WO2010032262A2

WO2010032262A2 - A system for monitoring, managing and controlling dispersed networks

Info

Publication number: WO2010032262A2
Application number: PCT/IN2009/000458
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ranjit Sudhir Wandrekar
Original assignee: Ranjit Sudhir Wandrekar
Priority date: 2008-08-18
Filing date: 2009-08-18
Publication date: 2010-03-25
Also published as: CN102239663A; WO2010032262A3

Abstract

The invention disclosed relates to a system and a method for monitoring, managing and controlling dispersed network setups. The system (100) is a network of data sender units (102) located at tower sites which communicate wirelessly using DOV with data receiver units (104) located in a central location. Data receiver units are hard- wired to a circle aggregation gateway unit (106) which in turn is connected to a central data processing center (DPC) (108) through network means including leased line, broadband network, and wide area network.

Description

A SYSTEM FOR MONITORING, MANAGING AND CONTROLLING DISPERSED NETWORKS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of telecommunications.

Particularly, the invention relates to systems for monitoring, managing and controlling dispersed network setups in telecommunications.

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED IN THE SPECIFICATION

BTS: BTS (Base Transceiver Station) is equipment that facilitates wireless communication between user equipment and a network.

Data packet: A data packet is a formatted block of data combined from different sources which is typically further compressed, encrypted and carried over a network.

Dispersed network system: A dispersed network system in telecommunication is a system dispersed in space and connected by networking means.

Potential Free Contacts: Potential Free contacts are dry contacts/ auxiliary contacts which cooperate with a main device but are not electrically connected to it.

Site Equipment: Site equipment is the various passive infrastructure devices, analog devices and the like situated at one of several remote sites of a dispersed network.

Raw Data Packet: Raw data packet is a data packet which contains data in decrypted and uncompressed form.

Translated Data Packet: Translated data packet is the raw data packet which is further converted into a system understandable format.

Status and Operation Data: Status and Operation data is the data regarding the operating condition (working / failed/ value/ level) and status (on / off) of an electrical equipment. User Readable Data Packet: User Readable Data Packet is the translated data packet which is further converted into a format suitable for storage and for generation of meaningful data.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART

Dispersed network systems include telecom networks, banking networks, ATM networks, access networks, cable networks, networks relating to hospitals, large industries or any other large enterprise whose operations require remote visibility, monitoring and control.

The invention will hereinafter be described with reference to a telecom network, although it should not be considered in any way as being restricted thereto.

The telecom market is growing at a rapid pace. Typically, the operational expenditure of telecom carriers is four-five times that of the capital expenditure. It is very important on part of the telecom companies that the operational expenditure is reduced considerably. Variety of business models have been tried for reducing the operational expenditure. In the prior art passive infrastructure sharing was a viable solution for the problem. Implementation of passive infrastructure sharing reduces the operational costs by about 30%. The Passive Infrastructure Providers (PIP) operate wireless towers and lease space to the telecom carriers. These PIPs have infrastructure including power supply, backup battery, generator, air conditioner and the like at each tower site for supporting the BTS (Base Transceiver Station) that requires twenty four by seven carrier and antenna operation.

However, in reality the operational expenditure has not reduced, but it has just shifted from the carriers to the PIPs. As the passive infrastructure providers do not own the active infrastructure, they do not have any visibility of their network without the feedback from the tenant carrier, which is also their customer. Thus, site level problems are known to the customer first and then to the PIPs, whereas, it is the PIPs who have signed the Service Level Agreements (SLA) for the site uptime with its customers.

As the networks of the PIPs are growing at a scorching pace, managing them is becoming a big challenge. Each tower company owns a large tower portfolio and managing this infrastructure is critical for tower companies as they face stiff SLA penalties from wireless carriers for downtime or performance degradation.

Further added to this, there are data losses between systems, external frauds and inadequate controls and procedures which lead to further revenue losses for the PIPs.

There have been various attempts in the prior art to provide passive infrastructure providers with a visibility and control of their infrastructure to ensure twenty four hours a day and seven days a week availability of the tower operations and the tower equipments and to minimize the operation costs:

United States Patent 6343290 titled 'Geographic network management system' discloses a network management system used to view, monitor, configure and manage wireless telecommunication networks using network data and geospatial data. Network data comprises equipment data, performance data including trouble ticket data, event data, alarm data, customer service data, and / or configuration data for calls for network elements and / or performance elements. Geospatial data includes geographic data and / or spatial data. A database server is provided that stores the data in the network data database and the geospatial data database. The network data and the geospatial data are displayed on the user browser as a map displaying network elements of a telecommunication network relative to other network elements, geographic elements and customers. User is notified via an email, a text pager, an automated voice response, or a voice mail.

United States Patent 6725032 titled 'Cell network management system' discloses a system for managing a cell network that receives and transmits configuration data, performance data, alarm data and call connection data for each of the components in the cell site complex and the network elements. A user interface is provided so that the user may configure parameters and components of the cell site complex and the network elements. An alarm is reported to the user in real time when the parameters are outside a permissible range. A security system is provided to ensure security at various levels like login security, session and time out security, page security, group security, user security, market security and check module security. A report interface module is also provided to generate a configuration error report and a data load error report.

The aforementioned prior art although providing means for wireless telecommunications network management, use Internet / GPRS / Ethernet / Tl line and text messaging means for transmitting the status of the equipment. Internet / GPRS / Ethernet / Tl and text messaging / SMS (Short Messaging Service) are "best effort" and "store and forward" technologies respectively which are unreliable and vulnerable to attacks and hacking. These transmission means increase the total cost of ownership as they increase cost to the PIPs based on data usage.

Thus, there is a need for a system which can provide a cost effective, powerful and reliable methodology for secure transmission of the status of a tower infrastructure which is to be controlled and monitored in a dispersed network.

United States Patent Application 2007/0258398: titled 'Method for data communication via a voice channel of a wireless communication network' discloses a method of data communication using a wireless communication network that allows the transmission of digital data over a voice channel of a communications network. The method of communication comprises the steps of modulating the carrier signals with digital data using differential phase shift keying (DPSK) modulation, transmitting the modulated carrier signal, receiving the transmitted modulated carrier signal and demodulating the received modulated carrier signal back into digital data.

United States Patent US7069211 titled 'Method and apparatus for transferring data over a voice channel' discloses a method of communication, wherein data is encoded such that it resembles a voice frame, however comparison of a vocoder parameter with a predetermined parameter can help distinguish whether the transferred voice frame must be processed as data traffic or voice traffic at the receiving end, thus providing a way of embedding data in a voice channel.

United States Patent Application US2006/0291452 titled 'Method and apparatus for providing reliable communications over an unreliable communications channel' discloses a method of transfer of data over a voice dispatch channel in a manner that overcomes the congestion presented by the amount of data being transferred over the voice channel. A 'TCP- friendly' rate control mechanism based on the throughput rates of the voice and data is adopted. It is basically a protocol operation that approximates over the duration of transfer, the bandwidth usage characteristics of TCP, if TCP were given the same network conditions as those that are present. The control mechanism provides at least a minimum bandwidth for voice or data communications that has priority over one or more other voice or data communications and therefore modifies the flow of data throughput.

United States Patent Application US2007/0160124 titled 'Modem for communicating data over a voice channel of a communications system' discloses a method of communication wherein data is encoded in a modulated audio signal that has a formant structure and a time- varying spectrum structurally similar to human speech, thus enabling the data to be communicated over voice channels of a communication system that utilizes compression technology without losing or affecting the data.

United States Patent Application US6681121 titled 'Circuitry for activating a modem in a cellular telephone' discloses a method, wherein digital data is converted into audio tones that synthesize frequency characteristics of human speech. The digital data is also encoded to prevent voice encoding circuitry in the telecommunications network from corrupting the synthesized audio tones representing the digital data.

United States Patent US7117001 titled 'Simultaneous voice and data communication over a wireless network' discloses a method and system to send, receive and synchronize data over a voice channel during a telephone call made using a communication protocol like CDMA, FDMA, TDMA, GPRS, GSM and the like without affecting the quality of the voice channel.

The aforesaid prior art use the medium of voice over the wireless networks for transmission of data regarding the status of tower equipment which are to be controlled and monitored in a dispersed network. However, in the disclosed methods both voice and non-voice data are transmitted over the same voice channel. This increases the overhead at the receivers end as the voiced and non- voiced data has to be distinguished. Also, the sending of voiced and non- voiced data together on the same voice channel can lead to corruption of data. Moreover, the prior art systems do not provide for security of the data and identification of the source of the voice call. Also the prior art systems do not have a mechanism for ensuring certainty of delivery of data.

Therefore, there is a need for a secure, reliable and cost effective and improved system and methodology for managing, monitoring and controlling dispersed network systems.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide an efficient system and method for monitoring, managing and controlling dispersed networked systems.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method to automate the managing of the dispersed network systems.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a system and method to substantially reduce the operational expenditure of the dispersed network systems.

Further, yet another object of the invention is to provide a system and method which reduces the manpower required to handle the operations and maintenance of the network systems.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system which provides a consolidated view of the entire portfolio of the dispersed network.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a system for monitoring of the health of a dispersed system at a central location.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a system for managing and controlling a dispersed system, at a central location.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a system which requires minimum configuration and infrastructure for deployment. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a system which optimizes the energy consumption of the dispersed network.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a system which provides a secure and closed loop communication between components of the dispersed network.

One more object of the system is to reduce the revenue leakage suffered by the PIPs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention envisages a system for centrally monitoring, managing and controlling a dispersed network system having a plurality of tower sites remotely located from each other, said system comprising:

• at least one data sender unit installed at each tower site, said data sender unit adapted to collect status and operation data regarding a plurality of site equipment and further adapted to prepare and transmit a data packet combining said collected status and operation data over a voice channel (DoV) ;

• a data receiver unit adapted to receive said data packets from a plurality of data sender units and further adapted to send commands to said data sender unit;

• a circle aggregation gateway unit comprising: i) first communication means for receiving and aggregating said data packets from said data receiver units; ii) verification means for verifying the size and the contents of said received data packet and further rejecting the invalid data packets; iii) decryption, decoding and decompression means for decrypting, decoding and decompressing said received data packets; iv) analyzing means for analyzing contents of said data packet; v) alert generating means adapted to generate alerts in the event that the analyzed content includes any alerting content; vi) translation means for translating the analyzed data packets; vii) second communication means for transmitting said translated analyzed data packets; viii) third communication means for communicating said alerts to field personnel associated with said towers; and ix) fourth communication means adapted to send commands to said data sender units via the data receiver units.

• a data processing center adapted to receive translated data packets from a plurality of circle aggregation gateway units, store and process said translated data packets to generate events, trouble tickets, notifications, and a plurality of web based reports based on said translated data packets.

Typically, the data sender unit is a DC powered, IU rack mountable unit installed at each tower site.

In accordance with the present invention, said data sender unit comprises:

• a processor adapted to receive said status and operation data from a plurality of said site equipment and further adapted to encrypt and compress said status and operation data to form said data packet and still further adapted to send said data packet over a voice channel using DoV;

• a digital and analog interface adapted to interface the digital and analog site equipment with the processor in the data sender unit;

• an RS 485 interface adapted to interface additional site equipment with the processor in the data sender unit;

• an opex optimizer to optimize the use of a Diesel Generator and Air conditioner at said tower site, said opex optimizer comprising: i. an air-conditioner control adapted to monitor and control the air- conditioner parameters based on the inputs from said opex optimizer; and ii. a DG control adapted to monitor and control the diesel generator parameters based on the inputs from said opex optimizer.

• a BTS (Base Transceiver Station) on/off control adapted to provide remote on and off facility of the BTS;

• a sim card for provisioning wireless communication; • an antenna for provisioning wireless communication;

• a keypad to locally configure said remote sender unit;

• a display adapted to flash configuration messages and specific messages sent by said data processing center; and

• a signal strength indicator adapted to indicate the operating condition of the DSU.

Specifically, the remote site equipment includes analog devices, digital devices, metering devices, monitoring devices and controlling devices.

Typically, the data sender unit transmits said data packet over a voice channel using wireless networks.

Typically, the data sender unit transmits said data packets over a voice channel using wired networks.

Particularly, the data sender unit is adapted to transmit said data packets to said data receiver unit using DoV transmission.

Alternatively, the data sender unit is adapted to transmit said data packets to the data receiver unit using Short Message Service in event that the voice call does not get connected.

Preferably, said data receiver unit is connected to the circle aggregation gateway unit using a two-wire hardware data link.

In accordance with the present invention, said circle aggregation gateway unit comprises:

• a communication server adapted to receive said data packets and further adapted to decrypt, decompress said data packet and validate checksum;

• a light application server adapted to receive and analyze said decrypted data packet and further adapted to translate and transmit said decrypted data packet and still further adapted to raise alerts and notifications; • an SMS/Email server adapted to receive said raised alerts, notifications; and

• an outward communication means adapted to receive raised alerts and notifications and further adapted to transmit the alert SMS/ alert email to the field engineers.

Preferably, the circle aggregation gateway unit sends said translated data packet to data processing center through means selected from a group of means including a leased line, a broadband connection, Tl lines and a wide area network connection. In accordance with the present invention, said data processing center comprises:

• a full application server adapted to receive and convert said translated data packet to user readable data packet, said full application server further adapted to monitor and control the operations of said dispersed network, and still further adapted to send said user readable data for storage;

• a console adapted to display said user readable data for system administration and monitoring;

• a central database adapted to store said user readable data; and

• a reporting server adapted to retrieve said user readable data from said central database and generate reports for trend analysis, Key Performance Indicator (KPI) monitoring, alarm trends and other statistical reports.

In accordance with the present invention, the full application server comprises:

• a Rules Engine adapted to formulate and store pre-determined business rules;

• a Trouble Ticket Engine adapted to evaluate said translated data packet based on said pre-determined rules and further adapted to create trouble tickets for field technicians/engineers ;

• a Case Management Engine adapted to assign and track said created trouble tickets;

• an Escalation Engine adapted to escalate the alarms, notifications, said trouble ticket to users of the system based on the hierarchy via means including email and SMS; • Message Queues adapted to optimize the communication between disparate units;

• a Monitor Service engine adapted for self monitoring and configuration of said dispersed network; and

• a Asset Management unit adapted to track and monitor the maintenance schedule of a plurality of said site equipment.

Typically, said data processing center comprises an authentication and an authorization mechanism for dynamic key generation for said data sender units and said data receiver units.

Preferably, said system comprises a disaster recovery mechanism for periodic maintenance and replication of said central database at a different physical location.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for centrally monitoring, managing and controlling a dispersed network system, said method comprising the following steps:

• receiving status and operation data regarding a plurality of monitored remote site equipment;

• combining and compressing said status and operation data;

• encrypting the combined and compressed data and making a data packet;

• encoding the data packet;

• transmitting said encoded data packet over a voice channel to a central location of the dispersed network using DoV;

• receiving and decoding said encoded data packet at said central location;

• decrypting and decompressing said decoded data packet to get a raw data packet;

• converting the raw data packets to translated data packets;

• receiving and converting translated data packet to user readable data packet and storing it in a database;

• checking the status and operation data in said database for alarm and/or alert events;

• creating a trouble ticket if any alarm event is generated is received;

• communicating details of said alarm event to a field engineer/technician; • escalating alarm event to users based on their hierarchy;

• tracking the status of the trouble ticket;

• generating various reports and user dashboards based on said stored data for viewing the entire portfolio of said dispersed network system; and

• controlling said remote site equipment.

Typically, the step of receiving status and operation data includes the step of receiving said status and operation data from remote site equipment including analog devices, digital devices, metering devices, monitoring devices and controlling devices.

Particularly, the step of transmitting said encoded data packet includes the steps of transmitting said encoded data packet as multiple constant frequencies over the voice channel.

Specifically, the step of transmitting said encoded data packet includes the steps of first sending a key on the voice channel and after successful authentication of the key checking if the source is registered and further sending the checksum.

Typically, the step of communicating the details of the alarm includes the step of sending the alarm through means including SMS and email.

Typically, the step of tracking the status of the trouble ticket includes the step of tracking the status including open, assigned, acknowledged, resolved and closed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the accompanying drawings and their description stated below, which is merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention and does not limit in any way the nature and scope of the invention.

FIGURE 1 illustrates an overview of the system and its components in accordance with the present invention; FIGURE 2 illustrates a high level overview of the data sender unit in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 3 illustrates a connectivity diagram between the data sender units and data receiver units in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 4 illustrates a high level overview of the central aggregation gateway unit and the data processing center in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGURE 5 and FIGURE 6 are flowcharts showing the methodology for monitoring, managing and controlling a dispersed network system in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention envisages a system and a method for monitoring, managing and controlling of a dispersed network.

The invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to a telecom network, although it should not be considered in any way as being restricted thereto.

Passive infrastructure providers (PIP) operate wireless towers and lease the space to the telecom carriers. These PIPs provide infrastructure including power supply, backup battery, generator, air conditioner and the like at each tower site for supporting the BTS (Base Transceiver Station) and ensuring a smooth twenty four by seven carrier and antenna operation.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, FIGURE 1 shows the high level view of the system in accordance with the present invention.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the system for monitoring, managing and controlling a dispersed network represented generally by reference numeral 100 of Figure 1 comprises:

1. data sender units, represented generally by reference numeral 102 of Figure 1 ; 2. data receiver units represented generally by reference numeral 104 of Figure 1 ;

3. circle aggregation gateway unit, represented generally by reference numeral 106 of Figure 1, incorporating at least one data receiver unit 104; and

4. data processing center (DPC), represented generally by reference numeral 108 of Figure 1.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the system 100 is a network of data sender units 102 located at tower sites which communicate wirelessly with data receiver units 104 located in a central location. Data receiver units are hard-wired to a circle aggregation gateway unit 106 which in turn is connected to a central data processing center (DPC) 108 through network means including leased line, broadband network, wide area network and the like.

Data sender unit (DSU) 102, is a smart microcontroller based unit residing at the tower site. The DSU 102 collects various relevant site parameter data in the remote site and sends it to its designated data receiver unit 104 using typically a wireless network.

All data receiver units (DRU) 104, reside at the same central location in the Circle Aggregation Gateway unit (CAG) 106. A DRU 104 collects data from a plurality of subscriber DSUs 102 and feeds it to the CAG 106 which further sends the data to DPC 108.

Alternatively, in accordance with another embodiment, the DRU 104 can be incorporated inside the DPC 108 and collects data from a plurality of subscriber DSUs 102 and feeds it directly to the DPC 108.

In accordance with another embodiment , the CAG 106 along with its DRU 104 can be incorporated inside the DPC 108. The DRU collects data from a plurality of subscriber DSUs 102 and feeds it to the CAG 106 which further passes the data to the DPC 108.

In accordance with another embodiment, a plurality of data sender units 102 are installed at local tower sites and are further connected to data receiver units 104 incorporated in central aggregation gateway units 106 through a wireless network system forming a regional network. A plurality of such regional networks is further connected to form a national network at the DPC 108. Thus, the entire national network can be monitored from a central location. A log of the performance of all the local and regional networks is maintained at the central and/or regional and/or national location.

In accordance with the invention, the DPC 108 controls the day to day working of the network from a central location. The data processing center 108 receives the data from each data sender unit 102 via the DRU 104 and analyses it and if, a particular site reports any problem or abnormality in behavior, then the data processing center 108 detects it and automatically sends alerts to the concerned authority to take corrective action. The DPC 108 informs the service engineers on the exact nature of the problem at the site and hence they can reach the site prepared to solve the problem. This reduces the turnaround time required to correct a problem. Alternatively, the CAG 106 can receive data from each of the data sender units 102 via the DRU 104 and analyze it and if, a particular site reports any problem or abnormality, then the CAG 106 can detect and automatically send alerts for taking corrective action. Thus, a central monitoring system eliminates the requirement of personnel to be stationed at the site permanently for monitoring the setup. The manpower is reduced significantly.

In accordance with the present invention, a Data Sender Unit (DSU) 102 is a DC powered, IU rack mountable unit installed at every tower site. The DSU 102 has a "plug and play" design which allows its quick and easy installation into any existing infrastructure with very minimum configuration.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the DSU 102 is a microcontroller based unit having in built management, monitoring and control functionalities. The DSU 102 is extremely flexible and its functionalities have the ability to grow and adapt to the needs of telecom towers.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the DSU 102 monitors a plurality of passive infrastructure devices and their alarms including AC input to (Switch Mode Power Supply) fail, rectifier fail, SMPS major, SMPS minor, low lube oil pressure, DG high head/water temperature, DG auto start fail, DG (Diesel Generator) door open, EB (Electricity Board) power fail, low fuel level, air conditionerl fail, air conditioner 2 Fail, fire alarm, shelter/tower door open, BTS (Base Transceiver Station) door open, high humidity alarm and the like. Additionally, the DSU 102 monitors a plurality of analog inputs including ambient temperature, battery voltage and current.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, the DSU 102 is equipped with functionalities like fuel level monitor and fuel contamination monitor which helps in keeping a check on the fuel quality and quantity in the DG at the tower site.

Moreover, the DSU 102 generates a plurality of alarms including alarms for high room temperature, critical room temperature, battery low alarm, battery imbalance alarm, sudden drop / increase of fuel level alarm and fuel contamination alarm.

In addition, the DSU 102 also carries out energy metering and management of EB mains, DG, battery and SMPS feeds to different BTSs.

The DSU 102 wirelessly communicates above mentioned status and operations data to the DRU 104 located in the CAG 106 at pre defined intervals. In addition, the DSU 102 sends the status and operation data to the DRU 104 on confirmation of change of state of any of the above remote site equipment. Thus, the functionality of the remote site remains visible from the DRU 104 and remote visibility of the entire network is therefore achieved.

In accordance with yet another aspect, the DSU 102 is inbuilt with an OPEX (Operational Expense) optimizer capability which dynamically controls the operation of the DG, battery and air conditioner resulting in fuel savings per tower.

FIGURE 2 shows a block diagram of the data sender unit 102 in accordance with the present invention.

The DSU 102 typically receives -48V DC power supply from the SMPS in the tower which ensures maximum availability of the DSU 102.

The DSU 102 incorporates the following components: Processor [200] : The processor 200 shown in Figure 2 receives inputs from various interfaces and controls of the DSU 102 and converts this input into a data packet. Individual data packets are encrypted, compressed and further encoded by the processor 200 for transmission.

Digital and Analog Interface: The digital and analog interface, represented generally by block 202 of Figure 2 provides an interface for connecting potential free digital inputs, analog inputs and calculators. The digital inputs, represented generally by block 204 of Figure 2 includes digital inputs selected from a group of inputs consisting of SMPS, Fire, door, air conditioner, humidity and the like. The analog inputs and calculators represented generally by block 206 of Figure 2 includes analog inputs and calculators selected from a group of inputs consisting of battery, temperature sensor, DG, and EB.

RS 485 Interface: The RS 485 Interface, represented generally by block 208 interfaces DC Energy Meters 210, AC Energy Meters 212 , air-conditioner control 218 of Figure 2, fuel level monitor 214 , and fuel contamination monitor 216 . In addition, the RS 485 interface 208 gives the DSU 102 future expandability.

Opex Optimzer: The Opex optimizer, represented by block 220 has the capabability of reducing OPEX (Operational Expense) by optimizing the use of the DG 226 and the air- conditioned control 218 thereby reducing the fuel consumption of the site. The opex optimizer 220 incorporates the following components which help in achieving the opex reduction:

• Air conditioner Control: The Air conditioner control 222, incorporated inside the opex optimizer 220 reads the status and operation data for the air conditioner, as well as tracks the ambient temperature at the tower site. The air conditioner control 222 facilitates the remote on/off and temperature setting of the air conditioner based on the inputs provided by the opex optimizer 220.

• DG Control: The DG control 224, incorporated inside the opex optimizer 220 monitors and controls the generator parameters including the genset runtime depending on the ambient temperature and the state of charge of the battery based on the inputs provided by the opex optimizer 220. BTS On/Off Control: The BTS On/Off control, 228 provides remote on and off facility of the BTS 230.

The DSU 102 continuously monitors, manages and controls the devices at the site and sends the status of the devices wirelessly to the DRU 104 at a pre-defined frequency. In case of any alarms from the device, the DSU communicates instantly to the parent DRU.

In accordance with the present invention, the DSU 102 can be locally configured using the keypad 242, and the LCD display 240 provided on the DSU 102. Alternatively, the DSU 102 can be configured using a computer/ laptop/ PDA/ pocket PC using the RS 232 port 234 provided on the DSU 102. The DSU 102 also incorporates a Signal Strength Indicator (SSI) 240 which is a LED which indicates the operating condition of the DSU 102.

The DPC 108 sends specific display message in a specific DSU 102 for it to be read by site personnel. These messages are displayed on the LCD display 240.

In accordance with the present invention, the data packet containing the status and operation data is encrypted and compressed by the processor 200 before the communication takes place in between the DRU 104 and the DSU 102 so as to not load the wireless network which is used for communication.

The present invention provides a bi-directional closed loop communication between the DSU 102 and the DRU 104 at the CAG 106. The DSU 102 incorporates an antenna, and a SIM card 236 for wireless transmission of the aforesaid data packet to the DRU 104. The DSU 102 in turn receives commands by the DRU 104 including query for status, command for change in password, command for change in inter-data interval, command for change in communications mode (voice or short message or both), network signal strength and command for displaying specific message in LCD of DSU 102.

In accordance with the present invention, the main function of the data receiver unit 104 is to communicate with several DSUs 102 and send the collected data to the CAG 106. The DRU 104 is a powerful yet compact unit which monitors, manages and controls the DSUs 102. Each DRU 104 can typically communicate with 30 DSUs 102. The DRUs 104 are designed to operate as an integral component of the system. They are the aggregation points for the bidirectional information from the tower site to the DPC 108, and communicate in between the DSU 102 and the CAG 106 and/ or the DPC 108.

FIGURE 3 shows a connectivity diagram of the DSUs and the DRUs in accordance with the present invention.

Typically, for every four DRUs 104 there is a secondary DRU S104 which can be used by the DSUs for sending the encoded data packet in case the designated DRU 104 cannot be reached due to communication failures. The SDRU S104 monitors typically four DRUs 104 and acts as a failback failover in case the DRUs 104 were to fail. The DRU 104 and the SDRU S104 are connected using high speed data link 300 .

In accordance with the present invention, the data exchange in between the DSUs 102 and their DRU 104 takes place using DoV (Data over Voice). Each DRU 104 is assigned at least one DSU 102, therefore for communicating with its designated DRU 104, the DSU 102 places a voice call over typically a wireless network including a GSM or a CDMA. The transmission mechanism of DoV comprises transmitting multiple constant frequencies that are harmonically unrelated.

In accordance with the present invention, the DSUs 102 and the DRUs 104 each are equipped with secure authorization and authentication mechanisms. These mechanisms provide dynamic key generation by the DPC 108 which is further stored in the DRU 104 and as well as in the DSU 102.

The DoV transmission proceeds as follows:

1. The DSU 102 makes a voice call to its registered DRU 104;

2. The DRU 104 verifies if the call is from one of the registered DSUs 102 and only proceeds with the authentication if the DSU 102 is registered;

3. The DSU 102 sends its key and waits for the key from the DRU 104;

4. After successful authentication the DSU 102 sends "more command following" indication. After this, it sends the command followed by the checksum and waits for "OK" indication from the DRU 104, which means the DRU 104 has received the correct checksum. If the "OK" indication is received by the DSU 102, the first command is successfully completed. If the DSU 102 receives any other indication, then there was an error in sending the command. It then restarts the above mentioned process. If this process is unsuccessful for preconfigured attempts, then the DSU 102 cuts the call;

5. If, the DSU 102 has finished sending the data, it sends "no more command following" indication. This signals the end of data originating from the DSU 102. Now, in this voice call, the DSU 102 can only receive data from DRU 104. If, the DSU 102 doesn't receive any data from DRU 104 within a preconfigured delay typically 3.7 seconds, it cuts the call;

