AN INFRASTRUCTURE COST CALCULATION AND SUGGESTION

SYSTEM

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an infrastructure cost calculation and suggestion system which enables companies providing services such as fixed-line telephone, data, fiber, radio link or similar services to automatically calculate costs about infrastructure requests received from their customers and to suggest these calculated costs to their customers.

Background of the Invention

Today, great effort is made in preparation of infrastructure in order that fiber internet service reaches desired places. In order to estimate infrastructure costs previously, service provider companies use cost analysis programs which have been provided with proximity and navigation capabilities. The said analysis programs can make calculation of cost by using the data input only by the user for construction works in infrastructure companies. For example, computer aided design (CAD) systems can make a calculation over quantity according to the material model which is during design stage or taxi navigation applications can make an estimated cost calculation by calculating the distance to be covered.

The United States patent document no. US2010049587 discloses a system providing infrastructure transfer cost analysis. In the said system, possible scenarios of fiber infrastructure networks for future. In the invention, these prediction scenarios are realized by making benefit of desired infrastructure models and existing infrastructure models. Whereas cost analysis is calculated in parallel with these scenarios. The Korean patent document no. KR100748078 discloses system for making optimum sustainability analysis in infrastructure systems. Within the said system, a reasonable budget is determined by carrying out infrastructure performance/cost optimization. This system determines performance expectation of infrastructure service according to estimated service period according to similar systems.

Summary of the Invention

An objective of the present invention is to realize an infrastructure cost calculation and suggestion system which enables companies providing services such as fixed- line telephone, data, fiber, radio link or similar services to automatically calculate costs about infrastructure requests received from their customers and to suggest these calculated costs to their customers. Detailed Description of the Invention

"An Infrastructure Cost Calculation and Suggestion System" realized to fulfill the objectives of the present invention is shown in the figure attached, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of the inventive system.

The components illustrated in the figure are individually numbered, where the numbers refer to the following: 1. System

2. Request unit

3. Infrastructure determination unit

4. Database

5. Cost calculation unit

6. Comparison and suggestion unit An infrastructure cost calculation and suggestion system (1) enabling companies which provide services such as fixed-line telephone, data, fiber, radio link or similar services to automatically calculate costs about infrastructure requests received from their customers and to suggest these calculated costs to their customers comprises:, - at least one request unit (2) which enables a customer to input his/her request for setting up the infrastructure that is required for fixed-line telephone, data, fiber, radio link or similar service from the company;

- at least one infrastructure determination unit (3) which is in communication with the request unit (2) and enables to determine options of infrastructure that can be set up in order to provide service depending on the request input from the request unit (2);

- at least one database (4) wherein records of data about route, fiber cable, road, pavement, building, radio link coverage areas, radio link connection points are kept in order that the setup cost related to the infrastructure to be set up in thereof is calculated;

- at least one cost calculation unit (5) which is in communication with the infrastructure determination unit (3) and the database (4) and makes a cost calculation for each infrastructure option by carrying out geographical analysis on the records included in the database (4) in order to reach the main gathering center of the company for the infrastructure options determined by the infrastructure determination unit (3); and

- at least one comparison and suggestion unit (6) which is in communication with the cost calculation unit (5), compares the calculated costs with one another for set up of each infrastructure by the cost calculation unit (5) and presents the suitable infrastructure setup option and the cost related to this option to the customer within the rules that are determined previously as a result of the comparison transaction.

The request unit (2) included in the inventive system (1) is in communication with the infrastructure determination unit (3) and it enables customers to input the requests that comprises at least the service requested by the customer and the location information of the customer in order that the infrastructure required for fixed-line telephone, data, fiber, radio link or a similar service is set up. Information about the request of infrastructure setup input to the request unit (2) by the customers are sent to the infrastructure determination unit (3) from the request unit

(2) .

The infrastructure determination unit (3) included in the inventive system (1) is in communication with the request unit (2) and the cost calculation unit (5). The infrastructure determination unit (3) determines options of infrastructure setup that can be carried out for the said location by using at least the location information of the customer about the customer request received from the request unit (2). In one embodiment of the invention, the infrastructure determination unit (3) determines whether the options of fiber infrastructure and radio link based infrastructure in the options of infrastructure setup are suitable for the location detected by the customer or not. In one embodiment of the invention, the infrastructure determination unit (3) determines the third party companies that can meet the said request if the request received from the customer cannot be met by the company.

