Claims
- 1. A method of establishing a communication path through which the testing of a subscriber line of a telephone network by means of a test system of a telephone office may be controlled, said test system being operative to respond to commands supplied over said communication path from a user's communications unit and to supply messages to said user's communication unit for providing a user with information for controlling the operation of said test system, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a user's communication and processing unit through which a user, who may be dispatched to a service site that is remotely located with respect to said telephone office serving said subscriber line, may communicate with said test system of said telephone office and with a test head that is connectable to said subscriber line, said user's communication and processing unit having an input/output device, including a visual display, through which information input by said user is converted into prescribed control signals and transmitted to said test system and through which information associated with the operation of said test system is presented to said user, said user's communication and processing unit having the capability of conducting communications with said telephone office through either a wireless or a wireline communication path; and
- (b) in response to a user's request for the establishment of a communication path between said user's communication and processing unit and said test system, so that said user may conduct a test of said subscriber line, causing said user's communication and processing unit to be placed in one of said wireless and wireline communication paths with said telephone office; and further including
- an auxiliary communication and signal processing subsystem, separate from said user's communication and processing unit and said telephone office, through which a first wireless communication path may be established with said user's communication and processing unit, and through which a second wireless communication path may be established with said telephone office, and wherein step (b) comprises, in response to said user's request for the establishment of a communication path between said user's communication and processing unit and said test system of said telephone office, determining the availability of said first wireless communication path and, in response to the unavailability of said first wireless communication path, causing said visual display to display a message prompting said user to connect said user's communication and processing unit to a wireline communication path with said telephone office.
- 2. A method of establishing a communication path through which the testing of a subscriber line of a telephone network by means of a test system of a telephone office may be controlled, said test system being operative to respond to commands supplied over said communication path from a user's communications unit and to supply messages to said user's communication unit for providing a user with information for controlling the operation of said test system, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a user's communication and processing unit through which a user, who may be dispatched to a service site that is remotely located with respect to said telephone office serving said subscriber line, may communicate with said test system of said telephone office and with a test head that is connectable to said subscriber line, said user's communication and processing unit having an input/output device, including a visual display, through which information input by said user is converted into prescribed control signals and transmitted to said test system and through which information associated with the operation of said test system is presented to said user, said user's communication and processing unit having the capability of conducting communications with said telephone office through either a wireless or a wireline communication path; and
- (b) in response to a user's request for the establishment of a communication path between said user's communication and processing unit and said test system, so that said user may conduct a test of said subscriber line, causing said user's communication and processing unit to be placed in one of said wireless and wireline communication paths with said telephone office; and further including
- an auxiliary communication and signal processing subsystem separate from said user's communication and processing unit and said telephone office, through which a first wireless communication path may be established with said user's communication and processing unit, and through which a second wireless communication path may be established with said telephone office, and wherein step (b) comprises, in response to said user's request for the establishment of a communication path between said user's communication and processing unit and said test system of said telephone office, determining the availability of said first wireless communication path and, in response to the unavailability of said first wireless communication path, causing said visual display to display a message prompting said user to connect said user's communication and processing unit to a wireline communication path with said telephone office, and further including an auxiliary communication and signal processing subsystem, separate from said user's communication and processing unit and said telephone office, through which a first wireless communication path may be established with said user's communication and processing unit, and through which a second wireless communication path may be established with said telephone office, and wherein step (b) comprises, in response to said user's request for the establishment of a communication path between said user's communication and processing unit and said test system of said telephone office, determining the availability of said first wireless communication path and, in response to the availability of said first wireless communication path, determining the availability of said second wireless communication path between said auxiliary communication and signal processing subsystem and said telephone office.
- 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein step (b) further comprises, in response to the unavailability of said second wireless communication path, causing said visual display to display a message prompting said user to connect said communications unit to a wireline communication path with said telephone office.
- 4. A method according to claim 2, wherein step (b) further comprises, in response to the availability of said second wireless communication path, placing said user's communications unit in wireless communication with said telephone office via said first and second wireless communication paths.
- 5. A method according to claim 2, wherein said auxiliary communication and signal processing subsystem comprises a vehicle-supported communication and signal processing subsystem.
- 6. An arrangement for establishing a communication path between a craftsperson's portable communication and processing unit, through the operation of which testing of a subscriber line of a telephone network may be conducted by means of a test system of a telephone facility, said test system being operative to respond to commands supplied over said communication path from said user's portable communication and processing unit and to supply messages to said user's communication and processing unit for providing a user with information for controlling the operation of said test system, said arrangement comprising a transceiver contained within said user's communication and processing unit which has the capability of conducting communications with an external communications device through either a wireless or a wireline communication path, and wherein said user's communication and processing unit is operative, in response to a user's request for the establishment of a communication path between said user's communication and processing unit and said test system of said telephone facility, to establish one of said wireless and wireline communication paths between said user's communication and processing unit and said telephone facility; and further including
- an auxiliary communication and signal processing subsystem, separate from said user's communication and processing unit and said telephone facility, through which a first wireless communication path may be established with said user's communication and processing unit, and through which a second wireless communication path may be established with said telephone facility, and wherein said user's communication and processing unit is operative, in response to said user's request for the establishment of a communication path between said user's communication and processing unit and said test system of said telephone facility, to determine the availability of said first wireless communication path and, in response to the availability of said first wireless communication path, to cause a determination of the availability of said second wireless communication path.
