Remote maintenance system

A terminal switching unit for a plurality of maintenance systems comprising:

• intelligent terminal means including at least one local intelligent terminal means, said local intelligent terminal means operated to transmit commands and to receive and display data;
• a plurality of switching and transmission systems and a plurality of maintenance processor unit means, each switching and transmission system including one corresponding maintenance processor unit means, each maintenance processor unit means arranged to perform diagnostic testing of said corresponding switching and transmission system responsive to said commands, and to transmit said data gathered during the diagnostic testing of said corresponding switching and transmission system;
• switching means connected to said local intelligent terminal means, and each of said plurality of maintenance processor unit means, said switching means including controller means arranged to analyze the commands transmitted by said local intelligent terminal means, bidirectional link means connected to said controller means for transmitting said commands and receiving said data to and from said controller means, and relay means connected between said bidirectional link means and each of said plurality of maintenance processor unit means, and responsive to said commands from said local intelligent terminal means said relay means are operated by said controller means to connect a maintenance processor unit means to said local intelligent terminal means for facilitating the transfer of said data from said connected maintenance processor unit means to said local intelligent terminal means;
• said switching means being further operated in response to said commands to transmit said commands form said local intelligent terminal means to the connected maintenance processor unit means;
• and
• said maintenance processor unit means operated in response to said commands from said local intelligent terminal means to perform said diagnostic testing of said corresponding switching and transmission system and to transmit said data to said switching means.

A terminal switching unit for a pluraltiy of remote maintenance systems comprising:

• intelligent terminal means including at least one remote intelligent terminal means operated to transmit commands and to receive and display data, said remote intelligent terminal means including, first modem means connected to said remote intelligent terminal means and to a transmission line, said first modem means arranged to transmit said commands from said remote intelligent terminal means to said transmission line and to receive said data from said transmission line and to transmit said data to said remote intelligent terminal means;
• a plurality of switching and transmission systems and a plurality of maintenance processor unit means, each switching and transmission system including one corresponding maintenance processor unit means, each maintenance processor unit means arranged to perform diagnostic testing of said corresponding switching and transmission system responsive to said commands, and to transmit said data gathered during the diagnostic testing of said corresponding switching and transmission system;
• switching means including second modem means connected to said switching means and to said transmission line, said second modem means arranged to transmit said data from said switching means to said transmission line and to receive said commands from said transmission line, and said switching means further connected to each of said plurality of maintenance processor unit means, said switching means including controller means arranged to analyze the commands transmitted by said remote intelligent terminal means, bidirectional link means connected to said controller means for transmitting said commands and receiving said data to and from said controller means, and relay means connected between said bidirectional link means and each of said plurality of maintenance processor unit means, and responsive to said commands form said remote intelligent terminal means said relay means are operated by said controller means to connect a maintenance processor unit means to said remote intelligent terminal means for facilitating the transfer of said data from said connected maintenance processor unit means to said remote intelligent terminal means;
• said switching means being further operated in response to said commands to transmit said commands from said remote intelligent terminal means to the connected maintenance processor unit means;
• and
• said maintenance processor unit means operated in response to said commands form said remote intelligent terminal means to perform said diagnostic testing of said corresponding switching and transmission system and to transmit said data to said switching means.