The database (4) included in the inventive system (1) is in communication with the cost calculation unit (5). Records of data about route, fiber cable, road, pavement, building, radio link coverage areas, radio link connection points are kept inside the database (4) in order that the cost calculation unit (5) can calculate cost for each options of infrastructure setup determined by the infrastructure determination unit

(3) · The cost calculation unit (5) included in the inventive system (1) is in communication with the infrastructure determination unit (3), the database (4) and the comparison and suggestion unit (6). The cost calculation unit (5) enables to calculate the cost required for realizing each option of infrastructure setup by using the data that are recorded inside the database (4) by connecting to the database (4) in accordance with the options of infrastructure setup received from the infrastructure determination unit (3). The cost calculation unit (5) sends the information about the setup costs -that are calculated for the options of fiber infrastructure and radio link based infrastructure- to the comparison and suggestion unit (6).

The cost calculation unit (5) uses the routes of the canalettes located under roads and pavements for the option of fiber infrastructure setup whereas it uses the coverage area information of the places about where it has view among the radio points of the single-point radio signals in the option of radio link based infrastructure setup. The cost calculation unit (5) determines the connection point of the closest route for the fiber infrastructure setup. The cost calculation unit (5) performs the progression from this point determined until the access point over the route. The calculation unit (5) uses the decision mechanism proceeding on the route according to the topological relationship in order to reach the access point in the shortest and cost- free way. The cost calculation unit (5) starts tracking the access point by following the highway upon unfollowing the route after it understands that it is moved away from the decision mechanism access point. Thus, the shortest and cost- free way possible is used by the cost calculation unit (5) while calculating cost.

The cost calculation unit (5) uses the topological relationships of the vector data used in geographic information systems for transactions of proceeding over route. Topological relationship is a relational indexing for each geographic object to keep their neighbourhood with each other.

The route data used by the cost calculation unit (5) is already available in the company. Therefore, the cost calculation unit (5) reduces external dependence by retrieving the necessary information over the database (4) and this ensures that an offer is made for the customer with less cost and price advantage is created.

The cost calculation unit (5) uses the information of places about where it has view previously among the radio link points in the option of radio link based infrastructure setup. The places used by the cost calculation unit (5) and about where it has view among the radio link points are previously created by the cost calculation unit (5) as the buffer zone used in geographic information systems and they are stored in the database (4). The cost calculation unit (5) works out a fixed cost information for a request to be received from within the region by using the buffer zone coverage area. The cost calculation unit (5) also works out the coverage area to be reached with the same technique by adding a new view point having the second feature. Thus, the cost calculation unit (5) presents a pre-simulation and cost calculation to a customer who wants to get service from this region by means of the input data.

In one preferred embodiment, the cost calculation unit (5) carries out geographical analysis by acting as a planner on the inventory included in the database (4) and uses the cost calculation mechanism. Aim of the cost calculation unit (5) is to calculate how much will cost of the fiber or radio link infrastructure setups be until the main gathering center. The comparison and suggestion unit (6) included in the inventive system (1) is in communication with the cost calculation unit (5). The comparison and suggestion unit (6) receives the information about the setup costs that are calculated for the options of fiber infrastructure and radio link based infrastructure received from the cost calculation unit (5), compares the said information with one another within pre- determined rules, and suggests the information about the optimum infrastructure setup option detected as a result of the comparison and the cost information about this option to the customer. In one embodiment of the invention, the comparison and suggestion unit (6) selects the one having less cost value -that is calculated by the cost calculation unit (5)- among the options of fiber infrastructure and radio link based infrastructure and then suggests the information about the selected option of infrastructure setup and the cost information about this option to the customer.

It is ensured by the inventive system (1) that not only road data but also the records of the database (4) belonging to a company are used; thus, the company can select the shortest and cost-free alternative among the ones that it will use for connection to its own access point for customer requests of infrastructure setup. Within these basic concepts; it is possible to develop a wide range of embodiments of the inventive "Infrastructure Cost Calculation and Suggestion System (1)", the invention cannot be limited to examples disclosed herein and it is essentially according to claims.