Method of and system for remote testing and reporting of ISDN line conditions

Claim 3

The system of claim 1, further comprising a receiving device selectively coupled to said report communication line.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2, wherein said receiving device comprises a facsimile machine.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1, including means responsive to a remote control signal transmitted from said remote test facility for enabling said D-channel data supplying means.

Claim 6

In a central office containing customer ISDN lines and a "U" interface monitoring system (UIMS) that converts data on a "U" interface in an integrated services line unit (ISLU) for interconnecting said customer ISDN lines and said UIMS to serial data outputs including B-channel data and D-channel data, said ISLU containing a plurality of "U" line cards including at least one sparing "U" line card slot and means for routing any one of said "U" line cards to said sparing slot as a sparing line card, a system for remote and unattended testing of ISDN protocol of signals on a selected customer ISDN line, comprising: means for interconnecting said sparing line card and the input of said UIMS so that said UIMS develops output signals including at least said D-channel data; protocol analyzer means responsive to the output of said UIMS for analyzing said at least D-channel data; reporting means for selectively supplying at least one of data indicative of the analysis performed by said protocol analyzer means and said D-channel data to a report communication line; and means located at a test facility remote from said central office for controlling said routing means, said protocol analyzer means and said reporting means to test the protocol of at least one of B-channel data and D-channel data on a selected customer ISDN line and supply data to said report communication line.

Claim 7

In a central office containing customer ISDN lines and a "U" interface monitoring system (UIMS) that converts data on a "U" interface in an integrated services line unit (ISLU) for interconnecting said customer ISDN lines and said UIMS to serial data outputs including B-channel data and D-channel data, said ISLU containing a plurality of "U" line cards including at least one sparing "U" line card slot and means for routing any one of said "U" line cards to said sparing slot as a sparing line card, a system for remote and unattended testing of ISDN protocol of signals on a selected customer ISDN line, comprising: means for interconnecting said sparing line card and the input of said UIMS so that said UIMS develops output signals including at least said D-channel data; protocol analyzer means responsive to the output of said UIMS for analyzing said at least D-channel data; reporting means for selectively supplying at least one of data indicative of the analysis performed by said protocol analyzer means and said D-channel data to a report communication line; and means located at a test facility remote from said central office for controlling said routing means, said protocol analyzer means and said reporting means to test the protocol of at least one of B-channel data and D-channel data on a selected customer ISDN line and supply data to said report communication line.

Claim 8

The system of claim 5, further comprising receiving means coupled to said report communication line for receiving data supplied to said report communication line and generating a hard copy of said data.

Claim 9

The system of claim 5, including means responsive to a remote control signal transmitted from said remote test facility for enabling said UIMS to output said B- and D-channel data.

Claim 10

The system of claim 5, including a plurality of ISLU's, and means for selecting one of said plurality of ISLU's at a time for said routing of a "U" interface therein to said UIMS.

Claim 11

Apparatus for remote and unattended testing and reporting of an integrated services digital network (ISDN) at a central office, comprising: (I) ISDN testing equipment at said central office including (a) means for accessing a U-interface bus of a selected customer ISDN line at said central office, (b) means for obtaining from said U-interface bus at least D-channel data on a selected customer ISDN line, and (c) analyzer means for providing protocol analysis of said at least D-channel data; (d) reporting means for supplying data to a report communication line; (II) an ISDN testing facility remote from said central office; and (III) remote control means at said ISDN testing facility for controlling said ISDN testing equipment.

Claim 12

Apparatus for remote and unattended testing and reporting of an integrated services digital network (ISDN) at a central office, comprising: (I) ISDN testing equipment at said central office including (a) means for accessing a U-interface bus of a selected customer ISDN line at said central office, (b) means for obtaining from said U-interface bus at least D-channel data on a selected customer ISDN line, and (c) analyzer means for providing protocol analysis of said at least D-channel data; (d) reporting means for supplying data to a report communication line; (II) an ISDN testing facility remote from said central office; and (III) remote control means at said ISDN testing facility for controlling said ISDN testing equipment.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a receiving facility remote from said central office, said receiving facility including a receiving means from receiving data supplied to said report communication line and generating a hard copy of said data.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 9, said ISDN testing equipment including a power supply and means responsive to a remote control signal transmitted from said remote test facility for controlling said power supply means to enable selectively said at least D-channel data obtaining means.

Claim 17

The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of receiving data supplied to said report communication line at a receiving facility remote from said central office.

Claim 18

The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of generating a hard copy report from the data received at the receiving facility.

Claim 21

The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of receiving data supplied to said report communication line at a receiving facility remote from said central office.

Claim 22

The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of generating a hard copy report from the data received at the receiving facility.

Claim 25

The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of receiving data supplied to said report communication line at a receiving facility remote from said central office

Claim 26

The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of generating a hard copy report from the data received at the receiving facility.

Claim 27

In a central office containing customer ISDN lines and a "U" interface monitoring system (UIMS) that converts selectively each one of a plurality of "U" interfaces to serial output data including B-channel data and D-channel data, and an integrated services line unit (ISLU) for interconnecting a selected one of said customer ISDN lines and said UIMS, said ISLU containing said plurality of "U" interfaces and a corresponding plurality of line cards positionable in line card "slots" in circuit with said U-interfaces and wherein at least one of said line card slots is available as a sparing slot to interface with said UIMS and further wherein at least one of said line cards is configured as a sparing card and is reroutable to said at least one sparing slot to replace a line card associated with a customer ISDN line to be tested, a method for remote and unattended testing and reporting of protocol on said customer ISDN lines, comprising the steps of: at said central office (a) applying operating power to said UIMS, (b) selecting a customer ISDN line,9 (c) accessing a U-interface bus of a selected customer ISDN line by routing said sparing card to the selected line, (d) connecting said sparing card to said UIMS and monitoring at least D-channel data from said selected line, (e) analyzing the protocol of said at least D-channel data, (f) supplying data to a report communication line; and (g) removing operating power from said UIMS; and at an ISDN test facility remote from said central office (h) using a computer, generating a first group of control signals for controlling steps (e)-(g) and using an access line, transmitting said control signals to said central office, and (i) transmitting a control signal via a trunk line work station to said central office to control step (c).

