In-line telephony data protector with line condition announce

• US 6,556,661 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Independent Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Independent Technologies Inc (DataOnline LLC)
• Inventors: Ingalsbe, Daryl E., Ferguson, Douglas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Binh
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/713,978
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1.01, 379/21, 379/22, 379/22.01, 379/22.06, 379/22.07, 379/23, 379/26.01, 379/27.01, 379/27.03, 379/27.05, 379/27.06, 379/27.07, 379/28, 379/29.01, 379/29.03, 379/29.04, 379/31
• US Class Current: 379/22.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/12 Counting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/305 testing of physical copper line parameters, e.g. capacitance or resistance locating faults in cables G01R31/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/308 Craftsperson test terminals

Abstract

A data protector for telephony test equipment, comprising a relay for selectively connecting the telephony test equipment to a telecommunication line, and electronic circuitry. The electronic circuitry includes a detector portion adapted for detecting signals within a continuous band of frequencies present on the telecommunication line, and a microcontroller. The microcontroller has a frequency counter function for determining whether data is present on the telecommunication line, a relay connect control function for selectively controlling the relay to connect the telephony test equipment to the telecommunication line, and an alert operator function for producing a signal if the detected frequency is above a predetermined threshold. A method for preventing telephony test equipment from unintentionally disrupting signals on telecommunication lines, comprising the steps of: providing a relay between the telecommunication test equipment and the telecommunication line; providing electronic circuitry including a single band frequency counter; determining whether data signals are present on the telecommunication line using the single band frequency counter; in response to determining that data signals are not present on the line, closing the relay to connect the telecommunication test equipment to the telecommunication line; and in response to determining that data signals are present on the line, providing an indication to the technician that data is present and preventing connection between the telecommunication test equipment and the telecommunication line.

Claims

1. An ADSL compatible data protector for telephony test equipment, comprising:

(a) a relay for selectively connecting the telephony test equipment to a telecommunication line;

(b) electronic circuitry, including;

(i) a detector portion adapted for detecting signals within a continuous band of frequencies present on the telecommunication line; and

(ii) a microcontroller having a frequency counter function for determining whether data is present on the telecommunication line, a relay connect control function for selectively controlling the relay to connect the telephony test equipment to the telecommunication line, and an alert operator function for producing a signal if the detected frequency is above a predetermined threshold; and

(c) a ADSL filter connected between the telephony test equipment and the telecommunication line, the ADSL filter being adapted for preventing the telephony test equipment from detrimentally affecting DSL frequencies while enabling POTS frequencies to pass through to the telephony test equipment.

2. The data protector of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry further comprises a ADSL compatible voltage protection portion electrically connected between the telecommunication line and the detector portion, the ADSL compatible voltage protection portion being adapted for protecting against large voltage spikes and further being adapted for minimizing signal distortion that may introduce harmonic frequencies that may interfere with signals in higher frequency bands.

3. The data protector of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry further comprises a voice production portion operably connected to the microcontroller, the alert operator function producing an alert signal received by the voice production portion, in response to receiving the alert signal, the voice production portion being adapted for producing a corresponding voice announcement signal to a receiver in the telephony test equipment.

4. The data protector of claim 3, wherein the voice production portion includes a voice generator and an audio amplifier portion.

5. The data protector of claim 3, wherein the microcontroller further includes a warble toner function adapted for using the voice production portion to send a tracing signal engineered to minimize crosstalk into adjacent conductor pairs.

6. The data protector of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry further includes both a voltage sensor portion and a DC current sensor portion, each being adapted for sending a representative signal to the microcontroller, which in turn provides a voltage and current reading.

7. The data protector of claim 6, wherein both the voltage sensor portion and the DC current sensor portion have a linear response and are calibrated through software using two measured points for both negative and positive values.

8. The data protector of claim 7, wherein the voltage sensor portion and the DC current sensor portion each include a voltage absolute value portion adapted for providing a fully rectified signal to the microcontroller.

9. The data protector of claim 8, wherein the voltage sensor portion and the DC current sensor portion each include a voltage follower and a voltage inverter operably connected to form the fully rectified signal.

10. The data protector of claim 6, wherein the microcontroller performs a software fuse function for detecting large voltages on the telecommunication line and preventing connection of the telephony test equipment to the telecommunication line.

11. The data protector of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry provides the data protector with two modes of operation including:

(i) a first mode wherein DC voltage is detected by the electronic circuitry causing the electronic circuitry to power up automatically and check for the presence of a signal and to connect the test set to the line if no signals are present on the line or if a technician consciously overrides the disconnect; and

(ii) a second mode wherein the technician actuates a power button to power up the electronic circuitry and check for the presence of a signal for a predetermined period of time.