6. When DRU 104 starts sending data to DSU 102, it follows the same sequence as followed by the DSU 102; and

7. The call can be cut by the DRU 104 when it has nothing more to send. Even if DRU 104 doesn't cut the call, the last indication "no more command following" from the DRU 104 tells the DSU 102 that the data is over. It then cuts the call.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, the integrated and automated failover and fail back features in the DSU 102 ensure continuous site uptime by failing over to an alternate communication mode should the primary communication mode with the DRU 104, fail. As voice gets the highest priority in a wireless transmission, for sending data DSU 102 makes a voice call to its DRU 104, and waits till the call is established. If the call doesn't connect, the DSU 102 tries again after a random delay. After preconfigured unsuccessful attempts of making a voice call, the data packet is sent by short message service, if dual communications mode is enabled in the DSU 102.

In accordance with the present invention, all the DRUs 104 are connected to the CAG 106 through a high speed data link. The CAG 106 performs the functions of processing the data and sending it to the DPC 108. The CAG 106 sends query commands to one or more DSUs, and specific SMS messages to specific field personnel as directed by the DPC 108. Also, the CAG 106 performs the function of changing the password of the DSU 102 at pre-defined intervals. FIGURE 4 shows high level overview of the central data aggregation unit, circle aggregation gateway unit and the data processing center in accordance with the present invention

In accordance with the present invention, each DSU 102 is registered to one particular DRU 104 and has a unique serial number and a dial number. Whenever a new DSU 102 is installed, it will be registered first in the DPC 108 by its administrator. The new DSU 102 will be registered (either manually or automatically) under that DRU 104 which is least loaded. This ensures equal work distribution for all DRUs 104. If, any DSU 102 has to be withdrawn out of the network, its entry in the DPC and the DRU 104 will be removed or if any parameter including the dial-up number, serial number or the like of a DSU 102 changes, the corresponding entry in the DPC 108 and the DRU 104 is also changed.

The DRU 104 is connected to the communication server 400 of the CAG 106 using typically a 2-wire hardware data link.

In accordance with the present invention, CAG 106 comprises the following components:

• Communication server 400;

• Light Application 402 ;

• SMS/Email Server 404 ; and

• Outward communication means 406.

The CAG 106 comprises a four way communication channel for:

• receiving and aggregating the data packets from the DSU;

• sending commands to the data sender units via the data receiver units;

• communicating the alerts to the field personnel associated with the towers; and

• transmitting the translated and analyzed data packets to the full application server 408.

The data packets received by the DRU 104 are transferred to the communication server 400 of the CAG 106, which is continuously monitoring the communication channel. The communication server 400 receives and aggregates the data received from various DRUs 104 and verifies the size and the contents of the received data packet and rejects the invalid data packets. The valid data packets are decrypted, decoded and decompressed to get the raw data packets.

These raw data packets are transferred to the light application server 402 of the CAG 106 using appropriate message queues. The message queues are the means for communication between two disparate units/ components of the CAG 106 and the DPC 108.

The light application server 402 comprises the following means:

• an analyzing means for analyzing the contents of the raw data packet;

• an alert generating means adapted to generate alerts in the event that the analyzed content includes any alerting content; and

• a translation means for translating the analyzed data packets into translated data packets which are compatible for communication with the DPC 108.

The alerts generated by the light application server 402 are forwarded to the SMS Server 404 which forwards the alerts to an outward communication means 406 for sending an alert SMS/ an alert email.

Each CAG 106 is further connected to a data processing center (DPC) 108 and has a unique serial number. The communication between the DRU 104 and the CAG 106 and / or the DPC 108 is in the form of bursts of data (translated data packets). Successive translated data packets are separated by a blank period. Last two bytes of the translated data packet are 16- bit check-sum which the recipient of the translated data packet verifies. If the check-sum is not found correct, the recipient notifies an error.

In accordance with the present invention, DPC 108 is the central command center of the system 100. The DPC 108 receives the operations information sent by the DSU 102 and further processes and converts the data into useful information. In addition, the DPC 108 creates events and notification. It also creates trouble tickets for the field technicians and tracks them to closure. In addition, the DPC 108 sends notifications and escalations via email and SMS to the users. Furthermore, the DPC 108 tracks the various operational parameters against pre-determined key performance indicators (KPI) for SLA compliance reporting and displays multiple clickable (drill-down) information for real-time tower activity view for the DPC monitoring staff. The DPC 108 generates executive dashboards to view the tower portfolio health and performance at a glance with best and/or worst performing sites.

In accordance with the present invention, the DPC 108 comprises the following components:

• Full Application server 408 ;

• Console 410 ;

• Central database 412 ;

• Reporting Server 414 ; and

• DR (Disaster Recovery) database 416.

The application server of the system 100 comprises the following components:

• the full application server 408 incorporated in the DPC; and

• the light application server 402 incorporated in the CAG 106.

The full application server 408 receives the translated data packet from the light application server 402 of the CAG 106.

The data packet sent by the DSU 102 consists of namely two types of data, one, the happy day scenario data, and the other, the alarm day scenario data.

In accordance with the present invention, in the happy day scenario the data packet includes the operational details of the remote site equipment where the remote site equipment are functioning well and no alarms are generated. However, in the alarm day scenario the data packet consists of alarms regarding the failure or malfunction of one or more remote site equipment.

In accordance with the present invention, the full application server 408 consists of a Rules Engine (not shown in the figures), a Trouble Ticket Engine (not shown in the figures), Case Management Engine (not shown in the figures), Message Queues (not shown in the figures), Escalation Engine (not shown in the figures), Monitor Service Engine (not shown in the figures) and Asset management unit (not shown in the figures). In accordance with the invention, on an alarm day scenario the light application server 402 invokes the SMS Server 404 , which sends an alarm SMS and/or an alarm email to the concerned field engineer through the outward communication means 406 . The light application server 402 on receiving the delivery status of the alarm SMS appends the status (delivered/ failed) to the translated data packet to be routed to the full application server 408 of the DPC 108.

Further, the full application server 408 opens a trouble ticket through the trouble ticket engine and assigns it to a field engineer. The full application 408 invokes the rules engine which evaluates the predefined rules with the translated data packet and takes actions accordingly. The full application server 408 further converts the translated data packet to the user readable data packet and routes it to the message queue used for communication with the console 410 depending on access restriction of the user 418 which includes the monitoring teams and the administrators and the DSU 102 mapping.

The console 410 continuously monitors the message queues and as soon as there is a message to be processed, it reads the message and transforms the data into a textual, audio-visual format to be displayed live for the monitoring teams. In parallel, these user readable data packets are stored in the central database 412 in the DPC 108. The central database 412 holds the consolidated data from all the regional CAGs 106 .

The central database 412 acts like a knowledge repository and helps to minimize the problem resolution time, training of the field manpower and to eliminate reinventing the wheel as the central database 412 also stores the type of failures of the remote site equipment and the resolution for overcoming failures. The central database 412 is constantly updated with alarm and its resolution data thus making it a robust and up-to-date knowledge repository.

The escalation engine (not shown in the figures) in the full application server 408 is a process running continuously in the background on the full application server 408 and is used to control the monitor service engine (not shown in the figures). The monitor service is an engine for monitoring the health of the DPC 108 and also used for tracking and processing the configuration of the system 100. Depending on the notification generated by the monitor service and the duration of the alarm, the escalation engine notifies the respective people in the organization based on their hierarchy using SMS / email means and transmitting the same using the SMS/Email Server 404 and further through the outward communication means 406.

The case management engine in the full application server 408 is an engine used for tracking the various states of trouble tickets including open, assigned, acknowledged, resolved, closed and the like from its creation to its closure.

The asset management unit in the full application server 408 is used for tracking and monitoring the maintenance schedules of a plurality of remote site equipment at the tower site.

The reporting server 414 enables the generation of various reports for a given period. The reports are generated using the data in the central database 412. The reporting server 414 slices / dices the data to a presentable form which is used for generating trend analysis, Key Performance Indicator (KPI) monitoring, alarm trends and other statistical reports. In addition, the reporting server 414 includes an advanced site finder which quickly finds a remote site registered with the DPC 108 and shows its tower details and site location on actual maps.

The entire networks snapshots are displayed on the dashboards generated by the reporting server 414 and are made available to the concerned users using a web based interface. The users, 320 include the regional users, strategic partners, regional monitoring teams, corporate users and the like. Also, the reporting server 414 communicates with the central database 412 and facilitates the display of user specific dashboards.

As a disaster recovery mechanism, a database, 416 , which is the replication of the central database 412, is maintained periodically at a different physical location which can be used in case the central database is not available due to any kind of failure. In use, the system works as depicted in the steps seen in FIGURE 5 and FIGURE 6:

• receiving the status and operation data regarding a plurality of monitored remote site equipment, 1000; • combining and compressing said status and operation data, 1002 ;

• encrypting the combined and compressed data and making a data packet, 1004;

• encoding the data packet, 1006 ;

• transmitting said encoded data packet over a voice channel to a central location of the dispersed network using DoV, 1008 ;

• receiving and decoding said encoded data packet at said central location, 1010;

• decrypting and decompressing said decoded data packet to get a raw data packet, 1012 ;

• converting the raw data packets to translated data packets, 1014 ;

• converting translated data packet to user readable data packet and storing it in a database, 1016 ;

• checking the status and operation data in said database for alarm and/or alert events, 1018 ;

• creating a trouble ticket if any alarm event is generated is received, 1020 ;

• communicating details of said alarm event to a field engineer/technician, 1022;

• escalating alarm event to users based on their hierarchy, 1024 ;

• tracking the status of the trouble ticket, 1026 ;

• generating various reports and user dashboards based on said stored data for viewing the entire portfolio of said dispersed network system, 1028 ; and

• controlling said remote site equipment, 1030.

TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES

The technical advancements of the present invention include in providing a system which pro- actively monitors, manages and controls distributed tower infrastructure in real-time. The present invention manages the entire assets of the tower including their preventive maintenance schedules.

The present invention provides an efficient system which reduces operational expenses and support costs. Moreover, the invention minimizes the truck rolls and gives a better technician / tower ratio. Also, the invention measures the energy consumption and controls the vital tower site equipment to ensure the maximum availability of the equipments and optimum use of energy consumed by the equipments. In addition, the invention increases the battery and the generator fuel life through intelligent and automated operation.

The present invention provides a real-time system which gives a consolidated view of the entire tower portfolio's operational performance, creates and tracks alarms, notifications, escalations, trouble tickets for operations support and generates SLA (Service Level Agreement) reports. In the event of a failure of any tower equipment the invention generates instant notification of alerts and escalations via email and SMS and creates a trouble ticket and tracks it till its resolution/closure.

The present invention provides a reliable system which includes an integrated, automatic fallback and failover mechanism which ensures that real-time communication take place in case of congestion and/or system component failures.

The present invention provides a flexible system which gives enables users to configure the time intervals for normal tower health status notifications and configurable escalation matrix. In addition, the invention provides users with the flexibility to view the reports in multiple formats like video wall views, web based reports for anytime and anywhere access, reports in textual or graphical formats, and MS Excel and PDF export of reports for further analysis. Also, the invention provides flexibility by giving definable KPIs, and role based access for the entire portfolio, geographic area or individual site views.

