Method and system for notification of maintenance information using portable terminal and computer program product

A maintenance information providing server (Web server) 20 that transmits maintenance information to a portable terminal carried by a vendor or a customer is appended to the network management system (NMS) 21 supervising the network 2, server 20 on receipt of malfunction information from the NMS 21, notifying the malfunction to one or more pre-registered portable terminals (23, 13, 33) of a communication service purveyor, vendor or the customer.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a technique for maintenance and management of a network. More particularly, it relates to a method and a system applied with advantage to a maintenance service business for a network and to a computer program product installed on a computer system for performing the maintenance services.

BACK GROUND OF THE INVENTION

In communication services, typified by telephone, facsimile transmission and packet data communication, a variety of services are offered by a communication service provider, also termed a carrier, which is a communication business company for operating and managing a communication network2and a network management system (NMS) for monitoring state of the communication network2as shown for example inFIG. 13, wherein the communication network2, sometimes abbreviated to network, is such as ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network) which is made up of plural network equipments(NE) being interconnected.

The network equipment (NE) has such functions astransmitting signals;deciding a route for providing an interconnection; andtransmitting a received packet to a next network equipment.

A communication service provider is offering a portion of the network2to an Internet service provider, abbreviated to ISP, and to customers, such as enterprises gratuitously or non-gratuitously. Meanwhile, these customers are treated as end customers by the communication service provider and hence are also called end customers.

An ISP connects its own information processing system10, also termed IT system, such as an office LAN (local area network), by using for example a leased line through a CPE (customer premise equipment; an equipment for a protocol conversion) to the network2of the communication service provider to provide a variety of Internet services to customers.

An enterprise also connects is own IT system10through a CPE (customer premise equipment) to a network of the communication service provider to provide a variety of Internet services to an office system.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

If a malfunction occurs on a network of a communication service provider, the communication service provider is requested to recover the network as promptly as possible to maintain services for customers.

More specifically, should a malfunction, indicated by a mark X, occur in a network equipment NE21, as shown schematically inFIG. 14, a personnel in charge of maintenance in the carrier, after identifying a site of occurrence and contents of the malfunction, takes necessary steps for recovery.

Should the malfunction have occurred on network equipment itself, the communication service provider requests a vendor, which has furnished the network equipment to take necessary steps, such as maintenance operation.

A personnel in charge of maintenance in the carrier, who is going to request the network equipment vender to take necessary steps, contacts a call center32which is a reception office of the vendor responsible for claims pertinent to malfunctions, by using telephone, FAX or a pager (pocket bell). The call center32, thus contacted, communicates with a maintenance branch30as necessary to request the maintenance branch30to perform maintenance operations by telephone, FAX or a pager.

The maintenance branch30communicates with a technical branch that has designed or manufactured the network equipment as necessary to dispatch a personnel in charge of maintenance for recovering the malfunction to the site where the malfunction has occurred.

On the other hand, if an inquiry as to status of the malfunction is made by a customer to a call center22which is a reception office in the carrier responsible for claims pertinent to malfunctions, the call center22, after getting state of the malfunction by contacting a personnel in charge of maintenance in the carrier and verifying the state of the malfunction, makes a reply to the customer.

In a conventional network system, as described above, since transportation of information pertinent to a malfunction of a network equipment to the network equipment vendor or to customers is done by manual operation, and telephone call etc., the transportation of information is delayed to render it difficult to start recovery operation promptly after an occurrence of the malfunction.

Moreover, a fact that information of state and/or recovery process of a malfunction on a network cannot be furnished continually to a customer exploiting network services is not desirable since it means insufficient service to the customer.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and a system, a sever for providing maintenance information and a computer program product, each of which enables necessary maintenance information to be transmitted promptly to a network element vendor or to a customer on occurrence of a malfunction on a network.

For accomplishing the above object, in accordance of one aspect of the present invention, is provided a method for providing maintenance information of a network employing at least a portable terminal wherein on occurrence of a malfunction on the network the malfunction is notified to one or more pre-registered portable terminals from a maintenance information providing server which has acquired malfunction information of the network.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, on occurrence of malfunction in a network, the malfunction is notified from a maintenance information providing server to at least one of portable terminals of a group of portable terminals consisting of one or more portable terminals of maintenance personnel of the communication service providers for managing the network pre-registered in the maintenance information providing server, one or more portable terminals of maintenance personnel of the vendor of equipment making up the network and one or more portable terminals of personnel in charge of the customer connected to the network. This reduces the time involved in announcing the malfunction information to the maintenance personnel, but also renders it possible to execute network maintenance operation from a portable terminal.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, when the portable terminal accesses the maintenance information providing server, a password is input from the portable terminal. The maintenance information-providing server on receipt of the password authenticates the password and, if the result is valid, the malfunction information is transmitted to the portable terminal.

