IP Library Granted Patent US 12,627,570
Granted Patent B2
US 12,627,570 · App. 18/431,198 · Granted May 12, 2026

Systems and methods for communications node upgrade and selection

Inventors: William Gray (Boulder, CO); James Sayre (Boulder, CO); Stephen Limburg (Boulder, CO)
Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
H04L41/145G06N3/02G06N20/00G06Q10/04H04B10/27H04L12/2861H04L41/0893H04L41/16H04Q3/0025H04Q3/0029H04Q11/0067H04W16/18H04W24/02H04W24/06H04W64/003
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,627,570
App. No.
18/431,198
Granted
May 12, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one implementation for the identification of connection areas in a telecommunications network, a customer set is obtained for a communications node in the telecommunications network. The customer set includes an existing connection type and a collection of network sites including the connection type is generated from the customer set. An overlay of customer sites without the connection type may be applied to the collection of network sites to generate an intersection of non-connected customer sites within the collection of network sites including the connection type. The intersection provides an indication of underserviced sites connection to the telecommunication network for potential network growth.

Claims (9)

1 . A method for providing telecommunications services in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

obtaining a site footprint of a geographic region having a plurality of sites associated with a connection type of the telecommunications network;

classifying each of the plurality of sites without the connection type based on a number of network source keys associated with a corresponding site of the plurality of sites;

generating one or more buildable subgroups each defining geospatial boundaries of a build area of the connection type and each having a subset of the plurality of sites;

intersecting the one or more buildable subgroups with geospatial locations of a plurality of sites without the connection type; and

generating a telecommunications build plan for providing the connection type to at least one of the plurality of sites without the connection type when a geospatial location of the at least one of the plurality of sites intersects with the one or more buildable subgroups.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

subdividing the plurality of sites without the connection type based on the classification of each of the plurality of sites without the connection type.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein generating the telecommunications build plan is based at least on the subdivision of the plurality of sites without the connection type based on the classification.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF FIRST LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL RECORDED AT R/F 069295/0858 Recorded Jun 12, 2026
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS RETIRING COLLATERAL AGENT
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 075738/0427 →
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 Feb 8, 2024
From: GRAY, WILLIAM; SAYRE, JAMES; LIMBURG, STEPHEN
To: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 066418/0248 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17942967 · Sep 12, 2022
Continuation 16795447 · Feb 19, 2020
Provisional Application 62808183 · Feb 20, 2019
Provisional Application 62808189 · Feb 20, 2019
Related Publication 20240172010A1 · May 23, 2024
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