Remote testing access

• US 7,483,381 B1
• Filed: 04/06/2005
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Weber, Walt, Hansen, Kevin Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Huy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phung; Luat
• Application Number:
  US11/100,361
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/242, 370/244, 370/248, 370/250, 370/252, 370/401, 379/15.01, 709/223, 714/699, 714/712
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention includes a method of operating a remote testing access system. The method comprises receiving a test request from a test device over an incoming time division multiplexed (TDM) connection and in a TDM format wherein the test request indicates a one of a plurality of types of tests to perform on a soft switch, processing the test request to select a one of a plurality of service applications of the soft switch corresponding to the one type of test, and transmitting communications for the one type of test to the one service application in a packet format.

Claims

1. A method of operating a remote testing access system, the method comprising:

receiving a test call in an access device from a test device over an incoming time division multiplexed (TDM) connection, receiving a test request in a TDM format over the call wherein the test request indicates a one port of a plurality of ports, wherein the plurality of ports correspond to a plurality of outgoing TDM connections coupling the access device to a conversion device, and wherein the plurality of outgoing TDM connections correspond to a plurality of service applications on a soft switch, and selecting and connecting the test call to the conversion device on a one outgoing TDM connection of the plurality of outgoing TDM connections that corresponds to the one port in response to the test request; and

coupling the conversion device to the access device by the plurality of outgoing TDM connections and establishing a packet connection with a one service application of the plurality of service applications corresponding to the one outgoing TDM connection, receiving communications for the test call in a TDM format, converting the communications to a packet format, and transmitting communications for the test call to the one service application in the packet format over the packet connection;

in the access device, bridging the incoming TDM connection to the one outgoing TDM connection of the plurality of outgoing TDM connections based on the test request;

in the conversion device, selecting the one service application of the soft switch corresponding to the one outgoing TDM connection; and

transmitting the communications in the packet format to the one service application.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing dial tone to the test device from the soft switch.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one service application comprises a port on the soft switch.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one type of test comprises a number translation test.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the test request comprises a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal.

6. A remote testing access system comprising:

an access device configured to receive a test call from a test device over an incoming time division multiplexed (TDM) connection, receive a test request in a TDM format over the call wherein the test request indicates a one port of a plurality of ports, wherein the plurality of ports correspond to a plurality of outgoing TDM connections coupling the access device to a conversion device, and wherein the plurality of outgoing TDM connections correspond to a plurality of service applications on a soft switch, and select and connect the test call to the conversion device on a one outgoing TDM connection of the plurality of outgoing TDM connections that corresponds to the one port in response to the test request; and

the conversion device coupled to the access device by the plurality of outgoing TDM connections and configured to establish a packet connection with a one service application of the plurality of service applications corresponding to the one outgoing TDM connection, receive communications for the test call in a TDM format, convert the communications to a packet format, and transmit the communications for the test call to the one service application in the packet format over the packet connection;

wherein the access device is further configured to bridge the incoming TDM connection to the one outgoing TDM connection of the plurality of outgoing TDM connections based on the test request;

wherein the conversion device is further configured to select the one service application of the soft switch corresponding to the one outgoing TDM connection; and

wherein the conversion device is further configured to transmit the communications in the packet format to the one service application.

7. The remote testing access system of claim 6 wherein the soft switch is configured to provide dial tone to the test device.

8. The remote testing access system of claim 6 wherein the one service application comprises a port on the soft switch.

9. The remote testing access system of claim 6 wherein the one type of test comprises a number translation test.

10. The remote testing access system of claim 6 wherein the test request comprises a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal.