Lucent Technologies Inc.

At&t Bell Laboratories

Bell Telephone Laboratories

American Telephone and Telegraph, Co.

John M Ackroff

Michael M Cruzcosa

Michael J Heffler

James C Domangue

John C Mitchell

A system for managing workflow of specific types of activities includes a database and at least one computer workstation connected to an integrated activities management system. The integrated activities management system strictly controls the entry, routing and processing of attribute information associated with each of the activities to manage the execution of the activity. The integrated activities management system utilizes an information organization system to maintain attribute information concerning each activity in the form of data records consisting of linked data objects in the database. Each type of data object has associated control rules which govern the entry, routing and processing of its attribute information. The data objects in each data record are arranged in a hierarchical manner and including data objects from at least a first hierarchical level and an activity level. The first hierarchical level data object contains information common to activities of all types. The activity level data object contains attribute information common to only that type of activity. The use of the hierarchial arrangement and first hierarchical level data objects facilitates changes to the managing and tracking routines in an existing system, as well as modification of the system to manage new activities of similar or dissimilar types.

Integrated activity management system

This invention is a method of remotely accessing an Intelligent Network Channel Terminating Equipment device to expedite the testing and servicing of telecommunications circuits. Intelligent Network Channel Terminating Equipment devices from different manufacturers have different operating characteristics. Therefore, prior to remotely accessing and operating an Intelligent Network Channel Terminating Equipment device in a telecommunication circuit from a remote location, the operating characteristics of the device must be determined. At the heart of the invention is our recognition that Intelligent Network Channel Terminating Equipment can be categorized according to their operational characteristics and that the type of Intelligent Network Channel Terminating equipment device present at a remote location can be identified from its response to signals which are sent to the Intelligent Network Channel Terminating Equipment device.

Remotely accessing intelligent network channel terminating equipment

Users of an on-line documentation facility in a computer system are provided with the capability of specifying modifications to be made to the documentation that would otherwise be provided by the system.

On-line documentation facility

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Highland Park, NJ, United States of America

John M Ackroff