According to the present invention, the maintenance information providing server sorts the information to be notified to the portable terminal depending on which of the communication service provider managing the network, vendor of the network equipment and the customer belongs the portable terminal to transmit the so-sorted information.

According to the present invention, the information provided from the maintenance information providing server to the portable terminal is not limited to the network malfunction information, such that the maintenance information pertinent to testing and/or construction of the network may be provided to the portable terminal.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention is provided a system for providing network maintenance information comprising:

a network management system for managing a network; and

a maintenance information providing server for receiving malfunction information of the network acquired by said network management system, said maintenance information providing server comprising means for notifying the malfunction to one or more pre-registered portable terminals on receipt of said malfunction information.

According to the present invention, on occurrence of the malfunction in said network, the malfunction is notified from said maintenance information providing server to at least one of portable terminals of a group of portable terminals pre-registered in said maintenance information providing server, said group of the portable terminals being comprised of:

one or more portable terminals of one or more personnel in charge of a maintenance of a communication service provider managing said network;

one or more portable terminals of one or more personnel in charge of maintenance of a vendor of the equipment forming said network; and

one or more portable terminals of one or more personnel in charge of a customer connected to said network.

The maintenance information providing server preferably comprises means for connecting with a radio base station over a wireless connection link and notifies the malfunction to said portable terminal over a mobile communication network.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention is provided a maintenance information providing server apparatus for providing network maintenance information comprising:

means for receiving malfunction information acquired by a network management system monitoring a network comprised of a plurality of network equipment interconnected;

storage means having stored therein telephone number of a portable terminal and/or an electronic mail address of a maintenance personnel notifying the network malfunction; and

means for notifying the malfunction to a portable terminal of a maintenance personnel stored in said storage means by auto-dialing and/or transmitting an electronic mail to said portable terminal, on receipt of the malfunction information of said network maintenance information from said network management system, to notify malfunction.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention is provided a computer program product recorded on a computer readable medium for causing a computer constituting a maintenance information providing server to execute the steps of

(a) inputting malfunction information of a network acquired in a network management system monitoring the network comprised of a plurality of interconnected network equipment; and

(b) notifying the malfunction to a portable terminal of a maintenance personnel, a telephone number and/or an electronic mail address of said a portable terminal being stored in storage means by auto-dialing and/or sending an electronic mail to said portable terminal, on receipt of the malfunction information of said network from said network management system.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention is provided a computer program product recorded on a computer readable medium for causing a computer constituting a maintenance information providing server to execute the steps of

(a) inputting the malfunction information acquired in a network management system monitoring the network comprised of a plurality of interconnected network equipment;

(b) appending a URL (uniform resource locator) of the maintenance information to the network malfunction information to send resultant information by an electric mail to a portable terminal of a maintenance personnel notifying said network malfunction, said electronic mail address of the portable terminal of the maintenance personnel being stored in storage means;

(c) prompting inputting of a password when a browser of a portable terminal on receipt of said electronic mail specifies said URL to browse said maintenance information to authenticate the input password; and

(d) sending the malfunction information to said portable terminal if the result of password authentication indicates the maintenance personnel being valid.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In the following, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail. With a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a maintenance information-providing server20is added to a network management system (NMS)21which manages a network.

The maintenance information-providing server20provides information to a portable terminal, which is carried by a network equipment vendor or a customer. On receipt of malfunction information of the network sent from the NMS21, the maintenance information-providing server20provides notification of the malfunction to at least one portable terminal of pre-registered portable terminals13,23, and33.

The maintenance information-providing server20is preferably constructed as a Web server for providing malfunction information through the Internet to a terminal having a browser function.

The maintenance information-providing server20may well be constructed by implementing a function of providing maintenance information on a preset Web server. Alternatively, a dedicated server machine may construct the maintenance information-providing server20.

The maintenance information providing server20preferably comprises means for communicating by a wireless communication link with a base station which constitutes a part of a mobile communication network, and provides notification of malfunction information over the mobile communication network to a portable terminal. For example, the maintenance information-providing server20may be provided with a wireless modem.

The maintenance information providing server20is connected via an interface to a portable telephone terminal (i.e., a mobile station), and notifies malfunction information from the portable telephone terminal through a base station, public telephone network, and a mobile communication network to the portable terminal.

If the portable telephone terminal is a so called PHS terminal (personal Handyphone System), a computer (server) may be connected by e.g., PIAF (PHS Internet Access Forum Standard) to the PHS terminal, or a connection may be made to the portable telephone terminal with a preset commercially available adapter.

Alternatively, the maintenance information providing server20may be connected to a portable telephone terminal via a wireless LAN interface, such as Bluetooth, through which the maintenance information providing server20is connected to a mobile communication network.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, malfunction information may also be provided by an electronic mail from the maintenance information-providing server20to a portable terminal capable of accessing to the Internet.

In such case, plural electronic mails notifying malfunction information are sent (broadcast) simultaneously from the maintenance information-providing server to plural pre-registered portable terminals. Notification of malfunction information by an electronic mail and a telephone call to a portable terminal may well be used together.

