IP Library Granted Patent US 12,335,259
Granted Patent B2
US 12,335,259 · App. 17/935,626 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Systems and methods for automated configuration of communications equipment

Inventors: Timothy Fullenkamp (Broomfield, CO); Majdi Dawud (Lafayette, CO); Erik McLeod (Longmont, CO); Russell Richardson (Thornton, CO); Alexander Talavera (Broomfield, CO)
Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
H04L63/0876H04L41/082H04L63/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,335,259
App. No.
17/935,626
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A field device, including: a processor; and memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: login to a local node device physically connected to the field device; enable a common command protocol on the local node device; solicit information to configure the local node device; generate a command set in the enabled common command protocol according to the solicited information; and execute the command set to automatically commission the local node device to communicate with one or more other node devices commissioned in a first network.

Claims (80)

1. A nontransitory computer readable medium of a field device, storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of the field device, cause the field device to:

login to a local node device physically connected to the field device;

enable a common command protocol on the local node device;

solicit information to configure the local node device;

determine a platform type of the local node device;

generate, based on the platform type of the local node device, a command set in the enabled common command protocol according to the solicited information;

execute the command set to automatically commission the local node device to communicate with one or more other node devices commissioned in a first network;

receive an indication to initiate a remote test from the local node device;

solicit local test information corresponding to the local node device, and remote test information corresponding to a remote node device from among the one or more other node devices commissioned in the first network;

validate a login to each of the local node device and the remote node device;

generate and execute a set of local verification commands on the local node device based on the solicited local test information; and

generate and execute a set of remote verifications commands on the remote node device from the local node device based on the solicited remote test information.

2. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the field device to select a command template according to the platform type,

wherein the command set is generated based on the selected command template.

3. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the field device to generate an execution report in response to executing the command set.

4. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 3 , wherein the instructions further cause the field device to:

store an inventory corresponding to the execution report of the commissioned node device in a storage device of the field device; and

reconcile the inventory with an external inventory system in response to the field device establishing a connection to the external inventory system.

5. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first network is a fiber optics network, and the local node device is commissioned to transmit light to the one or more other node devices over fibers of the first network.

6. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the local node device is a dense wavelength division multiplexing network device.

7. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the field device is physically connected to the node device via a universal cable.

8. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the universal cable is a CAT-5 cable.

9. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the solicited information comprises network configuration information, and

wherein the instructions further cause the field device to:

select a network configuration command template according to a platform type of the local node device;

generate a network configuration command set according to the selected network configuration command template and the network configuration information; and

execute the network configuration command set to configure a controller of the node device with the network configuration information.

10. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the solicited information comprises card configuration information, and

wherein the instructions further cause the field device to:

receive a selection of a card device to be configured in the local node device, the card device being physically installed in a shelf of the local node device;

select a card configuration command template according to the selected card device;

generate a card configuration command set according to the selected card configuration command template and the card configuration information; and

execute the card configuration command set to augment a capacity the node device based on the installed card device.

11. A method, executed by a field device, comprising:

logging into a local node device physically connected to the field device;

enabling a common command protocol on the local node device;

soliciting information to configure the local node device;

determining a platform type of the local node device;

generating a command set in the enabled common command protocol according to the solicited information;

executing the command set to automatically commission the local node device to communicate with one or more other node devices commissioned in a first network;

receiving an indication to initiate a remote test from the local node device;

soliciting local test information corresponding to the local node device, and remote test information corresponding to a remote node device from among the one or more other node devices commissioned in the first network;

validating a login to each of the local node device and the remote node device;

generating and executing a set of local verification commands on the local node device based on the solicited local test information; and

generating and executing a set of remote verifications commands on the remote node device from the local node device based on the solicited remote test information.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

selecting a command template according to the platform type,

wherein the command set is generated based on the selected command template.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

generating an execution report in response to executing the command set;

storing an inventory corresponding to the execution report of the commissioned node device in a storage device of the field device; and

reconciling the inventory with an external inventory system in response to the field device establishing a connection to the external inventory system.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the solicited information comprises network configuration information, the method further comprising:

selecting a network configuration command template according to a platform type of the local node device;

generating a network configuration command set according to the selected network configuration command template and the network configuration information; and

executing the network configuration command set to configure a controller of the local node device with the network configuration information.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the solicited information comprises card configuration information, the method further comprising:

receiving a selection of a card device to be configured in the local node device, the card device being physically installed in a shelf of the local node device;

selecting a card configuration command template according to the selected card device;

generating a card configuration command set according to the selected card configuration command template and the card configuration information; and

executing the card configuration command set to augment a capacity the local node device based on the installed card device.

16. A field device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory, operatively connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the field device to:

login to a local node device physically connected to the field device;

enable a common command protocol on the local node device;

solicit information to configure the local node device;

determine a platform type of the local node device;

generate, based on the platform type of the local node device, a command set in the enabled common command protocol according to the solicited information;

execute the command set to automatically commission the local node device to communicate with one or more other node devices commissioned in a first network;

receive an indication to initiate a remote test from the local node device;

solicit local test information corresponding to the local node device, and remote test information corresponding to a remote node device from among the one or more other node devices commissioned in the first network;

validate a login to each of the local node device and the remote node device;

generate and execute a set of local verification commands on the local node device based on the solicited local test information; and

generate and execute a set of remote verifications commands on the remote node device from the local node device based on the solicited remote test information.

17. The field device of claim 16 , wherein the solicited information comprises network configuration information, and

wherein the instructions further cause the field device to:

select a network configuration command template according to a platform type of the local node device;

generate a network configuration command set according to the selected network configuration command template and the network configuration information; and

execute the network configuration command set to configure a controller of the node device with the network configuration information.

Assignments (3)
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (SECOND LIEN) Recorded Nov 4, 2024
From: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; GLOBAL CROSSING TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069295/0749 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Nov 4, 2024
From: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; GLOBAL CROSSING TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069295/0858 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 27, 2023
From: FULLENKAMP, TIMOTHY; DAWUD, MAJDI; MCLEOD, ERIK; RICHARDSON, RUSSELL; TALAVERA, ALEXANDER
To: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 064086/0219 →