Harris Corporation

Onofrio Schillaci

Michael F Kennedy

Edward K Siu

Michael D Horton

Ben A Pierce

Kenneth R Selig

Laura E Moser

Alex Knight

Joseph E Barron

Derek G Foster

Raymond W Rischpater

Dana E Heins

Steve R Coffelt

A telecommunication test system for a line to be tested includes a test measurement device coupling with the line. The test measurement device determines parameter measurement data from the line. A processor receives the parameter measurement data. A first communication path between the test measurement device and the processor transmits the parameter measurement data. The first communication path is a wireless path. A mobile facility communicates with the processor. The communications are via a second communication path which includes a primary wireless path and a back-up wireline path. A central office and a data test place various signals on the line being tested. A third communication path between the mobile facility and at least one of the central office and the data test center is provided. The third communication path includes a primary wireless path and a back-up wireline path.

Telecommunications test system including a test and trouble shooting

A portable communications unit contains both wireless and wireline communication capability, through a selected one of which a craftsperson may establish a communication path with a test system of a telephone office. The test system responds to commands supplied over the established communication path supplies messages to the user's communication unit for providing a user with information for controlling the operation of a test head that is connectable to a subscriber line. The communications unit has a contact-sensitive visual display, which converts touch inputs into control signals that are transmitted to the test system and through which information associated with the operation of the test system is presented to the user. The user's communication unit is operative, in response to a user's request for the establishment of a communication path between the communications unit and the test system, to attempt to place the communications unit in wireless communication with the telephone office. If the wireless path is unavailable, a message is displayed instructing the user to use a wireline path.

Wireless-wireline communication selection mechanism resident in

A subscriber line circuit test and conditioning arrangement for use with a non-metallic (fiber optic) digital communication path-based digital communication network employs a single (basic rate ISDN) metallic channel unit (BMCU) installed at a site terminating the fiber optic communication path. A BMCU communicates with a central office test system using an auxiliary B-ISDN communication `test` channel portion (2B+D) channels of the time division multiplexed digital communication DS0 channels. Digital command and response signals are transported by the two ISDN bearer (B) channels and are coupled directly to tip and ring digital signal processors in the central office test system, without the need for intermediate digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion by a metallic channel unit at a central office terminal, and that additionally performed by a central office terminal and central office switch. The data (D) channel is employed to conduct access, calibration and control communications with the metallic channel unit.

Arrangement for testing telephone subscriber line circuit via B-ISDN

A processor-controlled integrated telephone line measurement and conditioning apparatus installable at a remote site provides a multiplicity of measurement and conditioning functions that are selectively executable in response to commands issued from a supervisory command site. The dual measurement and conditioning capabilities of the architecture of the present invention impart both remote measurement unit (RMU) functionality and metallic access unit (MAU) functionality that may be individually accessed and controlled. The RMU operates primarily as a test head that performs mechanized loop testing (MLT) tasks, while the MAU is operative to impart prescribed electrical conditions to a specified line circuit. When controllably accessed to operate as an RMU, the present invention responds to instructions from a command site (loop maintenance operations systems) and performs single-line demand tests on a line provided by a pair gain system. To operate as an MAU, the system receives commands from a direct access test unit (DATU) and performs line conditioning functions on the test line provided by the pair gain system.

Remote measurement unit containing integrated line measurement and

Wireless - wireline communication selection mechanism resident in

A telephone service technician's portable computer has a trouble-shooting mechanism which analyzes craftsperson inputs, trouble ticket data, local and remote test data, and suggests a problem solving strategy. The system includes a trouble-shooting application engine, a knowledge database, and a shared, parameter database. The knowledge database contains rules and static parameters which define the characteristics and behavior of the application engine. These rule sets and information are telephone line trouble-shooting specific, based on a diagnostic evaluation of possible line problems, and recommended procedures to repair the line and remove the fault. The shared database data may be supplied from a variety of external sources, such as through a work order manager software application, measurement data sourced by portable test equipment, or data input by the craftsperson.

Automated trouble-shooting mechanism resident in craftsperson's portable

A portable, digital processor-based system equips a craftsperson with the ability to test a subscriber line of a telephone network by accessing a direct test unit (DATU) of a telephone office, said DATU being configured to respond to commands from a telephone test set and to generate audio messages that provide the user with information relating to control of the operation of the test unit for testing a subscriber line, said portable, digital processor-based system having an input/output device, including a visual display, through which information input by the user is converted into tone signals and transmitted to said DATU, and through which information associated with the operation of said DATU is presented by said test device to the user. The displayed information is interactively updated in response to one or more inputs supplied via the input/output device by the user, irrespective of the generation of audio messages by the DATU.

Display-based control mechanism resident in portable test and

A remote test unit for testing and conditioning one or more telephone lines includes multiple electronically erasable flash memory banks, which contain respective versions of the operating system employed by the test unit's micro-controller. An operating system modification routine employed by the host processor of a remote site allows the functionality of the remote test unit to be selectively modified by electronically installing an upgraded or downgraded version of the operating system, or by electronically selectively activating or deactivating one or more operational features of the currently active operating system.

User-controlled electronic modification of operating system firmware

An autobaud detection mechanism, installed as part of the communication control software of a serial communication device's microcontroller, enables the device to automatically determine the baud rate employed by a remote digital data communications device. Starting with a default baud rate, corresponding to the highest available baud rate, the mechanism steps through successively lower baud rates in the course of a search for the baud rate at which the remote device is transmitting. When an incoming call is received, respective bits of the received data are examined for the presence of transmission errors. If a transmission error is detected, the baud rate is stepped to the next lowest baud rate. If no error is detected, the received data bits are compared with a reference character. If the two compared data bit patterns match, the controller locks the baud rate at that baud setting for the remainder of the call. When the call is terminated, the baud rate reverts to its default setting. If the bit pattern comparison does not indicate a match, the baud rate is stepped to the next lowest baud rate. When the autobaud detection routine has stepped to a new baud rate entry, it initiates a prescribed time-out as a safeguard against the receiver becoming `out-of-sync` with a transmitter. Once, the lowest baud rate has been reached, the routine steps to the default setting and starts again.

Autobaud rate detection mechanism

A remote measurement unit for testing and conditioning one or more telephone lines includes multiple electronically erasable flash memory banks, which contain respective versions of the operating system employed by the test unit's micro-controller. An operating system modification routine employed by the host processor of a remote site allows the functionality of the remote test unit to be selectively modified by electronically installing an upgraded or downgraded version of the operating system, or by electronically selectively activating or deactivating one or more operational features of the currently active operating system. A reset routine ensures that the operating system modification mechanism will only boot up the `correct` one of the two quasi-redundant systems available to the RMU's microcontroller after a system modification has been performed. In addition, the temporary insertion of a no-op code field just prior to the beginning of the program prevents the RMU's processor from accidentally booting up a modified system until the system has been verified as operational.

Local/remote modification of electronically alterable operating system

The rate of change of a metallic subscriber loop charging characteristic and the period of time elapsed subsequent to the coupling of testing circuitry of a remote test unit coupled to the line are measured. The operation of the testing circuitry within the remote test unit is initiated in response to the rate of change of line voltage reaching a preselected rate of change, prior to the elapsed period of time reaching a prescribed time value. If the measured period of time reaches a prescribed value prior to the monitored rate of change of line voltage reaching the preselected rate of change, the last sampled value of the line voltage is stored and reported to a mechanized loop test system supervisory site.

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Camarillo, CA, United States of America

Onofrio Schillaci