External Ethernet Qualification for PON Service Location Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for connecting new service locations to a passive optical network (PON) are manual, time-intensive, and rely heavily on technician expertise, often failing to consider essential factors like equipment capabilities and network loading, leading to inefficient resource usage and potential service gaps.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize geospatial coordinates to identify candidate external network provider facilities, select the most suitable facility for providing required services, and deliver those services to the service location, optimizing the connection process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual technician methods are used to determine splice points, then flexibility in location selection is improved, but time consumption and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual technician field investigations with an automated system that uses geospatial data processing. The system automatically determines candidate splice points by analyzing geographic coordinates, network topology data, and service requirements without requiring physical technician travel to each potential location.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically generating splice point recommendations based on input parameters. The automated algorithm processes geographic and network data to identify optimal connection points without requiring continuous human intervention or expert judgment for each specific case.
2Adaptability or versatility
If technician expertise is relied upon for connection decisions, then adaptability to local conditions is improved, but consistency and objectivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms qualitative technician expertise into quantifiable parameters including geographic coordinates, network loading metrics, and service requirement weights. By converting expert judgment into measurable parameters, the system achieves consistent, reproducible results while still adapting to local conditions through configurable parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that allow adjustment of selection criteria based on actual network conditions and service requirements. The algorithm can be refined and re-executed with updated parameters to adapt to changing local conditions while maintaining methodological consistency.
3Device complexity
If conventional manual methods are used, then simplicity of the process is improved, but consideration of network factors like equipment capabilities and loading is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex evaluation process into distinct analytical stages: geographic data processing, network topology analysis, service requirement matching, and splice point ranking. This segmentation allows comprehensive consideration of multiple factors while presenting a structured, manageable workflow that can be automated.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides universal functionality by handling multiple evaluation criteria simultaneously - geographic proximity, network loading, equipment capabilities, and service requirements - within a single integrated platform. This multi-functional approach ensures comprehensive reliability assessment without requiring separate simple processes for each factor.
4Device complexity
If external network providers are not considered, then network infrastructure simplicity is improved, but service options and redundancy are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system acts as an intermediary that coordinates between the PON service provider and external network providers. It automatically queries and evaluates external provider capabilities, compares them against service requirements, and determines optimal inter-provider connection points, thereby expanding service options without significantly complicating the core PON infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for qualifying external network facilities for a service location of a passive optical network (PON) of a PON service provider are presented. An exemplary method may include obtaining an indication of a service location of the PON and an indication of a set of required optical services at the service location; determining a group of candidate external network provider facilities for the service location of the PON based on geospatial coordinates of the service location and respective geospatial coordinates of the candidate external network provider facilities included in the group; selecting, from among the group of candidate external network provider facilities, an external network provider facility for providing the set of required optical services to the service location; and causing one or more optical services to be delivered to the service location via the selected external network provider facility.