Dial tone delay monitor and recorder

Claim 2

A traffic monitor for a telephone switching system having a plurality of grouped finder-related equipments adapted to return dial tone to a calling subscriber line, said traffic monitor comprising a plurality of input connector means for connecting said monitor to individually associated vacant terminals in each of said finder groups, free running asymmetrical common control clock means, scanner means operated by said clock means for sequentially and individually connecting each of said connector means to said monitor at time based intervals and thereby originating a call to said switching system, means responsive to each originating call for detecting the appearance of dial tone as a function of time, measured by either a relatively widely spaced pair of said clock pulses or a relatively closely spaced pair of said pulses, means responsive to each of said scanner caused connections for recording at least the call attempts, and means selectively responsive to the actuation of the dial tone detector between either of the spaced pairs of pulses for recording the appearance of dial toNe as a function of time.

Claim 3

The monitor of claim 1 wherein said clock means comprises a source of clock pulses for cyclically and recurringly producing said pairs of said pulses, means for adjusting the time spacing between the pulses comprising said pairs of pulses to provide a predetermined measured time period, means responsive to each first of said pair of pulses for operating said scanner to make a connection and thereby place a call, and means responsive to each second of said pair of pulses for operating the dial tone recording means whereby said time function is measured by the time space between said pair of pulses.

Claim 4

The monitor of claim 1 wherein each of said lines comprise at least one talking conductor, said connector means comprising at least one contact making device interposed in the talking conductor between each individually associated line and said monitor, means for operating said contact device to complete a line loop to said monitor, whereby closure of any of said contact making devices individualizes the associated line with the monitor, and other contact means for thereafter completing a connection in said monitor to energize said line, whereby said contact making devices close deenergized circuits including the talking conductor and all sparks occur responsive to said closure of said other contact means when said line is energized.

Claim 5

The monitor of claim 1 and D.C. detector means for detecting a flow of current in the proper direction on said line when said line is energized, said D.C. detector comprising means for limiting current to reduce the effect of any variations of electrical signals on said line, and means for holding said D.C. detector during change over and switch through in said switching means.

Claim 6

The monitor of claim 4 and means responsive to said D.C. detector for operating said attempts recorder and enabling said dial tone detector recorder, and means whereby said means responsive to said dial tone detector is operated jointly responsive to said D.C. detector enabling a signal and said dial tone detector.

Claim 7

The monitor of claim 1 and display means individually associated with said traffic monitor for identifying a troubled finder group.

Claim 8

The monitor of claim 6 and matrix means associated with said display means for changeably and selectively connecting said display means to said traffic monitor by said linefinder groups whereby the identity of a linefinder group is known from the connection made.

Claim 9

The monitor of claim 6 and means associated with said display means for electronically accumulating data relating to said linefinder groups for controlling a central data processor.

Claim 10

The monitor of claim 6 and means comprising cable harnesses for selectively connecting several of said display means to said monitor means.

Claim 11

The traffic monitor of claim 1 and noise immunity circuit means comprising means including a line relay for detecting closed loop direct current conditions on the subscriber line, limiting means for reducing the effect of any variations in line voltages applied to said line relay, means for delaying the release of said line relay, thereby holding said relay over interruptions in line current, and means for precluding a response to noise in the form of current fluctuations on said line.

Claim 12

The monitor of claim 1, wherein said monitor is electronic equipment, and means for precluding response by said electronic equipment to electromechanically caused noise on said line.

Claim 13

The monitor of claim 7 wherein said response precluding means comprises a monostable circuit having an integrating means coupled thereto for precluding response to electromechanical contact bounce and change over.

Claim 14

The monitor of claim 1 wherein each of said input connector means comprises at least a pair of line terminals, and means responsive to said scanner for bridging said pair of terminals to close a D.C. loop across said pair, said bridging means having a characteristic which interfaceS with any of a variety of types of said finder-related equipments.

Claim 15

The monitor of claim 1 and identification means operated responsive to said scanner for supplying data to identify the finder group being operated when said dial tone appears, and means responsive to said identifying means for recording individual call data relating to said appearance of said dial tone.

Claim 16

The monitor of claim 14 and display means coupled to said traffic monitor for identifying a troubled finder group, matrix means for changeably and selectively connecting said traffic monitor to said display means whereby the identity of a linefinder group is known jointly from the connection made and from the identifying means.

Claim 17

The monitor of claim 15 and means associated with said display means for electronically accumulating data relating to said linefinder groups for controlling a central data processor.

