Methods and systems for determining a telecommunications service location using global satellite positioning
View Patent ↗Methods and systems are provided for obtaining information related to a customer service location and directions for routing a service technician from one customer service location to another. One embodiment includes requesting at least one set of coordinates associated with the customer service location; accessing a technician server to direct a global satellite positioning system to obtain the set of coordinates for the customer service location; obtaining the coordinates and updating one or more databases with said coordinates. The coordinates may include at least one of a latitude and a longitude associated with the customer service location. Another embodiment includes obtaining through a technician server at least one set of “from” coordinates associated with the first customer service location and at least one set of “to” coordinates associated with the second customer location; transmitting the “from” and “to” coordinates to a mapping system; and, generating directions in the mapping system based on the “to” and “from” coordinates. At least one of the sets of coordinates includes latitude and longitude data. System and computer-readable media embodiments of these methods are also provided.
1. A computer-readable medium for generating travel directions in a communications device, the computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of the communications device, cause the processor of the communications device to:
determine a present geographic location of a transponder system operatively associated with the communications device;
receive, via a user interface of the communications device, information identifying equipment;
access a remote address guide system to obtain a destination geographic location corresponding to the equipment;
receive information from the remote address guide system indicating the destination geographic location corresponding to the equipment; and
obtain travel directions from the present geographic location to the destination geographic location received from the remote address guide system.
2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the processor of the communications device to, in accessing the remote address guide system to obtain the destination geographic location, access the remote address guide system by way of a remote technician server and a dispatch system in communication with the remote technician server.
3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the processor of the communications device to, in determining the present geographic location of the transponder, access a global satellite positioning system associated with the transponder.
4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the processor of the communications device to, in determining the present geographic location of the transponder, access a technician server to obtain the present geographic location.
5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
receive a request for the travel directions; and
in response to receiving the request for travel directions, request identification of the equipment.
6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the equipment is service equipment for use in providing customer service.
7. A communications device comprising:
a processor;
a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
determine a present geographic location of a transponder system operatively associated with the communications device;
receive, via a user interface of the communications device, information identifying equipment;
access a remote address guide system to obtain a destination geographic location corresponding to the equipment;
receive information from the remote address guide system indicating the destination geographic location corresponding to the equipment; and
obtain travel directions from the present geographic location to the destination geographic location received from the remote address guide system.
8. The communications device of claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the processor of the communications device to, in accessing the remote address guide system to obtain the destination geographic location, access the remote address guide system by way of a remote technician server and a dispatch system in communication with the remote technician server.
9. The communications device of claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the processor of the communications device to, in determining the present geographic location of the transponder, access a global satellite positioning system associated with the communications device.
10. The communications device of claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the processor of the communications device to, in determining the present geographic location of the transponder, access a technician server to obtain the present geographic location.
11. The communications device of claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the processor of the communications device to:
receive a request for the travel directions; and
in response to receiving the request for travel directions, request identification of the equipment.
12. The communications device of claim 7 , wherein the communications device is of a device type selected from a group of device types consisting of a wireless personal computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, and a wireless pager.
13. The communications device of claim 7 , wherein the equipment is service equipment for use in providing customer service.
14. A method for generating travel directions in a communications device, the method comprising:
determining a present geographic location of a transponder system operatively associated with the communications device;
the communications device receiving, via a user interface of the communications device, information identifying equipment;
the communications device accessing a remote address guide system to obtain a destination geographic location corresponding to the equipment;
the communications device receiving information from a remote address guide system indicating the destination geographic location corresponding to the equipment; and
the communications device obtaining travel directions from the present geographic location to the destination geographic location received from the remote address guide system.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein, in accessing the remote address guide system to obtain the destination geographic location, the communications device accesses the remote address guide system by way of a remote technician server.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein, in accessing the remote address guide system to obtain the destination geographic location, the communications device accesses the remote address guide system by way of a remote technician server and a dispatch system in communication with the remote technician server.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein, in determining the present geographic location of the transponder, the communication device accesses a global satellite positioning system associated with the transponder.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein, in determining the present geographic location of the transponder, the communications device accesses a technician server to obtain the present geographic location.
19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving a request for the travel directions; and
in response to receiving the request for travel directions, requesting identification of the equipment.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the equipment is service equipment for use in providing customer service.