Display-based control mechanism resident in portable test and communications device for facilitating craftsperson's remote testing of selected portion of telephone network

• US 5,528,660 A
• Filed: 11/14/1994
• Issued: 06/18/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Heins, Dana E., Schillaci, Onofrio
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US08/339,904
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1, 379/21, 379/27, 379/29, 379/33, 379/32, 379/58, 379/59, 379/61, 455/37.1, 455/33.2, 455/67.1, 455/86
• US Class Current: 379/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/247 Knowledge-based maintenance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/30 for subscriber's lines , for the local loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/301 Circuit arrangements at the subscriber's side of the line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/308 Craftsperson test terminals

Abstract

A portable, digital processor-based system equips a craftsperson with the ability to test a subscriber line of a telephone network by accessing a direct test unit (DATU) of a telephone office, said DATU being configured to respond to commands from a telephone test set and to generate audio messages that provide the user with information relating to control of the operation of the test unit for testing a subscriber line, said portable, digital processor-based system having an input/output device, including a visual display, through which information input by the user is converted into tone signals and transmitted to said DATU, and through which information associated with the operation of said DATU is presented by said test device to the user. The displayed information is interactively updated in response to one or more inputs supplied via the input/output device by the user, irrespective of the generation of audio messages by the DATU.

Claims

1. A method of testing a subscriber line of a telephone network by means of a test unit of a telephone office, said test unit being operative to respond to commands from a telephone test set and to supply a sequence of audio messages to said telephone test set for providing a user with information for controlling the operation of said test unit, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a telecommunications test system through which a user, who may be dispatched to a service site that is remotely located with respect to said telephone office serving said subscriber line, may communicate with said test unit of said telephone office and with a test head that is connectable to said subscriber line, said test system having an input/output device, including a visual display, through which information input by said user is converted into prescribed control signals and transmitted to said test unit and through which information associated with the operation of said test unit is presented to said user; and

(b) causing said visual display to effect a simultaneous display of information contained in said sequence of audio messages supplied by said test unit to said telecommunications test system, through which a user may cause said test system to conduct a test of said subscriber line, coincidentally with the supplying of said sequence of audio messages to said test system by said test unit to said telecommunications test system and to interactively update said displayed information in response to one or more inputs interactively supplied via said input/output device by said user.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises causing said visual display to display a request for information through which a user may cause said test system to conduct a test of said subscriber line, and in response to a lack of said information being input to said test system within a prescribed period of time, terminating access through said telecommunications test system to said test unit of said telephone office.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein step (b) comprises causing said visual display to display a request for at least one of an identification of said test unit, said subscriber line number, and a user access code.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein step (b) comprises, in response to the failure of said user to input correct requested information within a prescribed period of time subsequent to the displaying of said request, terminating access through said test system to said test unit of said telephone office.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises causing information input by said user to be converted into tone signal format and transmitted to said test system for decoding thereby.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises causing a menu of various tests that may be conducted upon said subscriber line by said test unit to be displayed via said visual display in response to information a request for which has been displayed having been input to said test system via said input/output device.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein step (b) comprises causing said menu of various tests that may be conducted upon said subscriber line by said test unit to be displayed simultaneously via said visual display, while said audio messages associated with different test functions that may be performed by said test unit are being sequentially generated by said test unit and transmitted therefrom to said test system.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said telecommunications test system includes a portable, digital processor-controlled unit at which said visual display is provided and wherein said portable, digital processor-controlled unit is operative to conduct wireless communications with said telephone office.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said telecommunications test system is operative, in response to information contained in a service request associated with a subscriber line to be tested, to cause said visual display to automatically display the access number of said test unit and said subscriber line number.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said test unit comprises a direct access test unit.

11. A system for testing a subscriber line of a telephone network by means of a test unit of a telephone office, said test unit being operative to respond to commands from a telephone test set and to supply a sequence of audio messages to said telephone test set for providing a user with audio information for enabling said user to controlling the operation of said test unit and thereby test said subscriber line, comprising a portable digital processor-based telecommunications test device through which a user, who may be dispatched to a service site that is remotely located with respect to said telephone office serving said subscriber line, may communicate with said test unit of said telephone office and with a test head that is connectable to said subscriber line, said test device having an input/output device, including a visual display, through which information input by said user is converted into prescribed signals and transmitted to said test unit and through which information associated with the operation of said test unit is presented by said test device to said user, and wherein said digital processor-based telecommunications test device is operative to cause said visual display to effect a simultaneous display of information contained in said sequence of audio messages supplied by said test unit to said portable digital processor-based test device, through which a user may cause said test system to conduct a test of said subscriber line, coincidentally with the supplying of said sequence of audio messages to said portable digital processor-based test device by said test unit and to update said displayed information in response to one or more inputs interactively supplied via said input/output device by said user.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein said digital processor-based telecommunications test device is operative to cause said visual display to display a request for information through which a user may cause said test system to conduct a test of said subscriber line, and in response to a lack of said information being input to said test system within a prescribed period of time, to terminate access to said test unit of said telephone office.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein said digital processor-based telecommunications test device is operative to cause said visual display to display a request for at least one of an identification of said test unit, said subscriber line number, and a user access code.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said digital processor-based telecommunications test device is operative, in response to the failure of said user to input correct requested information within a prescribed period of time subsequent to the displaying of said request, to terminating access to said test unit of said telephone office.

15. A system according to claim 11, wherein said digital processor-based telecommunications test device is operative to cause information input by said user to be converted into tone signal format and transmitted to said test unit of said telephone office for decoding thereby.

16. A system according to claim 11, wherein said digital processor-based telecommunications test device is operative to cause a menu of various tests that may be conducted upon said subscriber line by said test unit to be displayed via said visual display in response to information a request for which has been displayed having been input to said test system via said input/output device.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein said digital processor-based telecommunication test device is operative to cause said menu of various tests that may be conducted upon said subscriber line by said test unit to be displayed simultaneously via said visual display, while said audio messages associated with different test functions that may be performed by said test unit are being sequentially generated by said test unit and transmitted therefrom to said test unit of said telephone office.

18. A system according to claim 11, wherein said portable digital processor-based telecommunications test device is operative to conduct wireless communications with said telephone office.

19. A system according to claim 11, wherein said portable digital processor-based telecommunications test device is operative, in response to information contained in a service request associated with a subscriber line to be tested, to cause said visual display to automatically display the access number of said test unit and said subscriber line number.

20. A system according to claim 11, wherein said test unit of said telephone office comprises a direct access test unit.

21. A portable, digital processor-based system for enabling a user to test a subscriber line of a telephone network by accessing a direct test unit (DATU) of a telephone office, said DATU being configured to respond to commands from a telephone test set and to supply a sequence of audio messages so as to enable a user to control the operation of the test unit and thereby test a subscriber line, said portable system having an input/output device, including a visual display, with information input by the user being converted into tone signals and transmitted to said DATU, and wherein information contained in said sequence of audio messages supplied by said DATU to said portable, digital processor-based system, and associated with the operation of the DATU, is simultaneously presented by said visual display to the user, coincidentally with the supplying of said sequence of audio messages by said DATU to said portable, digital processor-based system, said displayed information being interactively updated in response to one or more inputs via said input/output device by said use.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein said digital processor-based telecommunications test system is operative to cause a menu of various tests that may be conducted upon said subscriber line by said test unit to be displayed via said visual display in response to information a request for which has been displayed having been input to said test system via said input/output device.

23. A system according to claim 22, wherein said digital processor-based telecommunication test system is operative to cause said menu of various tests that may be conducted upon said subscriber line by said test unit to be displayed simultaneously via said visual display, while said audio messages associated with different test functions that may be performed by said test unit are being sequentially generated by said test unit and transmitted therefrom to said test unit of said telephone office.

24. A system according to claim 21, wherein said portable digital processor-based telecommunications test system is operative to conduct wireless communications with said telephone office.

25. A system according to claim 21, wherein said portable digital processor-based telecommunications test system is operative, in response to information contained in a service request associated with a subscriber line to be tested, to cause said visual display to automatically display the access number of said test unit and said subscriber line number.