Claim 18

A traffic monitor for a telephone switching system having a plurality of grouped finder-related equipments adapted to return dial tone to a calling subscriber line, said traffic monitor comprising a plurality of input connector means for connecting said monitor to individually associated vacant terminals in each of said finder groups, clock controlled scanner means for sequentially and individually connecting each of said connector means to said monitor at time based intervals and thereby originating a call to said switching system, means responsive to each originating call for detecting the appearance of dial tone as a function of time, means responsive to each of said scanner caused connections for recording at least the call attempts, means responsve to the dial tone detector for recording the appearance of dial tone as a function of time, a source of clock pulses for producing cyclically recurring pairs of said pulses, means for adjusting the time spacing between the pulses comprising said pairs of pulses to provide predetermined measured time periods, means responsive to each first of said pair of pulses for operating said scanner to make a connection and thereby place a call, means responsive to each second of said pair of pulses for operating the dial tone recording means, whereby said time function is measured by the time space between said pairs of pulses, each of said connector means comprises at least a pair of terminals, means including a high impedance coupled across said terminals when said connector means are operated for interfacing with a great variety of different types of equipment, each of said connector means comprising at least one contact making device interposed between each individually associated line and said monitor whereby closure of any of said contact making devices individualizes the associated line with the monitor, other contact means for thereafter completing a connection in said monitor to enable an energization of said line, whereby any sparks occur across said other contact means, said line monitor including a pair of test conductors having a D.C. detector and said dial tone detector means connected thereto, means in parallel with said high impedance for precluding response by said D.C. detector to momentary interruptions in said energization of said connectors, means in said test conductors for closing a circuit to energize said connectors, whereby said D.C. detector operates if said conductors are then energized, means responsive to operation of said D.C. detector for causing said recording of said attempt, means for measuring a time period, and means thereafter responsive to operation of said dial tone detector and said time measuring means for causing said recording of the appearance of said dial tone.

Claim 19

A traffic monitor for a telephone switching system having a plurality of grouped finder-related equipments adapted to return dial tone to a calling subscriber line, said traffic monitor comprising a plurality of input connector means for connecting said monitor to individually associated vacant terminals in each of said finder groups, clock controlled scanner means for sequentially and individually connecting each of said connector means to said monitor at time based intervals and thereby originating a call to said switching system, means responsive to each originating call for detecting the appearance of dial tone as a function of time, means responsive to each of said scanner caused connections for recording at least the call attempts, means responsve to the dial tone detector for recording the appearance of dial tone as a function of time, a source of clock pulses for producing cyclically recurring pairs of said pulses, means for adjusting the time spacing between the pulses comprising said pairs of pulses to provide predetermined measured time periods, means responsive to each first of said pair of pulses for operating said scanner to make a connection and thereby place a call, means responsive to each second of said pair of pulses for operating the dial tone recording means, whereby said time function is measured by the time space between said pairs of pulses, each of said connector means comprises at least a pair of terminals, means including a high impedance coupled across said terminals when said connector means are operated for interfacing with a great variety of different types of equipment, each of said connector means comprising at least one contact making device interposed between each individually associated line and said monitor whereby closure of any of said contact making devices individualizes the associated line with the monitor, other contact means for thereafter completing a connection in said monitor to enable an energization of said line, whereby any sparks occur across said other contact means, said line monitor including a pair of test conductors having a D.C. detector and said dial tone detector means connected thereto, means in parallel with said high impedance for precluding response by said D.C. detector to momentary interruptions in said energization of said connectors, means in said test conductors for closing a circuit to energize said connectors, whereby said D.C. detector operates if said conductors are then energized, means responsive to operation of said D.C. detector for causing said recording of said attempt, means for measuring a time period, and means thereafter responsive to operation of said dial tone detector and said time measuring means for causing said recording of the appearance of said dial tone.

Claim 20

A line monitor circuit comprising a pair of test conductors having A.C. and D.C. detector means connected thereto, means for sequentially and individually connecting said test conductors to each of a plurality of other connectors, means in said test conductors for thereafter closing a circuit to energize said otheR conductors, whereby said D.C. detector operates if said other connectors are energized, means responsive to operation of said D.C. detector for recording an occurrence of said detection of energized connectors, means for measuring a time period, and means thereafter responsive to operation of said A.C. detector and said measuring means for recording the time of dial tone appearance as a function of said measured time period.

Claim 21

A line monitor circuit comprising a pair of test conductors having A.C. and D.C. detector means connected thereto, means for sequentially and individually connecting said test conductors to each of a plurality of other connectors, means in said test conductors for thereafter closing a circuit to energize said otheR conductors, whereby said D.C. detector operates if said other connectors are energized, means responsive to operation of said D.C. detector for recording an occurrence of said detection of energized connectors, means for measuring a time period, and means thereafter responsive to operation of said A.C. detector and said measuring means for recording the time of dial tone appearance as a function of said measured time period.

Claim 22

The line monitor of claim 18 wherein each of said other connectors comprises at least a pair of terminals, and means including a high impedance coupled across said terminals when said circuit closing means is operated for interfacing with a great variety of different types of equipment, and means in parallel with said high impedance for precluding response by said D.C. detector to momentary interruptions in said energization of said connectors.

Claim 23

The monitor of claim 18 and display means associated with said traffic monitor for identifying a troubled finder group, matrix means for changeably and selectively interconnecting said display means to said traffic monitor in a manner which identifies the linefinder group by the connection made, and means in said display means operated responsive to said detector means for recording data relating to said identified linefinder groups.