On receipt of the notification of malfunction, by an electronic mail the portable terminal extracts a URL (uniform resource locator) of maintenance information transmitted by an electronic mail from the maintenance information providing server20and by specifying the URL, accesses to a malfunction information screen and/or a monitoring/controlling screen of the maintenance information providing server.

When the portable terminal tries to access a screen of the maintenance information providing server20, the maintenance information providing server20prompts the portable terminal to input a password and authenticates the password input from the portable terminal. If a result of authentication is proper, the maintenance information-providing server20transmits malfunction information to the portable terminal.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the portable terminal comprises a browser function of browsing Web servers on the Internet, or a function of processing the XML (extensible Markup Language) subset, and accesses over the Internet the maintenance information providing server operating as a Web server. Alternatively, the portable terminal may have mounted thereon a WAP (Wireless Access Protocol) which is a protocol for displaying contents on a portable terminal.

The maintenance information-providing server20, after sorting information to be included in a notification to a portable terminal, transmits the sorted information the portable terminal. The maintenance information providing server20sorts information depending on whether the portable terminal belongs to a communication service provider managing the network, a network equipment vendor or a customer.

On occurrence of malfunction in a network equipment, a vendor that has furnished the network equipment is notified of a request for taking steps (a request for maintenance services) and of contents of the malfunction, and for customers of an ISP (Internet service provider) or enterprises connected to the Internet, information on state of malfunction occurrence and/or recovery process of the malfunction is provided. Thus, by selecting information based on a type of destination to which the information is to be sent, security against information leakage is accommodated to enable necessary measures to be taken promptly.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, plural maintenance information providing servers may be installed. The plural maintenance information providing servers provide notification information on occurrence of malfunction to the communication service provider managing the network, the vendor of the network equipment and to customers connected to the network, respectively.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the maintenance information providing server20is connected to a network management server212of the network management system21accommodated in the communication service provider that manages and supervises the network, so that on occurrence of a malfunction on the network, malfunction information of the network acquired by the network management server212is transferred to the maintenance information providing server20.

Alternatively, the maintenance information providing server20may not be connected in an on-line connection to the network management server212of the network management system provided on the communication service provider managing and supervising the network, but the information on occurrence of a network malfunction may be input in an off-line mode to the maintenance information providing server20.

That is, a terminal21A of the maintenance information-providing server20may input the information on occurrence of the malfunction directly or through a recording medium. Still alternatively, the information on the occurrence of a malfunction may be received from a terminal211connected to the network management server through a network, such as LAN.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the maintenance information providing server20includes means (201,221ofFIGS. 1 and 12) for receiving information on a malfunction acquired in a network management system comprised of a network equipment and a network, storage means (204ofFIG. 11) having stored therein a telephone number and/or an electronic mail address of a portable terminal carried by a maintenance personnel who is to be notified of a network malfunction, and means (203ofFIG. 11) for notifying a malfunction by automatically dialing the portable terminal of the maintenance personnel stored in the storage means or by notifying the malfunction by transmitting an electronic mail, on receipt of information of the network malfunction from the network management system.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the maintenance information providing server20comprises means (207ofFIG. 11) for sorting information to be reported to a portable terminal and transmitting sorted information to the portable terminal (207ofFIG. 11), depending on to which of the communication service provider supervising the network, vendor of the network equipment and the customer connected to the network belongs the portable terminal. In such case, different screen information may be sent to the communication service provider, vendor and to the customer.

According to the present invention, the maintenance information providing server providing the malfunction information to a portable terminal having a browser function comprises storage means having stored therein an electronic mail address of a portable terminal of a maintenance personnel be notified of the network malfunction and further comprises:

(a) means for receiving the malfunction information acquired in a network management system for monitoring the network, comprised of network equipment and the network;

(b) means for appending URL of a site of storage of the maintenance information to a notification information on a network malfunction to transmit resulting information to a portable terminal of a maintenance personnel stored in the storage means;

(c) means for prompting inputting of a password when a browser of a portable terminal on receipt of said electronic mail specifies said URL to browse said maintenance information to authenticate the input password; and

(d) sending the malfunction information to the portable terminal if a result of password authentication indicates the maintenance personnel being valid.

The functions and process of the above means (a) to (d) in the maintenance information providing server20are realized by a computer program executed on a computer constituting the maintenance information providing server. In such case, the computer program may be read out from a recording medium having the program recorded thereon, such as a magnetic disc, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc, or semiconductor memory device, and executed on a computer to implement the maintenance information providing server of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to a configuration of management and supervision on a communication service provider (carrier) managing and supervising a network, but may be applied to various configurations as to a site of installing the maintenance information providing server20and a method for network management. For example, the maintenance information providing server20may be installed in a vendor supplying the network equipment or in a maintenance service business company other than the communication service provider or vendor, so as to be managed and supervised by the vender, the maintenance service business company, or other maintenance service business company.