12. A ADSL-compatible data protector with line condition announce for telephony test equipment, comprising:

(a) a relay for selectively connecting the telephony test equipment to a telecommunication line;

(b) a ADSL filter connected between the telephony test equipment and the telecommunication line, the ADSL filter being adapted for preventing the telephony test equipment from detrimentally affecting ADSL frequencies while enabling POTS frequencies to pass through to the telephony test equipment; and

(c) electronic circuitry, including;

(i) a detector portion adapted for detecting signals within a continuous band of frequencies present on the telecommunication line;

(ii) a microcontroller having a frequency counter function for determining whether data is present on the telecommunication line, a relay connect control function for selectively controlling the relay to connect the telephony test equipment to the telecommunication line, and an alert operator function for producing a signal if the detected frequency is above a predetermined threshold;

(iii) a ADSL compatible voltage protection portion electrically connected between the telecommunication line and the detector portion, the ADSL compatible voltage protection portion being adapted for protecting against large voltage spikes and further being adapted for minimizing signal distortion that may introduce harmonic frequencies that may interfere with signals in higher frequency bands; and

(iv) a voice production portion operably connected to the microcontroller, the alert operator function producing an alert signal received by the voice production portion, in response to receiving the alert signal, the voice production portion being adapted for producing a corresponding voice announcement signal to a receiver in the telephony test equipment.

13. A ADSL-compatible data protector with line condition announce for telephony test equipment, comprising:

(a) a relay for selectively connecting the telephony test equipment to a telecommunication line;

(b) a ADSL filter connected between the telephony test equipment and the telecommunication line, the ADSL filter being adapted for preventing the telephony test equipment from detrimentally affecting ADSL frequencies while enabling POTS frequencies to pass through to the telephony test equipment; and

(c) electronic circuitry, including;

(i) a detector portion adapted for detecting signals within a continuous band of frequencies present on the telecommunication line;

(ii) a voltage sensor portion and a DC current sensor portion, each being adapted for sending a representative signal to the microcontroller, which in turn provides a voltage and current reading, both the voltage sensor portion and the DC current sensor portion having a linear response and being calibrated through software using two measured points for both negative and positive values, the voltage sensor portion and the DC current sensor portion each including a voltage absolute value portion adapted for providing a fully rectified signal to the microcontroller;

(iii) a microcontroller having a frequency counter function for determining whether data is present on the telecommunication line, a relay connect control function for selectively controlling the relay to connect the telephony test equipment to the telecommunication line, an alert operator function for producing a signal if the detected frequency is above a predetermined threshold, and a software fuse function for detecting large voltages on the telecommunication line and preventing connection of the telephony test equipment to the telecommunication line;

(iv) a ADSL compatible voltage protection portion electrically connected between the telecommunication line and the detector portion, the ADSL compatible voltage protection portion being adapted for protecting against large voltage spikes and further being adapted for minimizing signal distortion that may introduce harmonic frequencies that may interfere with signals in higher frequency bands; and

(v) a voice production portion operably connected to the microcontroller, the alert operator function producing an alert signal received by the voice production portion, in response to receiving the alert signal, the voice production portion being adapted for producing a corresponding voice announcement signal to a receiver in the telephony test equipment.

14. A method for preventing telephony test equipment from unintentionally disrupting signals on telecommunication lines, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a relay between the telecommunication test equipment and the telecommunication line;

(b) providing electronic circuitry including a single band frequency counter;

(c) determining whether data signals are present on the telecommunication line using the single band frequency counter;

(d) in response to determining that data signals are not present on the line, closing the relay to connect the telecommunication test equipment to the telecommunication line;

(e) in response to determining that data signals are present on the line, providing an indication to the technician that data is present and preventing connection between the telecommunication test equipment and the telecommunication line; and

(f) providing a ADSL filter between the telephony test equipment and the telecommunication line.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of providing an indication to the technician includes the step of providing a voice announce signal in a receiver.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

prior to determining whether data signals are present on the telecommunication line, determining whether DC voltage is present on the telecommunication line; and

in response to determining that DC Voltage is present, providing power to the electronic circuitry.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

after providing an indication to the technician that data is present, determining whether an override command has been received;

in response to determining that an override command has been received, closing the relay to connect the telecommunication test equipment to the telecommunication line.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

prior to determining whether data signals are present on the telecommunication line, determining whether a power switch has been selected; and

in response to determining that the power button has been selected, providing power to the electronic circuitry for a predetermined period of time.

19. A method for preventing telephony test equipment from unintentionally disrupting signals on telecommunication lines, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a relay between the telecommunication test equipment and the telecommunication line;

(b) providing a ADSL filter between the telephony test equipment and the telecommunication line;

(c) providing electronic circuitry including a single band frequency counter;

(d) determining whether DC voltage is present on the telecommunication line;

(e) in response to determining that DC voltage is present, providing power to the electronic circuitry;

(f) determining whether data signals are present on the telecommunication line using the single band frequency counter;

(g) in response to determining that data signals are not present on the line, closing the relay to connect the telecommunication test equipment to the telecommunication line;

(h) in response to determining that data signals are present on the line, providing an indication to the technician by providing a voice announce signal in a receiver that data is present and preventing connection between the telecommunication test equipment and the telecommunication line;

(i) determining whether an override command has been received; and

(j) in response to determining that an override command has been received, closing the relay to connect the telecommunication test equipment to the telecommunication line.