Abstract:
A wireless PMP network may be operated, maintained, provisioned, and administered using a graphical user interface that provides access to operation, maintenance, provisioning, and administration (OAMP) functions for the wireless PMP network comprising N by M nodes. Users are allowed to select from a plurality of offered views of the PMP network. The user navigates the PMP network using user selectable display elements and may be allowed to selectively switch the user selectable perspective at any user selectable display element. In addition, a user may be allowed to selectively traverse from a first user selectable display element representing a first network node of the N by M nodes to a different OAMP perspective of that node, to another node of the N by M nodes, or the like, or a combination thereof. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope of meaning of the claims.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to user interfaces for viewing, navigating, and manipulating two dimensional networks. Data protocols for communication are known as “layers,” each layer representing a predefined set of communications system functionality. In certain wireless communications systems, networks of components use one or more data communications layers to form a point to multipoint (PMP) data communication system such as a PMP cellular system. These PMP systems are well known and have been in use for many wireless systems, both on the ground, in cellular mobile systems and broadband systems, as well as satellite to ground (VSAT) systems.  
           [0002]    The advantage of a PMP network is its simplicity. Base stations transmit in a certain frequency and time slot (TDMA) over a predetermined broadcast receipt area, or “sector.” Base stations are typically installed in a location at an elevation sufficient to provide a required line of sight to all customers. Cellular phones and other cellular receivers are referred to as “nodes,” where each node communicates with a base station sectoral transceiver.  
           [0003]    A fully meshed graphical interface allows navigation within the interface in a two dimensional manner. The user may navigate horizontally, e.g. from a hub base station perspective out to remote units, or vertically, e.g. navigating between a provisioning, operation, administration, or maintenance perspective. The user can navigate vertically, or horizontally at any time.  
           [0004]    However, as networks grow in complexity and size, e.g. numbers of elements the comprise the network, viewing and managing the network becomes more complicated and ungainly, such as for operate, maintain, provision and administer (OAMP) functions for the network. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    The features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a schematic of a PMP network OAMP system of the present invention;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is an exemplary initial GUI display of a GUI display of the present invention;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method of use of the present invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is an exemplary screen of a GUI display of the present invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 is a further exemplary screens of a GUI display of the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 is a further exemplary screens of a GUI display of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7 is a further exemplary screens of a GUI display of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 8 is a further exemplary screens of a GUI display of the present invention; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 9 is a further exemplary screens of a GUI display of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]    Referring now to FIG. 1, graphical user interface  10  (GUI  10 ) is useful for operate, maintain, provision and administer (OAMP) functions for system  1  comprising wireless point to multi-point (PMP) network  100  comprising N by M nodes  120 , and computer  5  operatively connected to OAMP software  7  capable of providing OAMP functions for PMP network  100 . OAMP system  7  may be software executing entirely or partially within computer  5 . For example, portions of OAMP software  7  may be software executing in computers other than computer  5 , e.g. computer  3  which communicates with computer  5  over local area network  8 , computer  4  which communicates with computer  5  over PMP network  100 , or the like, or combinations thereof. As will be familiar to those of ordinary skill in the computer arts, computer  5  further comprises display  9  on which GUI  10  is displayed.  
         [0016]    As shown in FIG. 1, in a wireless mesh network, broadband wireless networks have the potential of delivering a multitude of services to customers at diverse locations. As millimeter wave transmission depends on line of sight between communicating transmitters and receivers, network operators may build a network, e.g.  100 , which covers large topographical area and offer connectivity services to customers in line of sight relation in a region, e.g. sectors  130 ,  131 ,  132 .  
         [0017]    Point to multipoint wireless systems (“PMP” systems) are based on series of base stations  120   a , 120   b , 120   c  with sectoral transmitters and receivers covering cells split into sectors  130 , 131 , 132  which include customers, e.g. such as  120   b , whose transceivers are facing towards a sectoral antenna of a base station, e.g.  120   a ,  120 ,  120   c.    
         [0018]    Referring now to FIG. 2, GUI  10  comprises one or more user selectable display regions  20 , such as  20   a ,  20   b , and  20   c , displayed on display  9  (FIG. 1) and a plurality of user selectable display elements  30 , e.g.  30   a ,  30   b ,  30   c ,  32   a ,  32   b , and  32   c . As used herein, a user selectable display element  30  may be an icon, a picture, a hypertext link, a button, a graphical element, a selectable area of a screen display, or the like. User selectable display element  30  may relate to a predetermined node  120  (FIG. 1) of the N by M nodes  120  to graphically depict a user selectable portion of PMP network  100  on display  9 .  