A maintenance information providing server may be constructed in such way that by a function for providing maintenance information is installed on a pre-existing Web server instead of providing a dedicated server, so that the pre-existing Web server will be operated as a maintenance information providing server. In practicing the present invention, the portable terminal may also be a portable information terminal (Personal Digital Assistant) if the terminal can be connected for communication to a mobile communication network such as portable telephone (digital cellular) network or PHS network.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a maintenance information provided from the maintenance information providing server to the portable terminal is not limited to information on occurrence of a network malfunction, but a variety of network maintenance information may be provided with or apart from the information on the malfunction.

For example, information on test or construction of a network scheduled to be carried out may be provided from the maintenance information providing server to a portable terminal of a maintenance or construction personnel of the communication service provider, the vendor supplying the network equipment, maintenance service business company other than the communication service provider or vendor, or a construction undertaker. In addition, customers may be supplied with information on network testing, schedule of a construction, or state of progress of a construction or schedule of completion if the construction is currently underway.

For more detailed explanation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, certain preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1illustrates a system structure of a first embodiment of the present invention. Referring toFIG. 1, the system, in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, comprises a network2such as ISDN and a network management system (NMS)21for managing the network2. The network2comprises interconnected network equipments NE21to NE23, which are explained with reference toFIG. 13.

The network management system (NMS)21comprises a server212for managing the network (termed NMS server) which is connected to network equipment, for example, NE23and a NMS workstation211, which is connected to the NMS server212.

The NMS server2l collects data on operating state of the network equipment and/or the network2.

The NMS workstation211receives information from the NMS server212, displays the information on a display device, and sometimes operates as an input terminal for supplying information, such as an instruction, a command or a command file that is entered from an input device, such as a keyboard or mouse, to the NMS server212. These are managed and supervised by a communication service provider (carrier).

IT (information technology) systems of customers such as Internet service providers (ISPs) and enterprises, are connected to the network2through a CPE (customer premise equipment)11and a CPE12. ISP is connected to the IT systems10to provide a variety of Internet services to users, whilst the enterprises offer a variety of Internet services from the own IT system10to their employees.

The maintenance information providing server20is connected for communication to the NMS server212of the NMS211through a LAN or a direct channel connection to receive information on malfunction from the network management server212on occurrence of malfunction on the network2to send information on the malfunction to pre-registered portable terminal, which is a portable terminal23of the maintenance personnel of the carrier, a portable terminal13of the customer, or a portable terminal33of the vendor of the network equipment NE21to NE23.

Each of the portable terminals13,23, and33has a function of receiving information transmitted from the maintenance information providing server20and transmitting information to the maintenance information providing server20.

InFIG. 1, only three-network equipment is shown for simplicity in explanation. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and any suitable number of the network equipment NE may be used. The number of the NMS workstation211connected to the NMS server21also is not limited to one. Moreover, inFIG. 1, although only one portable terminal is provided respectively for the carrier, vendor and customer, this is only for the sake of illustration such that plural portable terminals may be provided for each of the carrier, vendor and the customer.

On occurrence of network malfunction, the maintenance information providing server20sends information, having same content as information received from the NMS21, to portable terminals of maintenance personnel of the carrier, vendor and customer, if such information is allowed to be sent in common in view of the contract contents such as obligations to confidence.

On the other hand, a customer is only notified of occurrence of malfunction on the network, a scheduled recovery time, and so forth, if it is prohibited from a contract between the vendor and the carrier, or otherwise is to be evaded to supply the customer with information such as information on details of malfunction of the network equipment and/or information on the network equipment vendor.

Moreover, if it is prohibited from a contract or otherwise is to be evaded to supply information on a customer who is connected to the network2to the vendor, customer information is not furnished to the vendor and only information on a network equipment suffering from malfunction (device number of the equipment, name of the equipment, installation site and status of the malfunction, that is status information) is furnished.

If plural network equipments are supplied from plural vendors, such as companies A and B, selection is made so that information on the malfunction of network equipment of the company B will not be transferred to the company A.

A portable terminal of maintenance personnel of the carrier may be supplied with all information from the maintenance information-providing server20. Alternatively, the portable terminal of maintenance personnel of the carrier may be provided only with only necessary information selected. For example, in case that plural malfunctions occur, information of a malfunctioned network equipment located in an area taken charge of by maintenance personnel is sent to the portable terminal of the maintenance personnel.

If the carrier, customer and the vendor does registration respectively on the maintenance information providing server20, the maintenance information providing server20selects information necessary for the carrier, customer and the vendor to provide the information to respective portable terminals, as shown inFIG. 2. That is, the customer is not furnished with the carrier insider information nor with information for the vendor, whilst the vendor is not furnished with information for the customer nor with the carrier insider information.

