Remote maintenance method and device thereof in private branch exchange system

• US 5,276,727 A
• Filed: 12/30/1991
• Issued: 01/04/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Yang-Seon, Jeong, Chang-Lae, Cho, Seung-Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US07/814,609
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 379/10, 379/11, 379/9, 379/19, 379/29, 379/15, 379/14
• US Class Current: 379/27.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/22 Arrangements for supervision, monitoring or testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/26 for signalling trouble in unoccupied sub-exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/62 for connecting to private branch exchanges

Abstract

A method and device for maintaining a PBX system by connecting the PBX system with a remote maintenance center 220 through a public switch telephone network (PSTN), a method for transmitting a state information of the PBX system to the remote maintenance by connecting a remote maintenance connection circuit automatically in case of the PBX system receiving an incoming call from the remote maintenance center, and a MODEM control circuit 302 for communicating the state information with an external device 220 by utilizing the MODEM 303 built in the system without using a separate port, are disclosed.

Claims

1. A remote maintenance device of a private branch exchange system, said device comprising:

a remote maintenance center connected to a public switch telephone network, for generating inquiry data to said private branch exchange system, receiving reply data in response to said inquiry data, thereby diagnosing said private branch exchange system according to said reply data, and thereafter for generating result data indicative of controlling of a maintenance function of said private branch exchange system;

controlling means for controlling a speech function of said private branch exchange system for transmitting said reply data to said remote maintenance center, and for setting up said maintenance function of said private branch exchange system according to said result data;

office line connection means for interfacing said remote maintenance center with said controlling means through said public switch telephone network;

switch means for establishing a data communication path between said remote maintenance center and said office line connection means under control of said controlling means; and

remote maintenance connection means connected between said switch means and said maintenance means, for transmitting said inquiry data from said switch means to said controlling means, in turn transmitting said replay data from said controlling means to said switch means, and for transmitting said result data of said switch means to said controlling means,

wherein said remote maintenance connection means comprises;

input/output circuit means for converting parallel data and serial data received through a data bus into serial data and parallel data, respectively, and thereafter producing converted serial and parallel output data through said data bus;

MODEM means receiving the converted serial output data from said input/output means, for converting said converted serial output data of a digital form into serial analog data, for converting an analog signal applied thereto into a digital signal and for, transmitting said digital signal to said input/out means;

MODEM controlling means receiving said serial output data from said input/output means, for adjusting a state of said MODEM means, for analyzing MODEM data of said MODEM means and thereafter transmitting analyzed MODEM data of said MODEM means to said input/output means, and for checking a state of carrier signal of said MODEM means;

codec means receiving said serial analog signal from said MODEM means, for converting said serial analog signal into a digital transmit signal and thereafter for transmitting said digital transmit signal to said switch means in a given time slot, and receiving received transmitted data of given time slot from said switch means, for converting said transmitted data into analog data and thereafter transmitting said analog data to said MODEM means; and

buffer means for buffering a signal of a carrier output from said MODEM controlling means and transmitting the buffered signal to said controlling means according to a control of said controlling means.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an interface circuit connected between said MODEM means and said codec means, for adjusting a gain and an impedance of a signal applied to or generated from said codec means.

3. A method for remotely maintaining a private branch exchange system by data communication between a remote maintenance center and said private branch exchange system through a public switch telephone network, said private branch exchange system having a remote maintenance connection circuit connected between an exchange controller and a switch circuit, said method comprising:

analyzing incoming information received through an office line connection circuit, controlling said switch circuit, and establishing a data communication path between said remote maintenance connection circuit and an incoming port of a corresponding office line of said office line connection circuit;

transmitting response data representative of a state of said private branch exchange controller in response to inquiry data generated at said remote maintenance center, generating result data in response to said inquiry data, and performing a maintenance function in dependence upon said result data; and

controlling said switch circuit when a termination signal representative of a communication end is generated during the maintenance operation, thereby interrupting said data communication path, and initializing said remote maintenance connection circuit;

wherein said establishing data communication path comprises;

when receiving said incoming information at a general office line connection circuit of said office line connection circuit, connecting a speech path between said general office line connection circuit and a called extension subscriber, and thereafter if conversion data is received from said called extension subscriber for said remote maintenance connection circuit, establishing said data communication path between a port of said general office line connection circuit and said remote maintenance connection circuit;

when receiving said incoming information at a direct inward system access office line port of said office line connection circuit, analyzing a continuously received dialing digit of said direct inward system access office line port, and thereafter establishing said data communication path between said remote maintenance connection circuit and said direct inward system access office line port in accordance with an analyzed output of said dialing digit; and

when receiving said incoming information at a direct inward dialing office line connection circuit of said office line connection circuit, analyzing a continuously received dialing digit of said direct inward dialing office line connection circuit, and thereafter establishing said data communication path between said remote maintenance connection circuit and said direct inward dialing office line connection circuit in accordance with an analyzed output of said dialing digit of said direct inward dialing office line connection circuit.

4. A private branch exchange system having a remote maintenance capability, said system comprising:

controlling means for controlling in overall operation of said private branch exchange system, for receiving inquiries from a remote maintenance center through a public switch telephone network, for generating replies to said inquiries to be provided to said remote maintenance center through said public switch telephone network, and for controlling maintenance functions of said private branch exchange system in response to results generated by said remote maintenance center by diagnosing said private branch exchange system according to analysis of said replies;

switching means for establishing a data communication path between said remote maintenance center and said controlling means through said public switch telephone network;

input/output means for receiving said replies as output parallel bus data from said controlling means, for converting said output parallel bus data to output serial local bus data, for receiving said inquiries and said results as input series local bus data, and for converting input serial local data to input parallel bus data to be provided to said controlling means;

means for receiving and modulating said output serial local bus data to generate output analog data signals, and for receiving and demodulating input analog data signals to generate said input serial local bus data; and

codec means for receiving and converting said output analog data signals to output digital data signals and transmitting said output digital data signals to said switching means in a selected time slot, and for receiving input digital data signals of a given time slot and for converting said input digital data signals to said input analog data signals received by said modulating and demodulating means.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising modulation/demodulation control means for controlling a state of said modulating and demodulating means, and for generating data receipt signals indicative of said modulating and demodulating means detecting a carrier signal.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5 further comprising buffer means for buffering said data receipt signals to provide to said controlling means from said modulation/demodulation control means.

7. A method for remotely maintaining a private branch exchange system by data communication between a remote maintenance center and said private branch exchange system through a public switch telephone network, said private branch exchange system comprising a remote maintenance connection circuit, said method comprising:

receiving inquiries from said remote maintenance center at a general office line connection circuit of an office line connection circuit, establishing a speech path between a general office line connection circuit and a called extension subscriber, and if conversion signals are received from said called extension subscriber to said remote maintenance connection circuit, establishing said data communication path between a port of said general office line connection circuit and said remote maintenance connection circuit, and analyzing said inquiries;

transmitting responses indicative of a state of said private branch exchange system to said remote maintenance center;

generating results in response to said responses, transmitting said results to said private branch exchange system and enabling a maintenance function of said private branch exchange system in dependence upon said results; and

controlling said switch circuit when a termination signal representative of a communication end is generated during the maintenance operation, thereby interrupting said data communication path, and initializing said remote maintenance connection circuit.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising receiving said inquiries at a direct inward system access office line port of said office line connection circuit, analyzing dialing digits of said direct inward system access office line port, and establishing said data communication path between said remote maintenance connection circuit and said direct inward system access office line port in accordance with said dialing digits.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising receiving incoming information at a direct inward dialing office line connection circuit of said office line connection circuit, analyzing receiving dialing digits of said direct inward dialing office line connection circuit, and establishing said data communication path between said remote maintenance connection circuit and said direct inward dialing office line connection circuit in accordance with said dialing digits of said direct inward dialing office line connection circuit.