         [0019]    A user selectable portion of PMP network  100  may be presentable in a plurality of views using GUI  10 . In a preferred embodiment, GUI  10  is fully meshed to allow navigation within GUI  10  in a two dimensional manner. The user may navigate horizontally, e.g. from a perspective of base station  120   a , 120   b , 120   c  (FIG. 1) out to remote units, e.g.  120   d  (FIG. 1), or vertically, e.g. navigating between a provisioning, operation, administration, or maintenance perspective. The user can navigate vertically or horizontally at any time.  
         [0020]    User selectable display elements  30  may be representative of hardware, such as a chassis (FIG. 4), air link performance, billing information, and the like. Further, the user may be allowed to select a perspective such as users in sector  130 , 131 , 132  (FIG. 1) of PMP network  100 , relative location of remotes in a sector, , e.g.  120   d  in sector  131  (FIG. 1), capacity of a sector, e.g.  130 , 131 , 132 , real time performance of a sector, e.g.  130 , 131 , 132 , and the like.  
         [0021]    In an embodiment, GUI  10  may logically aggregate base stations and a predetermined number of remotes which are complements of that base station, e.g. base station  120   b  (FIG. 1) and remote  120   d  (FIG. 1), as a complete network for display.  
         [0022]    User selectable display elements  30  may also be used to control one or more views of PMP network  100 , e.g. user selectable display elements  30   a ,  30   b , and  30   c . The plurality of views may include a chassis view selectable such as with user selectable display element  30   a , a radio frequency (RF) coverage view selectable such as with user selectable display element  30   b , a customer view selectable such as with user selectable display element  30   c , or the like, or combinations thereof.  
         [0023]    In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of user selectable display regions  20 , e.g.  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , may be displayed as either overlapped user selectable display regions  20 , cascaded user selectable display regions  20 , one or more partially hidden user selectable display regions  20 , and the like.  
         [0024]    Additionally, OAMP perspectives may be selected for display using GUI  10  where the OAMP perspectives may include a fault management perspective, a performance perspective, an administration perspective, a configuration perspective, or the like, such as by using user selectable display elements  30 .  
         [0025]    In a preferred embodiment, wireless PMP network  100  may include network  100  operating in the millimeter wave frequency spectrum, a time division multiple access system for communicating data in a frame format, a time-division duplex system, an adaptive time division duplex system, a network having dynamically variable data density within a frame, a network with a dynamically configurable forward/reverse ratio, or the like, or combinations thereof.  
         [0026]    In the operation of an exemplary embodiment, referring now to FIG. 3, wireless PMP network  100  may operated, maintained, provisioned, and administered using GUI  30  by operatively connecting computer  5  (FIG. 1) to operate, maintain, provision and administer (OAMP) software  7  (FIG. 1) capable of providing OAMP functions for wireless PMP network  100 , step  200 .  
         [0027]    Data regarding a predetermined set of N by M nodes  120  are then gathered, step  210 , and user selectable display region  20  on the display  9  is initiated, step  220 , such as with an initial display (an example of which is shown in FIG. 2). For example, a use may be allowed to select from a plurality of offered views of the PMP network  100 , e.g. as shown in FIG. 2, a chassis view, an RF coverage view, and a customer view may be presented for the user to select via user selectable display elements  30   a ,  30   b , and  30   c . A user may further be allowed to view a customer perspective, e.g.  30   c  (FIG. 2) to selectively aggregate a plurality of user selectable display elements  30  to be configured for a predetermined customer.  
         [0028]    A first plurality of user selectable display elements  30  are then displayed, step  230 , where user selectable display element  30  may relate to a node  120  of the N by M nodes  120 , to graphically depict a user selectable portion of PMP network  100  on display  9  (FIG. 1) in a user selectable perspective of PMP network  100 , e.g. one of  30   a ,  30   b , and  30   c  (FIG. 2).  
         [0029]    Referring to FIG. 4, access to a user selectable display element  30  representative of a predetermined portion of hub, e.g.  120   b  in FIG. 1, may be provided when a predetermined alarm condition exists for the predetermined portion of the hub, e.g. in display region  20   c . User selectable display element  30  for such a predetermined portion of the hub may be viewable at all times from all perspectives  30   a ,  30   b ,  30   c  (FIG. 2) when the predetermined alarm condition exists for the predetermined portion of the hub. In alarm conditions, a user may be further allowed to select a predetermined user selectable display element  30 , e.g. one representative of a predetermined portion of the hub. In response to the selection, GUI  10  may invoke a predetermined function relating to a condition giving rise to the alarm.  