In this case, there is neither risk of customer information being disclosed to the vendor nor risk of carrier insider information being disclosed to the vendor or to the customer.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an incoming call announcement form, such as ringing tone, on an incoming call at a portable terminal, may be varied depending on seriousness (degree) of the malfunction. For example, the maintenance information providing server20may set information designating an incoming ringing form in a call setup message to a portable terminal.

The portable terminals13,23,33, made up of terminals of the portable telephone terminal (cellular-phone terminal) or PHS (Portable Handyphone System), comprises a browser function of displaying contents of an Internet Web server. The portable terminals are configured for utilizing a portable telephone terminal capable of displaying a picture information or text transmitted from the maintenance information-providing server20. Alternatively, the portable terminals13,23,33may be a portable information terminal (PDA;Personal Digital Assistants) capable of accessing the maintenance information providing server20.

The network equipment NE and/or network link can be operated from the portable terminal to enable remote maintenance diagnosis. More specifically, an arrangement may be made so that the network equipment NE and/or the network2can be operated from the portable terminals23and33within a range previously allowed by the carrier.

Referring toFIG. 1, the operation of the preferred embodiment is explained. Should some malfunction occur in the network equipment NE21, a site of occurrence and contents of the malfunction are sent as notification information to the NMS server212of the NMS (network management system)21. A site of occurrence and contents of the malfunction are sent as notification information from the NMS server212to the maintenance information-providing server20.

The maintenance information providing server20executes the notification to the portable terminals13,23, and33automatically or subject to instructions from the NMS workstation211operated by the maintenance personnel of the carrier.

The maintenance personnel of the carrier confirm the site of occurrence and contents of the malfunctions by the NMS workstation211to execute necessary measures.

If the site of occurrence of the malfunction is remote, a maintenance personnel from a service office located nearest to the site, checks the site of occurrence and contents of the malfunction with the portable terminal23and goes to the site of occurrence of the malfunction.

If some malfunction has occurred in network equipment, a vendor who has received a notice with the portable terminal33instructs maintenance personnel of a service office nearest to the site to visit the site for recovering the malfunction. The maintenance personnel carrying the portable terminal33may go to the site on receipt of a notification of occurrence of the malfunction.

The maintenance information-providing server20notifies the customer of information on a state of the malfunction and an outlook of recovery of the malfunction.

FIG. 3illustrates schematically communication sequences of the portable terminals23,33, and13with the maintenance information-providing server20in an embodiment of the present invention.

The maintenance information providing server20discriminates a pre-registered carrier, a customer and a vendor with e.g., an ID (identification information) code to notify a portable terminal of a party discriminated of the fact of occurrence of the malfunction. As aforementioned, the information necessary for the carrier, customer and the vendor is selected and provided to the respective portable terminal by the maintenance information-providing server20. A ringing tone at an incoming call on portable terminal, which is notified of the information, may be differentiated depending on a degree of seriousness of the malfunction.

When a password is entered from the portable terminal, which is notified of the malfunction, the maintenance information providing server20receives the password and authenticates the password and, if it is confirmed that the maintenance personnel is fully authorized, the maintenance information providing server20notifies the portable terminal of contents of the malfunction.

The maintenance personnel then go to a site or operate the network equipment or the network link from the portable terminal within a range permitted by the carrier.

FIG. 11shows an illustrative structure of the maintenance information-providing server20in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring toFIG. 11, the maintenance information providing server20comprises a malfunction information input unit201, for receiving a malfunction information acquired in the NMS21from the NMS server212, workstation211, an input device or from a recording medium to store the received information in a malfunction information storage unit202, a telephone number storage unit204which stores a telephone number of a portable terminal of a maintenance personnel to be notified of a network malfunction, and a transmission controller203for notifying the portable terminal of the maintenance personnel by auto-dialing when the malfunction information input unit201has received the malfunction information. The telephone number storage unit204stores a plurality of telephone numbers of plural portable terminals in case that plural personals should be notified of network malfunction. The password storage unit206also stores plural passwords corresponding to plural portable terminals in case those plural personals should be notified of network malfunction.

The maintenance information providing server20also comprises a password storage unit206for storing a password of a person holding a portable terminal, and a password authentication unit205which, when the portable terminal received an incoming notice and a password is input from the portable terminal, receives the password, such as pushbutton (PB) signal and collates a signal obtained by decoding to a digital code to a password stored in the password storage unit206by way of performing authentication.

In addition, the maintenance information providing server20comprises a malfunction information sorting unit207which, if the password authentication shows that the password entered is valid, sorts the malfunction information from the malfunction information storage unit202depending on whether the malfunction information for the portable terminal is destined for a carrier, a vendor or to a customer, and an information transmission unit208for transmitting the malfunction information which is selected by the malfunction information sorting unit207.

The information transmission unit208may comprises a wireless modem for communicating via q wireless link with a radio base station of a mobile communication network, or may be configured for being connected via an interface card to a portable terminal to have communication with the radio base station of the mobile communication network.

