Generate Call Links (Crime Analysis and Safety)

Summary

Creates line features that represent the call links between phones, using cell site points or cell site antenna sectors, based on the start date and time of the call.

Usage

  • The tool requires two feature classes derived from two unique call detail records (CDR) using the Cell Phone Records To Feature Class tool. Both phone record site point and sector polygon feature classes are accepted as input to this tool.

  • The output features can calculate the summary of the call links between two phones to illustrate call volume or to display each unique call link between phones as individual occurrences.

  • The following fields will be added to the output:

    • ORIG_FID—The Object ID of the Input Primary Phone Record Site Points or Sectors parameter feature.
    • ORIG_X—The x-coordinate of the starting point of the line feature where the call link begins.
    • ORIG_Y—The y-coordinate of the starting point of the line feature where the call link begins.
    • DEST_FID—The Object ID of the Input Secondary Phone Record Site Points or Sectors parameter feature.
    • DEST_X—The x-coordinate of the end point of the line feature where the call link ends.
    • and DEST_Y—The y-coordinate of the end point of the line feature where the call link ends.
    • GROUP_ID—The common value that connects the Input Primary Phone Record Site Points or Sectors feature to the Input Secondary Phone Record Site Points or Sectors feature.
    • LINK_DIST— The length of the output link. The distance unit of the Input Primary Phone Record Site Points or Sectors parameter feature's coordinate system will be used.
    • LINK_COUNT—The total number of calls between unique locations. This field is only created when the Output Type parameter is set to Summary.

Syntax

arcpy.ca.GenerateCallLinks(in_primary_features, in_secondary_features, out_feature_class, {output_type}, {primary_subscriber_field}, {primary_destination_field}, {primary_start_time_field}, {secondary_subscriber_field}, {secondary_destination_field}, {secondary_start_time_field})
ParameterExplanationData Type
in_primary_features

The point feature class for the primary phone or sector derived from the Cell Phone Records To Feature Class tool.

Feature Layer
in_secondary_features

The point feature class for the secondary phone or sector derived from the Cell Phone Records To Feature Class tool.

Feature Layer
out_feature_class

The output line features representing the call links between two phones at various locations.

Feature Class
output_type
(Optional)

Specifies how the relationship of calls between two phones will be analyzed and symbolized.

  • SUMMARYA summary record of the total number of calls between two phones at various locations will be created. This is the default.
  • DETAILAn individual record of each call between two phones at various locations will be created.
String
primary_subscriber_field
(Optional)

The unique ID field for the primary phone subscriber, usually a phone number.

Field
primary_destination_field
(Optional)

The field containing the phone number of the secondary phone.

Field
primary_start_time_field
(Optional)

The start date and time field of the primary phone records.

Field
secondary_subscriber_field
(Optional)

The unique ID field for the secondary phone subscriber, usually a phone number.

Field
secondary_destination_field
(Optional)

The field containing the phone number of the primary phone.

Field
secondary_start_time_field
(Optional)

The start date and time field of the secondary phone records.

Field

Code sample

GenerateCallLinks example 1 (Python window)

The following script demonstrates how to use the GenerateCallLinks function in immediate mode.

import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace = r"C:/data/city_pd.gdb"
arcpy.ca.GenerateCallLinks("CDR_PhoneA_Sites","CDR_PhoneB_Sites", "out_call_links")
GenerateCallLinks example 2 (stand-alone script)

The following script demonstrates how to use the GenerateCallLinks function in a stand-alone script.

# Description: Use the GenerateCallLinks tool to create a line representing each 
#              call made between two phones at various locations.

# Import required modules
import arcpy

# Set environment settings
arcpy.env.workspace = r"C:\data\city_pd.gdb"

# Set local variables
in_primary_features = "CDR_PhoneA_Sites"
in_secondary_features = "CDR_PhoneB_Sites"
out_link_lines_detail = "out_call_links_detail"
out_link_lines_summary = "out_call_links_summary"

# Execute the GenerateCallLinks tool
arcpy.ca.GenerateCallLinks(in_primary_features, in_secondary_features, 
                           out_link_lines_detail, "DETAIL")

Licensing information

  • Basic: Yes
  • Standard: Yes
  • Advanced: Yes

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