Claim 28

In a central office containing customer ISDN lines and a "U" interface monitoring system (UIMS) that converts selectively each one of a plurality of "U" interfaces to serial output data including B-channel data and D-channel data, and an integrated services line unit (ISLU) for interconnecting a selected one of said customer ISDN lines and said UIMS, said ISLU containing said plurality of "U" interfaces and a corresponding plurality of line cards positionable in line card "slots" in circuit with said U-interfaces and wherein at least one of said line card slots is available as a sparing slot to interface with said UIMS and further wherein at least one of said line cards is configured as a sparing card and is reroutable to said at least one sparing slot to replace a line card associated with a customer ISDN line to be tested, a method for remote and unattended testing and reporting of protocol on said customer ISDN lines, comprising the steps of: at said central office (a) applying operating power to said UIMS, (b) selecting a customer ISDN line,9 (c) accessing a U-interface bus of a selected customer ISDN line by routing said sparing card to the selected line, (d) connecting said sparing card to said UIMS and monitoring at least D-channel data from said selected line, (e) analyzing the protocol of said at least D-channel data, (f) supplying data to a report communication line; and (g) removing operating power from said UIMS; and at an ISDN test facility remote from said central office (h) using a computer, generating a first group of control signals for controlling steps (e)-(g) and using an access line, transmitting said control signals to said central office, and (i) transmitting a control signal via a trunk line work station to said central office to control step (c).

Claim 29

The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of receiving data supplied to said report communication line at a receiving facility remote from said central office.

Claim 30

The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of generating a hard copy report from the data received at the receiving facility.

Claim 31

In a central office containing customer ISDN lines and a "U" interface monitoring system (UIMS) that converts selectively each one of a plurality of "U" interfaces to serial output data including B-channel data and D-channel data, and a plurality of integrated services line units (ISLU's) for interconnecting a selected one of said customer ISDN lines and said UIMS, said ISLU's containing said plurality of "U" interfaces and a corresponding plurality of line cards positionable in line card "slots" in circuit with said U-interfaces and wherein at least one of said line card slots is available as a sparing slot to interface with said UIMS and further wherein at least one of said line cards is configured as a sparing card and is reroutable to said at least one sparing slot to replace a line card associated with a customer ISDN line to be tested, a method for remote and unattended testing of protocol on said customer ISDN lines, comprising the steps of: at said central office (a) selecting a particular one of said ISLU's containing a customer ISDN line to be tested; (b) selecting a customer ISDN line in the ISLU selected in step (a), (c) accessing a U-interface bus of a selected customer ISDN line by routing said sparing card to the selected line, (d) connecting said sparing card to said UIMS and monitoring at least D-channel data from said selected line, and (e) analyzing the protocol of said at least D-channel data; (f) selectively supplying data to a report communication line; and at an ISDN test facility remote from said central office (g) using a computer, generating a first control signal for controlling step (a) and using an access line, transmitting said first control signal to said central office, (h) transmitting a second control signal via a trunk line work station to said central office to control step (c), (i) using said computer, generating a third control signal to control step (e) and using said access line, transmitting said third control signal to said central office, and (j) using said computer, generating a fourth control signal to control step (g) and using said access line, transmitting said third control signal to said central office.

Claim 32

In a central office containing customer ISDN lines and a "U" interface monitoring system (UIMS) that converts selectively each one of a plurality of "U" interfaces to serial output data including B-channel data and D-channel data, and a plurality of integrated services line units (ISLU's) for interconnecting a selected one of said customer ISDN lines and said UIMS, said ISLU's containing said plurality of "U" interfaces and a corresponding plurality of line cards positionable in line card "slots" in circuit with said U-interfaces and wherein at least one of said line card slots is available as a sparing slot to interface with said UIMS and further wherein at least one of said line cards is configured as a sparing card and is reroutable to said at least one sparing slot to replace a line card associated with a customer ISDN line to be tested, a method for remote and unattended testing of protocol on said customer ISDN lines, comprising the steps of: at said central office (a) selecting a particular one of said ISLU's containing a customer ISDN line to be tested; (b) selecting a customer ISDN line in the ISLU selected in step (a), (c) accessing a U-interface bus of a selected customer ISDN line by routing said sparing card to the selected line, (d) connecting said sparing card to said UIMS and monitoring at least D-channel data from said selected line, and (e) analyzing the protocol of said at least D-channel data; (f) selectively supplying data to a report communication line; and at an ISDN test facility remote from said central office (g) using a computer, generating a first control signal for controlling step (a) and using an access line, transmitting said first control signal to said central office, (h) transmitting a second control signal via a trunk line work station to said central office to control step (c), (i) using said computer, generating a third control signal to control step (e) and using said access line, transmitting said third control signal to said central office, and (j) using said computer, generating a fourth control signal to control step (g) and using said access line, transmitting said third control signal to said central office.

Claim 33

The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of receiving data supplied to said report communication line at a receiving facility remote from said central office.

Claim 34

The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of generating a hard copy report from the data received at the receiving facility.