The information transmission unit208may also send detailed malfunction information to the portable terminal by an electronic mail. A state of the malfunction, an outlook for recovery and so forth may also be transmitted with speech guidance to the portable terminal of the customer. In this case, the speech information is automatically synthesized on the maintenance information-providing server20. The function of the units201to208in the maintenance information providing a computer program realizes server20executed on a computer200included in the maintenance information-providing server20. In such case, the functions of the maintenance information providing server20of the present invention may be realized by reading out the program from the recording medium holding the program, such as a magnetic recording medium, such as a magnetic disc, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc, or a semiconductor memory device and by executing the program on the computer200.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the maintenance information providing server is constructed as a Web server if the portable terminal has a function of accessing the Internet contents in place of the maintenance information providing server transmitting the malfunction information to the portable terminal over a telephone communication.

FIG. 12illustrates a structure of a Web server having a function of providing malfunction information to a portable terminal in an embodiment of the present invention.

InFIG. 12, the maintenance information providing server20comprises a malfunction information input unit221, a malfunction notification mail transmitting unit223, a password authentication unit225, a malfunction information sorting unit227, an information transmission unit228, and storage unit208′. The storage unit209′ comprises a malfunction information storage unit222, a mail address storage unit224, and a password storage unit226.

The malfunction information input unit221receives malfunction information, acquired by the NMS21, from the NMS server212, workstation211, input device or from the recording medium for storing the information received in a malfunction information storage unit222.

The mail address storage unit224holds an electronic mail address of a portable terminal of a maintenance personnel who is to be notified of malfunction on the network. The mail address storage unit224stores a plurality of electronic mail addresses corresponding to plural portable terminals in case that plural personals should be notified of network malfunction.

The malfunction notification mail transmitting unit223appends the URL (uniform resource locator) for specifying a location of the malfunction information (Web site) in the maintenance information providing server that holds the network malfunction notification to send the resulting electronic mail to the portable terminal of the maintenance personnel stored in the electronic mail address storage unit224.

The password storage unit226for storing a password of a person holds the portable terminal.

The password authentication unit225prompts (requests) a password input to a portable terminal, which receives an electronic mail notifying the malfunction, and specifies the URL by the browser of the portable terminal for browsing the maintenance information, and collates the input password to the password stored in the password storage unit226by way of performing the authentication.

The malfunction information-sorting unit227sorts the malfunction information according to the carrier, vendor and the customer.

The information transmission unit228send sorted malfunction information to corresponding portable terminal in case the result of password authentication has revealed that the maintenance personnel is valid.

The web server includes a wireless modem for communicating with a radio base station of a mobile communication network or is connected over a preset interface card to a portable telephone terminal to have communication with a radio base station of the mobile communication network via the portable telephone terminal.

The control of the respective units221to228of the maintenance information providing server20may be realized by a computer program executed on the computer200of the maintenance information providing server20. In such case, the functions of the maintenance information providing server20of the present invention may be realized by reading out the program from the recording medium holding the program, such as a magnetic recording medium, e.g., a magnetic disc, a magnetic tape, a CD-ROM, DVD (digital versatile disc) or a semiconductor memory, and by executing the program on the computer200.

In the configuration of the maintenance information providing server, shown inFIG. 12, transmission of an electronic mail to a portable terminal may be coordinated to notification (transmission) by a telephone call.

An arrangement is made so that the portable terminal has a function of browsing Web servers on the Internet, a function of processing a subset of HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) or a function of processing a subset o the XML (eXtensible Markup Language) to access the maintenance information providing server20operating as a Web server to browse detailed malfunction information as well as to set the network maintenance processing through the NMS21. In this case, the portable terminal owned by maintenance personnel may be a pre-existing portable telephone terminal having an Internet access capability compatible with such as i-mode service (NTT DoCoMo) and the conventional portable terminal may directly be utilized.

The malfunction information may be transmitted to the portable terminal of the maintenance personnel in a form of at least one or all of screen informations of name and location of a station where the malfunction has occurred, number and name of the malfunctioning device (network equipment), status information (error information) or supplementary information if necessary. The portable terminal may be arranged so that a light (LED) on the terminal is switched on and off in an appropriate manner to clarify an existence of the malfunctioning device.

As a graphical user interface (GUI) of the portable terminal, tables, buttons or character inputting may be made possible so that e.g., network maintenance operations may be set in an allowed range based on the inputting operation from the portable terminal.

Meanwhile, it is possible to implement WAP (wireless access protocol) which is a protocol displaying contents from a portable terminal.

The operation and effect of an embodiment of the present invention is explained. Since maintenance information of the network management system (NMS) can be provided to the maintenance personnel of the communication service provider (carrier), to the network equipment or to a network management system (vendor), on occurrence of a malfunction, an arrangement for a malfunction recovery can be made more promptly than in a case of making confirmation or request over telephone as was done in a conventional network system.

