Method for emulating a terminal and test apparatus for testing a telecommunication network

• US 6,826,259 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tektronix International Sales GmbH (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Tektronix International Sales GmbH (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Hoffman, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/996,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1.01, 379/9, 379/10.01, 379/10.02, 379/10.03, 379/15.03, 379/26.01, 379/26.02, 379/27.01, 379/27.02, 379/27.04, 379/29.01, 379/29.02, 714/1, 714/3, 714/36, 714/47, 714/52
• US Class Current: 379/10.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/244 for multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/323 for the arrangements providing the connection (test connection, test call, call simulation)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0087 Network testing or monitoring arrangements

Abstract

A method for emulating a terminal for testing a telecommunication network has the terminal being assigned a user interface programmable by a user for executing a communication sequence, the programming of the user interface having first of all the provisioning of a multitude of keywords from which the communication sequence for the terminal is compiled, a program code being correlated with each keyword. Moreover, an entry mask on a display device is provided into which the user enters a series of at least two keywords for compiling the communication sequence. Finally, the program codes that are correlated with the keywords entered into the entry mask by the user are linked to give an executable program. A test apparatus for testing the telecommunication network has a storage device in which the keywords are filed and from which the communication sequence is compiled for participation in the communication, with the program code being correlated with each keyword. The apparatus also has a display device with an entry mask into which the user enters a series of at least two keywords for compiling the communication sequence. Finally the apparatus has a compiling device in which the program codes, which are correlated with the keywords entered into the entry mask by the user, are linked to give the executable program.

Claims

1. A method of emulating a telecommunication terminal for testing a communication network, the telecommunication terminal being assigned a user interface programmable by a user for executing a communication sequence, the programming of the user interface comprising the steps of:

storing a multitude of keywords from which the communication sequence is compiled, a program code being correlated with each keyword;

displaying an entry mask on a display device into which the user enters a series of at least two keywords for compiling the communication sequence; and

linking the program codes that are correlated with the keywords entered into the entry mask by the user to compile an executable program as the communication sequence.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of entering the keywords manually by a user into the entry mask via a keyboard.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of checking the keywords entered by the user to see if the keywords are part of the multitude of keywords and, if not, outputting a corresponding signal to the user.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of showing the user in a selection window of the display device the multitude of keywords from whence the keywords are selected by the user.

5. The method according to any one of the claims 1-4 wherein the communication sequence comprises a start scenario and/or a call scenario and/or a stop scenario, an initialization of the telecommunication terminal being carried out in the start scenario, the communication sequence being carried out in the call scenario, and the telecommunication terminal being brought into a defined final state in the stop scenario.

6. A test apparatus for testing a telecommunication network by emulating a telecommunication terminal comprising:

a storage device in which keywords are filed from which a communication sequence for the telecommunication terminal is compiled for participation in a communication, a program code being correlated with each keyword;

a display device with an entry mask into which a user enters a series of at least two keywords for compiling the communication sequence; and

a compiling device in which the program codes correlated with the keywords entered into the entry mask by the user are linked to compile an executable program as the communication sequence.

7. The test apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the telecommunication terminal assigned via the user interface comprises a plurality of telecommunication terminals.

8. The test apparatus according to claim 7 wherein each telecommunication terminal is assigned as a participant in the communication.

9. The test apparatus according to one of claim 7 or 8 wherein the entry of the keywords for compiling the communication sequence occurs separately for each telecommunication terminal.

10. The test apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the entry of the keywords for compiling a common communication sequence for at least two telecommunication terminals is effected by specifying in the entry mask the at least two telecommunication terminals to which the common communication sequence is to be applied.