Further, the present invention provides a system which transmits data bi-directionally over a voice channel. Since, voice channel gets the highest priority the alarms and alerts generated by the system are transmitted in real time as against prior art systems which use SMS (Short Messaging Service) / GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) which are "store and forward" and "best effort" technologies respectively and have reliability issues.

In addition, the present invention employs a peer-to-peer, protected, closed loop communication to enable a secure, single-step data transfer as against the prior art systems that use SMS / GPRS which are open loop systems with no host verification and delivery guarantee mechanisms. Specifically, GPRS uses a multi-step communication process involving Internet host which makes the systems vulnerable to attacks.

Moreover, the present invention provides a cost effective system which requires no additional infrastructure and involves minimal deployment, operation & maintenance costs. The invention provides the lowest TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) as the charges of making voice calls are the lowest as compared to bulk SMS / GPRS plans which are based on data usage. Also, the voice plan charges are negligible as compared to Ethernet plans as well as Tl costs. Additionally, the telephone service providers give 'closed user group' calling facilities for voice calls which can be availed to have unlimited communication within a circle with a very low monthly fixed price.

Further, the present invention provides a "plug and play" system which is developed using SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) and open standards and thus, can integrate easily into existing Network Management System and/or Operations Source System. The present invention utilizes existing potential free contacts to connect to the tower equipment and wirelessly transmit the status and operation data using DoV over existing wireless infrastructure as against the prior systems which are built for SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) monitoring & require extensive configuration or rely on disparate end- devices to support dry sensor data. Also, DoV ensures the fastest possible deployment, in any geographical terrain, with always available network visibility.

Still further, the present invention provides a system which tracks customer defined KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) in real-time on a web-based dashboard and pin-points the root cause for service failures, if any.

In addition, the present invention includes an advanced site finder which quickly finds a site on the web and shows its tower details and site location on actual maps. The present invention provides a knowledge repository which acts as the central data repository and helps to minimize the problem resolution time, training of the field manpower and to eliminate reinventing the wheel.

The present invention gives strategic and competitive advantage over the prior art by providing a system which gives:

• web-based, real-time visibility into entire tower portfolio performance;

• precisely measures the operational impact of key initiatives / changes;

• attracts carriers by demonstrating better operational performance and control; and

• reduces the carbon footprint and gives an "environment friendly" system.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A system for centrally monitoring, managing and controlling a dispersed network system having a plurality of tower sites remotely located from each other, said system comprising:

• at least one data sender unit installed at each tower site, said data sender unit adapted to collect status and operation data regarding a plurality of site equipment and further adapted to prepare and transmit a data packet combining said collected status and operation data over a voice channel (DoV);

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data sender unit is a DC powered, IU rack mountable unit installed at each tower site.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data sender unit comprises:

• a sim card for provisioning wireless communication;

• an antenna for provisioning wireless communication;

• a keypad to locally configure said remote sender unit;

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said remote site equipment includes analog devices, digital devices, metering devices, monitoring devices and controlling devices.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data sender unit transmits said data packet over a voice channel using wireless networks.s

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data sender unit transmits said data packets over a voice channel using wired networks.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data sender unit is adapted to transmit said data packets to said data receiver unit using DoV transmission.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data sender unit is adapted to transmit said data packets to said data receiver unit using Short Message Service in the event that the voice call does not get connected.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data receiver unit is connected to the circle aggregation gateway unit using a two- wire hardware data link.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said circle aggregation gateway unit comprises:

• a light application server adapted to receive and analyze said decrypted data packet and further adapted to translate and transmit said decrypted data packet and still further adapted to raise alerts and notifications;

• an SMS/Email server adapted to receive said raised alerts, notifications; and

11. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said circle aggregation gateway unit sends said translated data packet to data processing center through means selected from a group of means including a leased line, a broadband connection, Tl lines and a wide area network connection.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data processing center comprises:

• a central database adapted to store said user readable data; and

13. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said full application server comprises:

• an Escalation Engine adapted to escalate the alarms, notifications, said trouble ticket to users of the system based on the hierarchy via means including email and SMS;

• Message Queues adapted to optimize the communication between disparate units;

• a Monitor Service engine adapted for self monitoring and configuration of said dispersed network; and • a Asset Management unit adapted to track and monitor the maintenance schedule of a plurality of said site equipment.

14. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data processing center comprises an authentication and an authorization mechanism for dynamic key generation for said data sender units and said data receiver units.

15. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system comprises a disaster recovery mechanism for periodic maintenance and replication of said central database at a different physical location.

16. A method for centrally monitoring, managing and controlling a dispersed network system, said method comprising the following steps:

• combining and compressing said status and operation data;

• encrypting the combined and compressed data and making a data packet;

• encoding the data packet;

• receiving and decoding said encoded data packet at said central location;

• converting the raw data packets to translated data packets;

• creating a trouble ticket if any alarm event is generated is received;

• communicating details of said alarm event to a field engineer/technician;

• escalating alarm event to users based on their hierarchy;

• tracking the status of the trouble ticket; • generating various reports and user dashboards based on said stored data for viewing the entire portfolio of said dispersed network system; and

• controlling said remote site equipment.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of receiving status and operation data includes the step of receiving said status and operation data from remote site equipment including analog devices, digital devices, metering devices, monitoring devices and controlling devices.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of transmitting said encoded data packet includes the steps of transmitting said encoded data packet as multiple constant frequencies over the voice channel.

19. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of transmitting said encoded data packet includes the steps of first sending a key on the voice channel and after successful authentication of the key checking if the source is registered and further sending the checksum.

20. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of communicating the details of the alarm include the step of sending the alarm through means including SMS and email.

21. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of tracking the status of the trouble ticket includes the step of tracking the status including open, assigned, acknowledged, resolved and closed.