Moreover, state of occurrence of malfunction and/or information on recovery of the network malfunction can be provided to the customer to contribute to the customer service.

A second embodiment of the present invention is now explained.FIG. 4illustrates a system configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention. InFIG. 4, the present second embodiment differs from the previous embodiment shown inFIG. 1in eliminating the communication connection (on-line connection) between the NMS server212and the maintenance information-providing server20. That is, in the present second embodiment of the present invention, it is unnecessary to connect the maintenance information-providing server20to the NMS server212in a communication link.

It is only necessary for a maintenance personnel of the carrier to confirm the site of occurrence and contents of the malfunction at the NMS workstation211and subsequently input the site of occurrence and the contents of the malfunction from the work station211A which is connected to the maintenance information providing server20.

The site of occurrence and the contents of the malfunction are entered to the maintenance information-providing server20. And then from the workstation211A a command for executing notification of the malfunction to the portable terminals13,23and33is inputted to the maintenance information-providing server20. Alternatively, the NMS server212reads malfunction information recorded on a recording medium in the NMS server212to input the malfunction information in an off-line mode.

In the second embodiment of the present invention, as in the previous embodiment, the maintenance information providing server20is able to provide same information in common to the customer and the vendor in accordance with a command from the workstation211A or to select only necessary information to provide selected information. Alternatively, ringing tone at the portable terminal may be made to differ depending on degree of seriousness of the malfunction.

In this embodiment, it is unnecessary to implement a function (interface) of exchanging signals between the NMS server212and the maintenance information-providing server20to facilitate the server installation to enable a service to be started in a short time. Moreover, it is unnecessary for the NMS server212to have a software for transferring the malfunction information to the maintenance information providing server20to facilitate a structure as will as to contribute to reduction of load in a system of the NMS server212. It is also possible to transfer the malfunction information from the NMS workstation211through a LAN, not shown, to the workstation211A to cause the malfunction information to be transferred from the workstation211A to the maintenance information-providing server20.

A third embodiment of the present invention is now explained.FIG. 5illustrates a system structure of a third embodiment of the present invention. In the above-described first embodiment, one maintenance information providing server20is provided for providing maintenance information to a maintenance personnel of the carrier, vendor or to the customer. However, plural such servers may be used. That is, the present third embodiment includes a maintenance information-providing server220for providing information to the maintenance personnel of the carrier, a maintenance information-providing server230for providing the information to the vendor and a maintenance information-providing server210for providing the information to the customer.

These servers210,220and230are connected to the NMS server212, such that, on occurrence of malfunction, the malfunction information is transferred to the servers210,220and230. The malfunction information provided by the servers210,220and230to the carrier, vendor and to the customer differs from one server to another. With this system architecture, it is possible to distribute load and improve processing performance to enable prompt notification of the malfunction information.

A fourth embodiment of the present invention is now explained.FIG. 6illustrates a system structure of a third embodiment of the present invention. In the above-described first embodiment, the maintenance information-providing server20is provided as a dedicated server. In the present fourth embodiment, the maintenance information providing function of the maintenance information providing server20is added to the pre-existing Web server4for the carrier to perform a variety of information providing services to the users of the portable terminal in general.

In the above described fifth embodiment of the present invention, in which the pre-existing Web server4is used in the carrier, equipment investment is unnecessary.

A fifth embodiment of the present invention is now explained.FIG. 7illustrates a system structure of a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the maintenance information providing server20is installed in the vendor, whilst in the above-described first to fourth embodiments, the maintenance information providing server20is installed in the carrier. The vendor for the carrier performs a server management and supervision for providing maintenance information to the portable terminal gratuitously or non-gratuitously.

The carrier entrusts the management and supervision of the maintenance information-providing server to the vendor by outsourcing so as to be thereby emancipated from an equipment investment or management and supervision.

A sixth embodiment of the present invention is explained. The structure of the sixth embodiment of the present invention is the same as the fifth embodiment shown inFIG. 7. In the present sixth embodiment, the management and supervision of the maintenance information providing server in the fifth embodiment is carried out by a maintenance service undertaker other than the vendor (a business company who entered into a contract with carrier and the vendor as to maintenance contract and confidentiality). This operating mode can also achieve the object of the present invention.

A seventh embodiment of the present invention is now explained.FIG. 8illustrates a system structure of the seventh embodiment of the present invention. In the above-described seventh embodiment, the maintenance information providing server20installed on the vendor in the above-described fifth embodiment is implemented by adding a function of notifying maintenance information to predetermined portable terminals of the carrier, vendor and customers in accordance with the present invention to a pre-existing Web server4which is installed in the vender for performing information providing services to users. In this embodiment, as in the above-described fourth embodiment, no new equipment investment is needed because the pre-existing server4can be used.

An eighth embodiment of the present invention is now explained. In the present eighth embodiment of the present invention, the management and supervision of the maintenance information providing server is performed by a business company other than the vendor forte carrier gratuitously or non-gratuitously.

