Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
Telecommunications testing apparatus for use in a communications line connecting customer premises equipment (CPE) to a telecommunications network, said apparatus comprising means (216, 217, 251, 252) for establishing a voice communication path in said communications line between a customer using said apparatus and a technician remotely performing tests on said telecommunications network and said CPE, and means (210, 216, 217, 240) enabling said customer and said technician to cooperatively perform a series of tests using information provided via said voice communication path to isolate troubles as being in either said telecommunications network or said CPE.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said test performing means includes means (216, 217) for opening the connection between said telecommunications network and said CPE.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said test performing means includes a microprocessor (210) arranged to perform a plurality of measurements in response to remotely generated signal sequences received from said technician.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
29 words
The apparatus defined in any of the preceding claims wherein said apparatus includes a visual display (220) indicating the results of the tests and the status of said apparatus.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
28 words
The apparatus defined in any of the preceding claims wherein said apparatus includes an oscillator (243) arranged to generate a test signal of known frequency and signal strength.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
29 words
The apparatus defined in any of the preceding claims wherein said apparatus further includes a tone detector (244) arranged to recognize the presence of signals having a preselected frequency.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
103 words
A method of testing a communications line connecting customer premises equipment (CPE) to a telecommunications network, said method comprising the steps of installing test apparatus (110, 111, 112) in said line near the demarcation point between said network and said CPE; establishing a voice communication path in said communications line between a customer using said test apparatus and a technician remotely performing tests on said telecommunications network and said CPE; and performing a series of tests by cooperation between said customer and said technician using information provided via said voice communication path to isolate troubles to either said telecommunications network or said CPE.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method defined in claim 7 wherein said test performing step includes opening the connection between said telecommunications network and said CPE.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method defined in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein said test performing step includes performing, under microprocessor control, a plurality of measurements in response to remotely generated signal sequences received from said technician.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method defined in claim 9 wherein said signal sequences are sequences of Touch-Tone digits.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
36 words
The method defined in any of claims 7 to 10 wherein said tests include line side tests which test the performance of said communications line and CPE side tests which test the performance of said CPE.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
34 words
The method defined in any of claims 7 to 11 wherein said method includes the step of initiating said series of tests only upon local actuation of initiating means (271) in said test apparatus.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
32 words
The method defined in any of claims 7 to 12 wherein said method further includes indicating the results of the tests and the status of said apparatus on a visual display (271).
Claim 14
Independent Claim
22 words
The method defined in any of claims 7 to 13 wherein said method further includes generating test signals using an oscillator (243).
Claim 15
Independent Claim
26 words
The method defined in any of claims 7 to 14 wherein said method further includes detecting supervision of said CPE using a drop current sensor (260).