Mobile application for assisting a technician in carrying out an electronic work order

Abstract

One embodiment is directed to a mobile application executing on a smartphone that is used to assist a technician in carrying out electronic work orders. In some embodiments, the mobile application uses a camera in the smartphone to take photos that are associated with one or more steps of the work order.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of performing steps of an electronic work order, the method comprising:
 receiving the electronic work order at a mobile application executing on a smartphone, the electronic work order comprising a set of steps that are to be carried out by a single technician at a particular location, wherein at least one step of the set of steps includes adding, moving, or changing a connection made at a first port of a device;   using a camera included in the smartphone to take a picture related to the performance of the at least one step of the set of steps that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device;   associating the picture with the at least one step of the set of steps that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device; and   communicating the picture to an entity for use in documenting the at least one step of the set of steps that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one step of the set of steps involves something other than adding, moving, or changing a connection at a port of the device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying information about events and alarms using the mobile application executing on the smartphone. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising recording a comment in the mobile application related to the at least one step of the set of steps that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying details about a cable involved in at least one step of the set of steps. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a user input at the mobile application to indicate that at least one step of the set of steps has been completed. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the device is an unmanaged device that does not include physical layer management functionality. 
     
     
         8 . A program product for implementing a mobile application on a smartphone, tangibly stored on a non-transitory storage medium, comprising instructions operable to cause at least one programmable processor in the smartphone to:
 receive an electronic work order comprising a set of steps that are to be carried out by a single technician at a particular location, wherein at least one step of the set of steps includes adding, moving, or changing a connection made at a first port of a device;   use a camera included in the smartphone to take a picture related to the performance of the at least one step of the set of steps that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device;   associate the picture with the at least one step of the set of steps that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device; and   communicate the picture to an entity for use in documenting the at least one step of the set of steps that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device.   
     
     
         9 . The program product of  claim 8 , further comprising instructions operable to cause the at least one programmable processor in the smartphone to record a comment in the mobile application related to the at least one step of the set of steps that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device. 
     
     
         10 . The program product of  claim 8 , further comprising instructions operable to cause the at least one programmable processor in the smartphone to display information about events and alarms using the mobile application executing on the smartphone. 
     
     
         11 . The program product of  claim 8 , further comprising instructions operable to cause the at least one programmable processor in the smartphone to display details about a cable involved in at least one step of the set of steps. 
     
     
         12 . The program product of  claim 8 , further comprising instructions operable to cause the at least one programmable processor in the smartphone to receive a user input at the mobile application to indicate that at least one step of the set of steps has been completed. 
     
     
         13 . A system comprising:
 an aggregation point configured to receive and store information about connections made in a communication network;   an electronic work order entity configured to generate an electronic work order, the electronic work order comprising a set of steps that are to be carried out by a single technician at a particular location, wherein at least one step of the set of steps includes adding, moving, or changing a connection made at a first port of a device; and   a smartphone configured to receive the electronic work order using a mobile application executing on a smartphone;   wherein the smartphone comprises a camera, wherein the mobile application is configured to:   take a picture related to the performance of the at least one step of the set of steps that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device,   associate the picture with the at least one step of the set of steps that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device, and   communicate the picture to at least one of the aggregation point and/or the electronic work order entity for use in documenting the at least one step of the set of steps that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the mobile application is configured to communicate the picture to the at least one aggregation point and/or the electronic work order entity by uploading the picture to the at least one aggregation point and/or the electronic work order entity in response to an input from the technician. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the mobile application is configured to display information about events and alarms. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the mobile application is configured to receive a user input at the mobile application to indicate that at least one step of the set of steps has been completed. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the mobile application is configured to receive a user input at the mobile application to indicate that at least one step of the set of steps has been completed, wherein the user input is used by the aggregation point and/or the electronic work order entity for documenting the at least one step of the set of steps that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the mobile application is configured to record a comment in the mobile application related to the at least one step of the set of steps that includes adding, moving, or changing the connection made at the first port of the device. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein at least one step of the set of steps involves something other than adding, moving, or changing a connection at a port of the device. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the device is an unmanaged device that does not include physical layer management functionality.