Abstract:
A method of providing documentation from a source of telecommunications documentation. The method includes receiving a list of telecommunications work items and creating a report based on the list of work items, wherein the report includes a link to a source of telecommunications documentation associated with a work item on the list. The method also includes providing the report to a user and retrieving the documentation from the source of telecommunications documentation when the user selects the link.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present invention is directed generally and in various embodiments to systems and methods for facilitating information retrieval in a telecommunications environment. 
     Telecommunications service providers often employ various software systems that allow for provisioning of various types of services. For example, a system is employed by many telecommunications service providers that assists in provisioning new circuits between telephone central offices (COs) or between telephone COs and customer provided equipment (CPE). Also, many telecommunications service providers employ a work control system that is used to automate many work assignments that are required to install and repair client facilities, trunks, special service circuits, and business and residential lines. A service (or work) order that requests the provisioning (e.g. installation, change, or disconnection) of a service is usually input into the systems to identify the service that needs provisioned, when it needs provisioned, and what action or actions must be taken to provision the service. 
     Oftentimes, a user of the above-described systems, such as a technician, is assigned a task that requires the user to consult information, such as a provisioning document, that is external to the systems. For example, a technician may need to consult an information source that is resident on a web page or in a paper document. In order to access such external sources, the user has to open, for example, a web browser, type in a link to the requested information, and then access the requested information. 
     SUMMARY  
     In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method of providing documentation from a source of telecommunications documentation. The method includes receiving a list of telecommunications work items and creating a report based on the list of work items, wherein the report includes a link to a source of telecommunications documentation associated with a work item on the list. The method also includes providing the report to a user and retrieving the documentation from the source of telecommunications documentation when the user selects the link. 
     In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a system for providing documentation from a source of telecommunications documentation. The system includes a relay computer for receiving a list of work items, each work item associated with a task to be performed by a telecommunications worker, and for creating a report having a link associated with a work item from the list of work items. The system also includes a source of telecommunications documentation in communication with the relay computer and a user terminal in communication with the source of telecommunications documentation for enabling a user to select the link in order to retrieve documentation from the source of telecommunications documentation. 
     In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to receive a list of telecommunications work items, create a report based on the list of work items, wherein the report includes a link to a source of telecommunications documentation associated with a work item on the list, provide the report to a user, and retrieve the documentation from the source of telecommunications documentation when the user selects the link. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further advantages of the present invention may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an information retrieval system according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a process flow through the information retrieval system of  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an example of a report generated by the relay computer of  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an example of documentation retrieved from a detailed trunk record system according to one embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is an example of documentation retrieved from an automated routing and trunking system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention, while eliminating, for purposes of clarity, other elements. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, however, that these and other elements may be desirable. However, because such elements are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, a discussion of such elements is not provided herein. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an information retrieval system  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention. The system  10  may be used by a telecommunications service provider to assist in provisioning telecommunications services. For example, a circuit provisioning group of a telecommunications service provider could employ the system  10  to perform, among other tasks, circuit provisioning functions. 
     The system  10  includes a work control module  12 . The module  12  may be, for example, the Work and Force Administration System (WFA) that is offered by Telcordia Technologies. The work control module  12  automates various work assignments that are required to install and repair telecommunications customer facilities, trunks, special service circuits, and business and residential lines. 
     The system  10  also includes a relay computer  14  that parses raw data from the work control module  12  into a report format. The relay computer  14  also creates links to supporting documentation, if necessary. For example, if the data from the work control module  12  indicate that a certain task is to be performed by a technician, the relay computer  14  performs a cross reference for that task to determine if a link to documentation, such as, for example, a provisioning document, should be included in the report. The relay computer may add a link based on, for example, the presence of certain tracking keys in the data from the work control module  12 . If so, the relay computer  14  places the documentation link into the report. The link placed in the report may be, for example, a uniform resource locator (URL) address of a documentary resource. The link may contain, for example, an order number from the work control module that is used as a document name in the documentary source. The relay computer  14  may be any type of suitable computer such as, for example, a personal computer. 