A ninth embodiment of the present invention is now explained.FIG. 9illustrates a system structure of the eighth embodiment of the present invention. In the present ninth embodiment, the maintenance information-providing server20for providing maintenance information is installed in a maintenance business company other than the carrier and the vendor. The management and supervision of the maintenance information providing service is performed by the maintenance service Business Company for the carrier gratuitously or non-gratuitously.

A tenth embodiment of the present invention is now explained. Referring toFIG. 9, with the present tenth embodiment, the management and supervision of the maintenance information providing server20installed in the maintenance service business company is executed by a maintenance service business company other than the maintenance service business company which has installed the maintenance information providing server20gratuitously or non-gratuitously.

An eleventh embodiment of the present invention is now explained.FIG. 10illustrates a system structure of the eleventh embodiment of the present invention. In the present eleventh embodiment, the maintenance information providing function is added to the Web server4, already installed in the maintenance service business company, by way of operating as the maintenance information providing server20installed in the maintenance service business company in the above-described ninth embodiment. In the present embodiment, as in the previous fourth embodiment, equipment investment is unneeded because the pre-existing Web server4is utilized.

In the twelfth embodiment of the present invention, the management and supervision of the maintenance information providing server20installed in the maintenance service business company may be performed by another maintenance service business company gratuitously or non-gratuitously.

A thirteenth embodiment of the present invention is hereinafter explained. The present thirteenth embodiment is applied to such a system in which, when an operation such as maintenance operations, e.g., network testing, network construction, such as extension, modification, renewal or periodical inspection, is to be performed on a network, necessary information, such as the information on the test, construction site, construction area or operating schedules, is notified from the maintenance information providing server that stores and holds the information to each portable terminal of a maintenance personnel or a personnel in charge of construction in the carrier, vendor, or maintenance service business company or to portable terminal of a personnel in charge of construction in a construction undertaking business company. Such an arrangement may also be made that the information on network test, construction schedule, state of progress and completion of the construction will be transmitted from the maintenance information-providing server to the customer.

In a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention, respective system configurations, explained in the first to twelfth embodiments, may directly be applied as a system configuration. The information pertinent to testing and construction of the network is notified from the maintenance information providing server20to each portable terminal, a telephone number and/or an electronic mail address of which have been previously registered in the maintenance information providing server20. Detailed information pertinent to testing and construction is furnished from the maintenance information providing server20to the portable terminal of the personnel in charge found to be proper as a result of an authentication of a password that is entered from the portable terminal and transferred to the maintenance information providing server20.

In this thirteenth embodiment, the maintenance information providing server20, by providing information pertinent to testing, periodic inspection and construction in addition to network malfunction information, can integrate update and management of the network maintenance information, and simplifies to realize a prompt furnishment of latest information to personnel in charge of maintenance and construction and customers.

A plurality of maintenance information providing servers may be provided and the network testing and construction information is provided by a maintenance information providing servers different from a maintenance information providing server providing the network malfunction information, as shown inFIG. 5. Alternatively, a function of providing information pertinent to the network testing and the construction may be implemented on a pre-existing Web server.

In the present thirteenth embodiment, information to be furnished is again sorted, as in the previous first embodiment, such that, for example, a customer information is not furnished to a personnel in charge of construction of a construction undertaking business company.

Meanwhile, the network is not limited to e.g., ISDN, but may be applied to any arbitrary network.

The present invention has so far been explained with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, these embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended for limiting the present invention. It is to be noted that the present invention comprises a variety of modifications and improvements that may be within the reach of those skilled in the art within the scope as defined in the claims.

The first meritorious effect of the present invention is that, since malfunction information of a network management system (NMS) can be immediately notified to maintenance personnel of a communication service provider (carrier), network equipment or to a network management system furnishing business company (vendor), an arrangement for malfunction recovery can be made more promptly than in the case of the making confirmation or request over telephone as was done in the past.

The second meritorious effect of the present invention is that sufficient satisfaction can be assured for customers by adopting a system configuration in which latest information such as information on state of occurrence of malfunction and/or information on recovery process of the malfunction is notified to the customer.

The third meritorious effect of the present invention is that increase in investment and development cost may be suppressed or eliminated by having a maintenance information providing function implemented on a pre-existing Web server. The present invention may be applied to a network management service business with marked effects to achieve outstanding practical advantages.

The fourth meritorious effect of the present invention is that the information pertinent to a network testing, schedule, status of the progress or completion of construction works can be furnished from a maintenance information providing server to a maintenance personnel of a communication service provider (carrier), a personnel in charge of maintenance or construction of a vendor of a network equipment, a undertaker of maintenance service or a construction undertaker, or of a customer so that an arrangement for construction can be made promptly. Moreover, information on a construction can be furnished to a customer to give sufficient satisfaction to the customer.

Also it should be noted that any combination of the disclosed and/or claimed elements, matters and/or items might fall under the modifications aforementioned.