Diagnostic device for troubleshooting remote digital feature phones
First Claim
1. A device for performing troubleshooting on remote digital feature phones on a digital communications network without interrupting network service comprising:
- first means associated with a digital telecommunications network for establishing bi-directional communicative contact via a publicly accessible digital line with a remote digital feature phone having a program with diagnostic protocol capable of being remotely activated; and
second means, connected to said first means, for activating said program of said remote digital feature phone, said second means being configured to output a signal which accesses said program while said digital feature phone is in each of an on-hook and an off-hook state, said program being responsive to said second means to initiate specified troubleshooting procedures and to relay results of said troubleshooting procedures to said first means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method, system, and device for performing diagnostic testing of digital feature phones remotely located from a diagnostic device includes establishing a bi-directional communications link between a digital feature phone and the diagnostic device. The diagnostic device transmits signals to the digital feature phone which activate a troubleshooting program in the feature phone to perform a self-test and access an error list stored in the memory of the feature phone. The diagnostic device can direct the feature phone'"'"'s troubleshooting program to execute different troubleshooting procedures; depending on what information is needed. The feature phone transmits the results of the troubleshooting procedures back to the diagnostic device, whereupon the diagnostic device determines the performance characteristics of the feature phone based upon the troubleshooting results. Based on the performance characteristics, the diagnostic device determines whether more information is required regarding the feature phone'"'"'s operational status. If more information is required, the diagnostic device can request a second round of troubleshooting. In one embodiment, the diagnostic device and the feature phone are connected via an ISDN network which provides at least two B-channels for data communication and a D-channel for transmitting signaling data. The diagnostic device transmits the request for troubleshooting to the feature phone via a D-channel and the feature phone returns the troubleshooting results via the D-channel as well. The D-channel communication between the diagnostic device and feature phone occurs in the form of message associated UUI (MA-UUI) signals. In this manner, the entire troubleshooting procedure can be executed on a customer'"'"'s feature phone without interrupting service to the feature phone.
54 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A device for performing troubleshooting on remote digital feature phones on a digital communications network without interrupting network service comprising:
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first means associated with a digital telecommunications network for establishing bi-directional communicative contact via a publicly accessible digital line with a remote digital feature phone having a program with diagnostic protocol capable of being remotely activated; and second means, connected to said first means, for activating said program of said remote digital feature phone, said second means being configured to output a signal which accesses said program while said digital feature phone is in each of an on-hook and an off-hook state, said program being responsive to said second means to initiate specified troubleshooting procedures and to relay results of said troubleshooting procedures to said first means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12)
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6. A method for performing remote diagnostic testing on digital feature phones on an ISDN without interrupting network service comprising the steps of:
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connecting remote first and second sites via an ISDN line within an ISDN, with a diagnostic device located at said first site and a digital feature phone located at said second site, said digital feature phone including a program with diagnostic protocol; transmitting a first set of signals from said diagnostic device to said digital feature phone via said ISDN line, said first set of signals activating said program with said diagnostic protocol and specifying particular troubleshooting functions for said program to perform while said digital feature phone is in each of an on-hook and an off-hook state; receiving a second set of signals at said diagnostic device which contain results of performance of said troubleshooting functions from said digital feature phone via said ISDN line to said diagnostic device; and ascertaining performance characteristics relating to said digital feature phone based upon said troubleshooting results received in said second set of signals transmitted to said diagnostic device. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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13. A system for performing diagnostic procedures on remotely located ISDN phones on an ISDN without interrupting service comprising:
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a plurality of remotely located ISDN phones, each having a capability of executing a diagnostic protocol in response to remote activation, said diagnostic protocol being rules for implementation of a set of troubleshooting operations; a remote diagnostic device having an interface to an ISDN supporting said ISDN phones, said interface providing a plurality of B-channels for exchanging user data and a D-channel, said remote diagnostic device being connected via a bi-directional transmission link of said ISDN to a selected one of said ISDN phones; a program in said remote diagnostic device enabled for transmitting UUI code via said D-channel to said selected ISDN phone, said UUI code including data to trigger remote activation of said diagnostic protocol at said selected ISDN phone; and downloading means responsive to said UUI code transmitted from said remote diagnostic device within each of said ISDN phones for automatically relaying results of said troubleshooting operations in the form of UUI code via said D-channel to said remote diagnostic device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification