Loop-back test system using a suppressed ringing connection
First Claim
1. A test apparatus for use in a public switched network, comprising:
- a switching system having a switch fabric for switching voice and data;
a plurality of local loops connected to said switching system, said switching system selectively routing calls to said plurality of local loops;
a test unit, connected to said switching system, for determining if a problem exists in a one of said plurality of local loops;
means, connected to said switching system, for establishing a suppressed ringing connection through said switch fabric to one of said plurality of local loops;
means, responsive to said switching system establishing a connection from said test unit to said means for establishing a suppressed ringing connection, for interconnecting said test unit to a selected one of said plurality of local loops;
means, located in said test unit for transmitting a test signal to said selected one of said plurality of local loops via said means for establishing a suppressed ringing connection; and
means, located in said test unit, for determining if a problem exists in said local loop based on a response signal returned from said selected one of said plurality of local loops in response to said test signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The test system of the invention uses suppressed ringing connections from a test unit to the customer premise equipment via the central office to establish connections for performing the loop-back test. The suppressed ringing connections are established over standard voice trunks between a switch in the central office and the test unit by a central office service unit (COSU) such that the number of lines that can be tested simultaneously is limited only by the number of trunks linking the COSU to a switch. Because these trunks are relatively inexpensive and simple to install and maintain, the test system of the invention can be readily installed and expanded in the existing network to provide virtually any level of monitoring capability.
65 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A test apparatus for use in a public switched network, comprising:
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a switching system having a switch fabric for switching voice and data; a plurality of local loops connected to said switching system, said switching system selectively routing calls to said plurality of local loops; a test unit, connected to said switching system, for determining if a problem exists in a one of said plurality of local loops; means, connected to said switching system, for establishing a suppressed ringing connection through said switch fabric to one of said plurality of local loops; means, responsive to said switching system establishing a connection from said test unit to said means for establishing a suppressed ringing connection, for interconnecting said test unit to a selected one of said plurality of local loops; means, located in said test unit for transmitting a test signal to said selected one of said plurality of local loops via said means for establishing a suppressed ringing connection; and means, located in said test unit, for determining if a problem exists in said local loop based on a response signal returned from said selected one of said plurality of local loops in response to said test signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for testing the local loops in a public switched network, having a switching system including a switch fabric and a plurality of local loops connected to the switching system, said plurality of local loops including customer premise equipment, comprising the steps of:
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establishing a suppressed ringing connection between a test unit that is connected to said switching system, and one of said plurality of local loops through said switch fabric; generating a test signal at said test unit after the establishment of said suppressed ringing connection; transmitting said test signal to said one of said plurality of local loops over said suppressed ringing connection; returning a response signal to said test unit from a point in said one of said plurality of local loops in response to said test signal; and determining if said one of said plurality of local loops has a problem based on said response signal returned to said test unit over said suppressed ringing connection. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A test apparatus for use in a public switched network including a switching system having a switch fabric for switching voice and data and a plurality of local loops connected to said switching system, said plurality of local loops including customer premise equipment, comprising:
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a test unit, connected to said switching system, for determining if a problem exists in a one of said plurality of local loops; means, connected to said switching system, for establishing a suppressed ringing connection through said switch fabric to one of said plurality of local loops; means, responsive to said switching system establishing a connection from said test unit to said means for establishing a suppressed ringing connection, for interconnecting said test unit to a selected one of said plurality of local loops; means, located in said test unit for transmitting a test signal to said selected one of said plurality of local loops via said means for establishing a suppressed ringing connection; first and second means, located in said selected one of said plurality of local loops, for returning a response signal to said test unit upon receipt of said test signal; and means, located in said test unit, for determining if a problem exists in a first segment of said selected one of said plurality of local loops between the switching system and the first means for returning, in a second segment of said selected one of said plurality of local loops between the second means for returning and the switching system and in a third segment of said selected one of said plurality of local loops between the first and second means for returning. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for testing the local loop in a public switched network, having a switching system including a switch fabric and a plurality of local loops connected to the switching system, said plurality of local loops including customer premise equipment, comprising the steps of:
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establishing a suppressed ringing connection between a test unit that is connected to said switching system, and one of said plurality of local loops through said switch fabric; generating a test signal at said test unit; transmitting said test signal over said suppressed ringing connection between said test unit and said one of said plurality of local loops; returning a response signal to said test unit from a plurality of points in said one of said plurality of local loops in response to said test signal; determining if a problem exists in said local loop between said switching system and any one of said plurality of points based on a comparison of said test signal to said response signal; and determining if a problem exists in said local loop between any two of said plurality of points based on said response signal returned to said test unit. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A method for use in a public switched network for alerting circuitry in a local loop having a telemetry interface unit including a switching system and a plurality of local loops connected to the switching system, comprising the steps of:
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establishing a suppressed ringing connection between a unit remote from the switching system and one of said plurality of local loops; providing a plurality of distinctive tones for transmission over said suppressed ringing connection; alerting specific circuitry within the telemetry interface unit based on a first specific one of said plurality of distinctive tones and alerting other specific circuitry within said telemetry interface unit based on a second different specific one of said tones; and transmitting one of said specific tones to said circuitry to control the functionality of the telemetry interface unit. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification