Other

Siemens Information & Communication Networks, Inc.

Graham Howard

Elie Antoun Jreij

William Joseph Beyda

David C Iglehart

Leland A Lester

Andrzej Koscinski

Bruce E Burnett

Vedat M Bilgutay

Heinz-Josef Fredericks

Gert Molewski

Paul-Gerhard Joerg

An interface unit for a telephone receives data from an external source, such as an ISDN switch. Some of the data from the external source can be displayed on a display of the telephone. The interface unit also receives user inputs from various keys on the telephone, including a set of dialog keys. The interface unit includes a user interface that generates menu messages for displaying and operating a set of menus on the telephone display. A user of the telephone can use the dialog keys to navigate through the menus and perform a variety of actions, including executing telephone functions and changing the configuration of the telephone. A display data selector within the interface unit receives the data from the external source and from the interface unit and selects particular data items to be displayed on the telephone display. The selection of data to be displayed is based in part on the operational state of the telephone. The telephone has an active state, a configuration state and an idle state.

Method and apparatus for selecting data from multiple sources for a telephone display

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.

Diagnostic device for troubleshooting remote digital feature phones

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Boca Raton, FL, United States of America

Graham Howard