Method for automatically monitoring continuity and integrity of communication trunks

• US 6,507,737 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1998
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lamoureux, Philip, Leonard, Eric David, Laham, Mohammad Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US09/163,940
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 455/424, 455/426, 455/520, 455/67.1, 455/67.4, 455/9, 455/423, 379/5-6, 379/22, 379/23, 379/24, 379/25, 379/26, 379/26.01, 379/26.02, 379/32.02
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/32 for lines between exchanges

Abstract

Method for automatically determining whether a communication trunk is operating properly without having to take the trunk out of service and without the need of a craftsperson to initiate the testing of the communication trunk. The communication trunk is tested for continuity and integrity on a periodic or aperiodic basis.

Claims

1. At a mobile switching center (MSC) of a wireless communication system, a method for automatically monitoring integrity of one or more communication trunks in a communication link between the MSC and a base station of the wireless communication system, wherein a trunk integrity test comprises the steps of:

(a) selecting a first idle communication trunk in the communication link by

(1) selecting a communication trunk in the communication link; and

(2) determining whether the selected communication trunk is idle by determining whether an idle message is received from the base station over the selected communication trunk;

(b) transmitting a test message over the first idle communication trunk to the base station; and

(c) characterizing the integrity of the first idle communication trunk based on whether an appropriate responding message is received from the base station over the first idle communication trunk within a defined period of time, wherein the trunk integrity test for the first idle communication trunk is interrupted before completion of the trunk integrity test if the MSC determines that user data is available for transmission over the first idle communication trunk.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises the step of transmitting a test mode message over the first idle communication trunk to the base station prior to transmitting the test message.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises the step of determining whether the responding message is received with a certain amount of errors that is below a defined threshold.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein step (c) comprises the step of determining whether the responding message is received without any errors.

5. The invention of claim 1, further comprising the step of taking the first idle communication trunk out of service after determining that the first idle communication trunk has failed the trunk integrity test.

6. The invention of claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically selecting, after either interrupting or completing the trunk integrity test for the first idle communication trunk, a second idle communication trunk in the communication link for application of the trunk integrity test.

7. The invention of claim 6, wherein the second idle communication trunk is selected based on a most idle trunk first algorithm.

8. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

step (b) further comprises the step of transmitting a test mode message over the first idle communication trunk to the base station prior to transmitting the test message;

step (c) comprises the step of determining whether the responding message is received with a certain amount of errors that is below a defined threshold; and

further comprising the steps of;

(d) taking the first idle communication trunk out of service after determining that the first idle communication trunk has failed the trunk integrity test; and

(e) automatically selecting, after either interrupting or completing the trunk integrity test for the first idle communication trunk, a second idle communication trunk in the communication link for application of the trunk integrity test, wherein the second idle communication trunk is selected based on a most idle trunk first algorithm.

9. A mobile switching center (MSC) of a wireless communication system, wherein the MSC is configured to implement a method for automatically monitoring integrity of one or more communication trunks in a communication link between the MSC and a base station of the wireless communication system, wherein the MSC performs a trunk integrity test by:

(a) selecting a first idle communication trunk in the communication link by;

(1) selecting a communication trunk in the communication link; and

(2) determining whether the selected communication trunk is idle by determining whether an idle message is received from the base station over the selected communication trunk;

(b) transmitting a test message over the first idle communication trunk to the base station; and

(c) characterizing the integrity of the first idle communication trunk based on whether an appropriate responding message is received from the base station over the first idle communication trunk within a defined period of time, wherein the trunk integrity test for the first idle communication trunk is interrupted before completion of the trunk integrity test if the MSC determines that user data is available for transmission over the first idle communication trunk.

10. The invention of claim 9, wherein, for step (b), the MSC transmits a test mode message over the first idle communication trunk to the base station prior to transmitting the test message.

11. The invention of claim 9, wherein, for step (c), the MSC determines whether the responding message is received with a certain amount of errors that is below a defined threshold.

12. The invention of claim 11, wherein, for step (c), the MSC determines whether the responding message is received without any errors.

13. The invention of claim 9, wherein the MSC takes the first idle communication trunk out of service after determining that the first idle communication trunk has failed the trunk integrity test.

14. The invention of claim 9, wherein the MSC automatically selects, after either interrupting or completing the trunk integrity test for the first idle communication trunk, a second idle communication trunk in the communication link for application of the trunk integrity test.

15. The invention of claim 14, wherein the second idle communication trunk is selected based on a most idle trunk first algorithm.

16. The invention of claim 9, wherein:

for step (b), the MSC transmits a test mode message over the first idle communication trunk to the base station prior to transmitting the test message;

for step (c), the MSC determines whether the responding message is received with a certain amount of errors that is below a defined threshold;

the MSC takes the first idle communication trunk out of service after determining that the first idle communication trunk has failed the trunk integrity test; and

the MSC automatically selects, after either interrupting or completing the trunk integrity test for the first idle communication trunk, a second idle communication trunk in the communication link for application of the trunk integrity test, wherein the second idle communication trunk is selected based on a most idle trunk first algorithm.