System and method for recovering from a telecommunications disaster

US5465294A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• AT&T CORP. · US

Inventors

• John M. Chapman, Jr. · Aurora, US
• David N. Decker · Phillipsburg, US
• Sondra L. Diles · Kansas City, US
• Nicholas P. DeVito · Bedminster, US
• William Leach · Glen Gardner, US
• Richard Reinhold Lechner · Fords, US
• Allen D. Langham · Overland Park, US
• Willard R. Manning · Edison, US
• Thomas R. Ryan · Huntingdon, US
• Edward J. Smith · Frenchtown, US
• William Thompson
• Robert Yursis · Roswell, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 30, 1994
• Grant date: Nov 7, 1995
• Expiry date: Jun 30, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04Q3/0079
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A telephone disaster recovery process for quickly re-establishing long distance telephone service to a telephone LEC office after a telephone central office connected to the LEC office has been rendered inoperable by a disaster is described. The central office is located at a disaster site. The process operates by assessing the disaster and identifying elements of an on-site component needed to address the disaster. The elements of the on-site component are transported to the disaster site, and are mapped to corresponding elements of the inoperable central office. These elements of the on-site component are configured and interconnected according to the mapping to enable the on-site component to functionally emulate the inoperable central office. Then, the on-site component is connected to the LEC office, and is also connected to an off-site component using communication media in a long distance telephone network. The off-site component emulates switching functions of the inoperable central office, and has been previously connected to other telephone central offices via other communication media in the long distance telephone network. Finally, the on-site component and the off-site…