     The system  10  includes a file server  16 . The file server  16  may be, for example, a local file server or a web server that stores reports that are formatted by the relay computer  14 . The reports may be stored on, for example, a shared disk medium in the file server  16 . The user may access the formatted reports in the file server  16  via a terminal  18 . The terminal  18  may be any type of suitable computer such as, for example, a personal computer or a workstation that is positioned on, for example, a local area network (LAN). After the user of the system  10  accesses a report, the user may select a link that was added to the report by the relay computer  14 . Upon selection of the link, the terminal  18  retrieves the documentation corresponding to the link from a document source  20 . The document source  20  may be, for example, an automated routing and trunking system that stores call routing and trunking information such as, for example, the BellSouth ARTS system or may be, for example, an interconnection facility ordering system such as, for example, the BellSouth ASR system. The document source  20  may be in communication with the terminal  18  via, for example, the Internet or an intranet. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a process flow through the information retrieval system  10  of  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment of the present invention. At step  30 , a list of work items is received by the relay computer  14  from the work control module  12 . The list of work items may be received, for example, on a daily basis or other periodic basis. At step  32 , the relay computer  14  creates a report that may be useful to a user of the system  10 . For example, the report may be a report used by a technician that lists work items for the technician to perform. 
     At step  34 , the process determines whether a link or links to documentation need to be added to an item or items in the report. If a link or links need to be added, the link or links are added at step  36 . After the link or links are added, or if there are no links to be added to the report, the report is stored in the file server  16  at step  38 . 
     At step  40 , a report is provided to a user of the system  10  if the user requests such a report. For example, a technician may retrieve a report at the beginning of a work day to determine what tasks are to be completed that day. At step  42 , it is determined whether the user of the system  10  has selected a link to a source of documentation. If the user has selected a link, the process advances to step  44 , where the documentation is retrieved from the document source  20 . The process proceeds to an end when the user is finished browsing the report at step  46 . 
       FIG. 3  is an example of a report  50  generated by the relay computer  14  of  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment of the present invention. The report  50  includes a trick field  52 , which may be associated with, for example, a person that is to perform a task. That person may be, for example, the user of the system  10 . The report  50  also includes a due date field  54  and a status field  56 . The status field  56  may indicate, for example, that the trick is loaded or assigned. The report  50  includes an access service request field  58  and a work type field  60 . A tracking field  62  in the report  50  includes links to documentary resources. The tracking field  62  may be populated by, for example, order numbers that are used by the work control module  12 . When a user browsing the report  50  selects an item in the tracking field  62  by, for example, clicking a mouse over the item, a documentary resource is retrieved from the document source  20 . 
     The report  50  includes a work ID field  64  that may be specific to, for example, a unique item of work in the work control module  12 . An early start date field  66  and a loaded field  68  are included in the report  50 . The loaded field  68  may indicate, for example, the number of times that a line, or work item was entered into a report. A jeopardy field  70  indicates whether a work item is in jeopardy of not being completed and a comments field  72  allows comments to be entered relating to a line item. 
       FIG. 4  is an example of documentation  80  retrieved from a detailed trunk record system acting as a document source  20  according to one embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 5  is an example of documentation  82  retrieved from an automated routing and trunking system acting as a documentation source  20  according to one embodiment of the present intention. The documentation  80 ,  82  may be retrieved by, for example, selecting a link from a report that is stored in the file server  16 . 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the methods and modules described herein are embodied in, for example, computer software code that is coded in any suitable programming language such as, for example, visual basic, C, C++, or microcode. Such computer software code may be embodied in a computer readable medium or media such as, for example, a magnetic storage medium such as a floppy disk or an optical storage medium such as a CD-ROM. 
     While several embodiments of the invention have been described, it should be apparent, however, that various modifications, alterations and adaptations to those embodiments may occur to persons skilled in the art with the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the present invention. It is therefore intended to cover all such modifications, alterations and adaptations without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.