System and Method for Remote Testing Of A Subscriber Loop

• US 20090268878A1
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walters, Robert, Jensen, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,750,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/27.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/30 for subscriber's lines , for the local loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/305 testing of physical copper line parameters, e.g. capacitance or resistance locating faults in cables G01R31/08

Abstract

A system and method for testing a subscriber loop. A maintenance port of a switch is configured to dial a phone number associated with a subscriber loop. A remote device is commanded to initiate a test for the subscriber loop utilizing a test bus. Test measurements of the subscriber loop are received from a remote test head.

Claims

1. A method for testing a subscriber loop, the method comprising:

configuring a maintenance port of a switch to dial a phone number associated with a subscriber loop;

commanding a remote device to initiate a test for the subscriber loop utilizing a test bus; and

receiving test measurements of the subscriber loop from a remote test head.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading, command, and receiving are performed by a test operating system executed by a testing system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the test operating system is controlled by a user communicating with the test operating system through a test client.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the test operating system is configured to load the phone number into the maintenance port of the switch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a telecommunication system utilized to perform the test measurements of the subscriber loop utilizes only the remote test head for implementing the testing of the subscriber loop.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the subscriber loop is available for testing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the commanding is performed in response to determining the subscriber loop is available for testing.

8. The method of to claim 1, wherein the remote device and the remote test head share a location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a test head is not connected to the switch to dial in numbers associated with the subscriber loop for testing at the remote device.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein the test operating system communicates with the switch through a switch interface, and wherein the test operating system communicates with the test head through a test head interface.

11. A telecommunications system for testing a subscriber loop, the telecommunications system comprising:

a testing platform executing a testing operating system for interfacing with a user through a test client;

a switch in communication with the testing platform through a maintenance port of the switch, the maintenance port configured to receive a phone number to be tested;

a remote device in communication with the switch, the remote device configured to provide test bus access for the subscriber loop; and

a test head in communication with the test bus of the remote device, the test head further in communication with the network device, the test head configured to receive test measurements of the subscriber loop for communication to the testing platform.

12. The telecommunications system according to claim 11, wherein the test client receives test measurements indicating the performance of the subscriber loop for taking a corrective action.

13. The telecommunications system according to claim 11, wherein the switch determines whether the subscriber loop is available for testing and initiates testing at the remote device once the subscriber loop is available.

14. The telecommunications system according to claim 11, wherein the remote device and the test head are at the same location.

15. The telecommunications system according to claim 11, wherein the test head is the only test head utilized to perform the testing.

16. A network device for testing a subscriber loop comprising:

a processor for executing a test operating system, the test operating system including a set of instructions; and

a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are operable when executed by the processor to;

instruct a maintenance port of a switch to dial a phone number associated with a subscriber loop, command a remote device to initiate a test for the subscriber loop utilizing a test bus, and receive test measurements of the subscriber loop from a remote test head.

17. The network device according to claim 16, wherein the test operating system receives information for testing the subscriber loop from a test client.

18. The network device according to claim 16, wherein the test operating system loads the digits of the phone number into the maintenance port for testing.

19. The network device according to claim 16, wherein the test operating system communicates with the switch to determine whether the subscriber loop is available before initiating testing.

20. The network device according to claim 16, wherein the test operating system communicates with the switch through a maintenance port interface, and wherein the test operating system communicates with the test head through a test head interface.