SELF-SERVICE CIRCUIT TESTING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20080162678A1
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Financial Management Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Data Services Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Yiming, Buie, David J., Adelson, Lauren B., Zito-Wolf, Roland J., Davis, Colleen, Serubo, Peter C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,098,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

In one of many possible embodiments, an exemplary system includes a test management subsystem configured to provide a user portal to a user of a circuit provided by a service provider, the user portal including a tool enabling the user to select a signal loop for testing at least a section of the circuit, the signal loop being selected from a plurality of signal loop options. The system also includes a network management subsystem communicatively coupled to the test management subsystem, the network management subsystem being configured to receive data representative of the selection from the test management subsystem and instruct, based on the selection, a network device along the circuit to execute a loop-back mode. In certain embodiments, the selected signal loop defines a test pattern signal flow for testing a subsection of the circuit.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a test management subsystem configured to provide a user portal to a user of a circuit provided by a service provider, said user portal including a tool enabling the user to select a signal loop for testing at least a section of the circuit, the signal loop being selected from a plurality of signal loop options; and

a network management subsystem communicatively coupled to said test management subsystem, said network management subsystem configured to receive data representative of the selection from said test management subsystem and instruct, based on the selection, a network device along the circuit to execute a loop-back mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected signal loop defines a test pattern signal flow for testing a subsection of the circuit.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the subsection includes as its endpoints an endpoint and an intermediary point of the circuit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the intermediary point of the circuit includes the network device, the network device being operated by the service provider.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the endpoint of the circuit includes an endpoint device associated with the user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the endpoint device is configured to send and receive test signals over the subsection, the network device configured to receive and loop the test signals back to the endpoint device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of signal loop options defines a plurality of signal flows for testing different subsections of the circuit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said user portal includes a visual representation of the circuit and the plurality of signal loop options associated with the circuit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said test management subsystem provides the service provider access to the user portal by way of a remotely located access device communicatively coupled to said test management subsystem.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said test management subsystem is configured to store test results data and recommend one of the signal loop options to the service provider via the user portal, the recommendation being based on at least a subset of the stored test results.

11. A system comprising:

a test management subsystem communicatively coupled to a remotely located access device associated with an external party, said test management subsystem being configured to provide a user portal to the access device, said user portal including a tool enabling the external party to select from a plurality of selectable signal loops along a communication circuit provided by an internal party, wherein at least one of the selectable signal loops defines a test pattern signal flow for testing a subsection of the communication circuit; and

a network management subsystem communicatively coupled to said test management subsystem, said network management subsystem configured to receive data representative of a selection of one of the signal loops from said test management subsystem and instruct, based on the selection, a network device along the circuit to execute a loop-back mode.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the network device is located at an intermediary point along the circuit.

13. A method comprising:

providing a user portal including a tool enabling a user to select for testing at least one communication circuit;

receiving a test request from the user via the user portal;

conducting a test of the communication circuit, the test identifying at least one problem associated with the communication circuit;

providing additional testing options to the user via the user portal, the additional testing options including a plurality of selectable signal loops defining a plurality of test pattern signal flows;

detecting a user selection of one of the selectable signal loops; and

instructing, based on the selection, a network device located along the communication circuit to execute a loop-back mode.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising conducting a test in accordance with the selected signal loop.

15. The method of claim 14, said conducting including:

sending a test pattern signal from an endpoint of the communication circuit; and

reflecting the test pattern signal back to the endpoint, said reflecting being performed at the network device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected signal loop is configured for testing a subsection of the communication circuit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the network device is located at an intermediary point along the communication circuit.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing data representative a test result to the user via the user portal.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the user is associated with an external party and the communication circuit is provided by an internal party, and wherein said providing includes providing the user portal to a remotely located access device associated with the external party.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying one of the signal loops to recommend based on stored test data; and

providing a recommendation of the identified signal loop to the user via the user portal.