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  Interactive, menu-driven interface to databaseRelated Patent Categories: Data Processing: Database And File Management Or Data Structures, Database Or File Accessing, Distributed Or Remote AccessThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070255726. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] This invention generally relates to cellular communications. More particularly, the present invention relates to an interactive, menu-driven interface to cell site information in a database. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] With the increasing popularity of cellular phone communications, managing the data associated with calls to and from cellular phones has become increasingly complex. For example, one type of data that is managed is cell face transfer data. Cellular phone systems typically include a cell face (or antenna) mounted on an antenna tower receiving calls from cell phones. A cell face receives calls within an associated geographic coverage area called a cell. An antenna tower can have multiple cell faces oriented at different angles to handle calls originating from multiple directions around the antenna tower. A process is employed in order to choose a cell face that handles the call from each cell phone. The process of selecting and switching among cell faces involves the use of data that designates available cell faces. A neighbor list in the database specifies the neighboring cell faces to which the current call may be handed off to. Before handing a call to a neighboring cell face, signal strengths from all the neighboring cell faces are measured and the cell face with the strongest signal strength is designated for hand-off. For example, as a mobile call moves away from one cell face, the neighbor list is accessed to select another cell face that is closer to the call so that the call can be handed off to the closer cell face. [0003] The neighbor list data and numerous other types of data (such as cell data, channel data, trunk group and member data, device data, etc.) may be stored in a database of a cellular network, such as one manufactured by Ericsson. Sometimes, this data is stored in different forms in the database. Making changes to data in one of these forms may be complex. For example, typically an operating system in the cellular network is used to access a command handler application. The command handler application accepts line commands and performs updates and revisions to the database based on these line commands. [0004] One problem with these line commands is that they are not intuitive to a user because a user must be familiar with specific line commands in order to enter the correct line commands and make the proper updates and revisions. Another problem is that there is no interactive interface to make the changes to the data. Instead, the user must enter line commands. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] Cellular site information is often stored in databases, such as a database manufactured by Ericsson. Updating this cellular site information is often difficult because specific line commands, or scripts, must be entered into a command handler application. Thus, one problem with updating cellular site information is that a specific knowledge of these line commands is necessary to make changes to the cellular site information databases. Another problem is that even if a user has knowledge of the required line commands, the user, when making multiple changes to the database, may make mistakes entering these line commands. Thus, the present invention, in one embodiment, provides an interactive menu-driven interface to the database to eliminate the need for knowledge of specific line commands and to reduce the number of errors made. [0006] In one embodiment, the invention is an interactive, menu-driven interface to a cellular site information database. The user may enter a form name such as channel, cell, trkgrp, trkmem, etc. into a form selection screen. The user may enter the operation desired to be performed on the form such as review, delete, insert, update, etc. to choose which form to view. After the user has entered the form name and the operation desired into the interface, the entered form is displayed to the user. A query, such as a SQL query, is issued to populate the fields of the form displayed on the interface with data from the database. The user may select one or more of the fields in the form and make revisions, addition, edits, etc. The user may then select the action command such as insert, review, update or delete. Commands, such as SQL commands, are generated to perform the action desired by the user on the database. [0007] In one embodiment, the invention is a computer-implemented method for providing an interactive, menu-driven interface to a cellular site information database comprising cell site data. A form name input is received from the user identifying the form data in the cellular site information database that the user wants to view or edit such as cell data, channel data, trunk group and member data, device data, etc. A blank form may then be displayed to the user including a key field. The user may then input a value into the key field identifying a particular cellular site that the user wants to view or edit. For example, the user may enter channel for the form name input and then enter G003A for the key field indicating that the user wants to view the channel data for cell site G003A. [0008] Queries, such as SQL queries, may be generated to retrieve the data corresponding to the identified cell site from a cellular site information database. The queries are sent to the cellular site information database and the appropriate data, such as channel data, corresponding to the identified cell site from the cellular site information database is retrieved. The data is displayed to the user in an interactive, menu-driven interface. The user may make changes as necessary. When the user is finished making changes, commands, such as SQL commands, are generated and sent to the cellular site information database to make the appropriate changes to the data. [0009] These and other features, advantages, and aspects of the present invention may be more clearly understood and appreciated from a review of the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments and by reference to the appended drawings and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0010] FIG. 1 is an exemplary cellular operating environment implementing an embodiment of the present invention. [0011] FIG. 2 is a multiple cell operating environment implementing an embodiment of the present invention. [0012] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a cellular processor including a forms database. [0013] FIG. 4 is an illustration of a form selection screen in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0014] FIG. 5 is an illustration of a form selection screen in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0015] FIG. 6 is an illustration of the interactive, menu-driven interface displaying a channel form in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0016] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for updating a database form in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0017] In one embodiment, the present invention is an interactive, menu-driven interface for a cellular network database, such as a database manufactured by Ericsson. Currently, there is no interactive interface to modify forms in the Ericsson database. Instead, a user has to use a command handler application and enter one or more line commands (such as mtcgc:dev=mvdc-1001, vcg=vcge3 to change the value of the vcg field for device "mdvc 1001" to vcge3). In one embodiment, the present invention displays an interactive interface that supplies the user with a form requested by the user. The form may include a plurality of fields. The user may navigate an insertion point to different fields of the form, make changes to the fields as needed and then update the form without using line commands. Structured Query Language (SQL) commands may be generated to update the database. [0018] In one embodiment, the invention is a computer-implemented method for providing an interactive, menu-driven interface to a cellular site information database comprising cell site data. A form name input is received from the user identifying the form data in the cellular site information database that the user wants to view or edit such as cell data, channel data, trunk group and member data, device data, etc. A blank form may then be displayed to the user including a key field. The user may then input a value into the key field identifying a particular cellular site that the user wants to view or edit. For example, the user may enter channel for the form name input and then enter G003A for the key field indicating that the user wants to view the channel data for cell site G003A. [0019] Queries, such as SQL queries, may be generated to retrieve the data corresponding to the identified cell site from a cellular site information database. The queries are sent to the cellular site information database and the appropriate data, such as channel data, corresponding to the identified cell site from the cellular site information database is retrieved. The data is displayed to the user in an interactive, menu-driven interface. The user may make changes as necessary. When the user is finished making changes, commands, such as SQL commands, are generated and sent to the cellular site information database to make the appropriate changes to the data. Continue reading... Full patent description for Interactive, menu-driven interface to database Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Interactive, menu-driven interface to database patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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