accordance with user defined rule set criteria. The method comprises the steps of generating a user interface for entering explanations associated with predetermined ones of the error logs, storing the lower level ones of the logs used in meeting the rule set criteria, and displaying a tree hierarchy of the logs for any fully satisfied rule set criteria by attaching links between the logs in relation to the rule set criteria.

Abstract: A Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) administration system includes an Internet-based repair (eRepair) subsystem that is configured to accept customer trouble tickets related to the PSTN via the Internet and to provide customer trouble ticket status information to customers via the Internet. The administration system also includes a Work Force and Administration-Control (WFA/C) subsystem that is configured to manage repair services that are performed on the PSTN in response to the customer trouble tickets. A repair status update system, method and/or computer program product is configured to automatically push a status change message from the WFA/C subsystem to the eRepair subsystem upon occurrence of a change in a status of a customer trouble ticket in the WFA/C subsystem as a result of repair services that are performed on the PSTN. The customer trouble ticket status information is updated in response to receipt of the status change message.

Abstract: Methods and systems for proactively maintaining a telephone system local loop. One embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and acquiring information associated with defective line pairs. Proactive maintenance is predicted based upon the information. The information associated with defective line pairs may be weighted and combined with information from a Dynamic Network Analyzer or with information from a Loop Facilities and Control System. Work orders describing the predicted proactive maintenance may be generated and dispatched.