         [0030]    In addition, a second plurality of user selectable display elements  30  may be provided, such as in display region  20   e , where the second plurality of user selectable display elements  30 , e.g.  30   d  and  30   e , are related to a history of the user&#39;s selection of user selectable display elements  30  from the first set of user selectable display elements  30 . If present, a user may be allowed to select a user selectable display element  30   d , 30   e  of the second plurality of user selectable display elements  30  whereupon GUI  10  returns to a previously selected user selectable display element  30  and its context or view based on the selected user selectable display element  30   d , 30   e  of the second plurality of user selectable display elements  30 . In an embodiment, the second plurality of user selectable display elements  30   d , 30   e  are displayed in a display region  20  separate from the first set of user selectable display elements  30 , e.g. region  20   e.    
         [0031]    A user may be allowed to selectively switch a user selectable perspective at any user selectable display element  30 . In addition, a user may be allowed to selectively traverse from a first user selectable display element  30  representing a first network node  120  of the N by M nodes  120  to a different OAMP perspective of that node  120 , to another node  120  of the N by M nodes  120 , or the like, or a combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the user may select a user selectable display element  30  that causes a linkage to occur to the other view, e.g. to a universal resource locator (URL) referenced HTML page.  
         [0032]    When navigating PMP network  100  using GUI  10 , a user may be allowed to selectively switch selective navigation from hub chassis to remote via air link. For example, the user can traverse laterally from base station  120   a , 120   b , 120   c  (FIG. 1) out to a specific remote or remote port, e.g. remote  120   d  (FIG. 1), but at any time traverse vertically between the administration, provisioning, operation, or maintenance view of the then present node, such as by selecting an appropriate user selectable display element  30 .  
         [0033]    In a exemplary embodiment, a user may be presented with an initial view in GUI  10 , e.g. as shown in FIG. 2. As exemplified in FIG. 4, the user, having selected a chassis view such as with  30   a  (FIG. 2), is presented with user selectable display element  34  indicating a chassis comprising a plurality of user selectable display elements  35 , each related to a separate component in the chassis. Additional information may be presented in regions  20   d  and  20   e  concerning PMP network  100  and the selected chassis. A user may navigate to a desired component in the chassis by selecting user selectable display element  35  associated with the desired component, e.g. user selectable display element  35   a.    
         [0034]    Referring now to FIG. 5, upon selection of user selectable display element  35   a , a desired component is displayed in region  20   b , along with information relevant to the selected component in display region  20   d . As described herein above, the user may select user selectable display element  32   a ,  32   b , or  32   c  in display region  20   e  to immediately return to that view.  
         [0035]    As further shown in FIG. 6 though FIG. 9, the user can continue to select user selectable display elements  30  to have access to OAMP functions for components of PMP network  100 .  
         [0036]    In a customer view (not shown in the figures), base station  120   a , 120   b , 120   c  (FIG. 1) and its compliment of remotes, e.g. remote  120   d  in FIG. 1, are owned and operated by one operating entity, e.g. a local exchange carrier or Internet service provider. A customer view would offer only the relevant customer data to the network operations center operator, rather than all of the data presented in an equipment view. For example, remote terminations may be grouped together by the respective customers leasing the terminations. A customer view would allow network operation center operators to effectively “filter” on a specific customer, showing only the ports, remotes, connections, operations/administration states, performance monitoring, and the like that apply to that customer.  
         [0037]    In an RF view (not shown in the figures), information useful for deployment and/or frequency planning may be presented. For example, an RF might present a two or three dimension map of a geographical area, e.g. a city, in which a local exchange carrier or Internet service provider was deployed. Data shown in the RF view may then be useful to the local exchange carrier or Internet service provider in determining current and future coverage, location of remotes  120   d  (FIG. 1), boundaries of sectors  130 , 131 , 132  (FIG. 1), transmission power at certain points within each sector  130 , 131 , 132 , distances between base station  120   a , 120   b , 120   c  and remotes  120   d , ranges of allowable modulation for remote  120   d  such as a maximum based on distance, remaining available capacity on remote  120   d  based on its current connection provisioning and modulation index, allowable adjacent channel assignment so that interference with other sectors is minimized, and the like, or combinations thereof.  
         [0038]    It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated above in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as recited in the following claims.