- 7. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said user's communication and processing unit is operative to communicate with said test system of said telephone facility and with a test head that is connectable to said subscriber line, and wherein said user's communication and processing unit has an input/output device, including a visual display, through which information input by said user is converted into prescribed control signals and transmitted to said test system of said telephone facility and through which information associated with the operation of said test system is presented to said user.
- 8. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said user's communication and processing unit is operative, in response to the unavailability of either of said wireless communication paths to cause said visual display to display a message prompting said user to connect said user's communication and processing unit to said wireline communication path with said telephone facility.
- 9. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said user's communication and processing unit is operative, in response to the availability of each of said first and second wireless communication paths, to engage said first and second wireless communication paths with said telephone facility.
- 10. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said user's communication and processing unit is operative, in response to the unavailability of said second wireless communication path, to cause said visual display to display a message prompting said user to connect said communication and processing unit to a wireline communication path with said telephone facility.
- 11. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said user's communication and processing unit and said auxiliary communication and signal processing subsystem are operative, in response to the availability of said second wireless communication path, to place said user's communication and processing unit in wireless communication with said telephone facility via said first and second wireless communication paths.
- 12. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said auxiliary communication and signal processing subsystem comprises a vehicle-supported communication and signal processing subsystem.
- 13. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said user's communication and processing unit is a portable hand-held unit.
- 14. A method of establishing a communication path with a test device through which the testing of a subscriber line of a telephone network by means of a test system of a telephone facility may be conducted, said test device being operative to respond to commands supplied over said communication path from a user's communications unit and to supply messages to said user's communication unit for providing a user with information associated with the operation of said test device, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a user's communication and processing unit through which a user, who may be dispatched to a service site that is remotely located with respect to said telephone office serving said subscriber line, may communicate with said device that is connectable to said subscriber line, said user's communication and processing unit having an input/output device, including a visual display, through which information input by said user is converted into prescribed control signals and transmitted to said test device, and through which information associated with the operation of said test device, is presented to said user, said user's communication and processing unit having the capability of conducting communications with said test device through either a wireless or a wireline communication path; and
- (b) in response to a user's request for the establishment of a communication path between said user's communication and processing unit and said test device, so that said user may conduct a test of said subscriber line, causing said user's communication and processing unit to be placed in one of said wireless and wireline communication paths with said test device; and further including
- an auxiliary communication and signal processing subsystem, separate from said user's communication and processing unit and said telephone office, through which a first wireless communication path may be established with said user's communication and processing unit, and through which a second wireless communication path may be established with said telephone office, and wherein step (b) comprises, in response to said user's request for the establishment of a communication path between said user's communication and processing unit and said test system of said telephone office, determining the availability of said first wireless communication path and, in response to the availability of said first wireless communication path, determining the availability of said second wireless communication path between said auxiliary communication and signal processing subsystem and said telephone office.
- 15. A method according to claim 14, wherein step (b) further comprises, in response to the unavailability of said second wireless communication path, causing said visual display to display a message prompting said user to connect said communications unit to a wireline communication path with said test device.
- 16. A method according to claim 14, wherein step (b) further comprises, in response to the availability of said second wireless communication path, placing said user's communications unit in wireless communication with said telephone office via said first and second wireless communication paths.
- 17. A method according to claim 14, wherein said auxiliary communication and signal processing subsystem comprises a vehicle-supported communication and signal processing subsystem.
- 18. A method according to claim 17, further including an auxiliary information processing device to which a communication path may be established in association with the testing of said subscriber line, said auxiliary information processing device being operative to respond to commands supplied over a communication path from said user's communications unit and to generate output information associated with the operation of said test device, and wherein said method further comprises the steps of:
- (c) in response to a user's request for the establishment of a communication path between said user's communication and processing unit and said auxiliary information processing device, causing said user's communication and processing unit to be placed in one of wireless and wireline communication paths with said auxiliary information processing device.
- 19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said auxiliary information processing device comprises an input/output device.
- 20. A method according to claim 18, wherein said auxiliary information processing device comprises a printer.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 235,317 (hereinafter referenced as the '317 application), filed Apr. 29, 1994, entitled: "Telecommunication Test System Including a Test and Trouble Shooting Expert System," by K. R. Selig et al, assigned to the assignee of the present application, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,958 and the disclosure of which is herein incorporated. In addition, the subject matter of the present application relates to that described in co-pending application Ser. No. 08/339,904, filed coincidently herewith, by Dana Heins et al, entitled: "Display-Based Control Mechanism Resident in Portable Test and Communications Device for Facilitating Craftsperson's Remote Testing of Selected Portion of Telephone Network," (hereinafter referred to as the Heins et al application) also assigned to the assignee of the present application, and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
235317 |
Apr 1994 |
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