Wireless telephone network centralized maintenance method

Centralized maintenance method for a wireless telephone network including a distribution network having fixed stations and wireless digital telephones linked by radio to the fixed stations, an integrated services digital public telephone network to which each of the fixed stations is connected by one or more circuit switched telephone channels and a message mode switched user-to-user signaling channel, service control points connected to said public switching telephone network and each containing a wireless telephone service subscriber database and a call processing device, and a service management system comprising a reference database, said method comprising the steps:

• detecting a fault at one of the fixed stations;
• using the user-to-user signaling channel to transmit a maintenance message from said one fixed station to an associated one of the service control points as soon as the fault has thus been detected by the fixed station, in parallel with and independently of any telephone signals being transmitted over said circuit-switched telephone channels;
• generating a maintenance ticket at said service control point as soon as the maintenance message has thus been transmitted over the user-to-user channel;
• transmitting the thus generated maintenance ticket to said service management system and storing it in said reference database;
• reading maintenance information concerning a regional set of fixed stations from the reference database of the service management system;
• transmitting said maintenance information concerning the regional set of fixed stations of a single region from said service management system to a terminal of a regional maintenance center;
• and
• transmitting from the service management system to a terminal of a national maintenance center maintenance information in said reference database concerning a super-regional set of fixed stations of a plurality of regions.

A wireless telephone network comprising:

• a plurality of fixed stations each including software that is at least in part replaceable at the initiative of an operator of said each station;
• a plurality of wireless digital telephones;
• means for linking the wireless digital telephones by radio to the fixed stations;
• an integrated services digital public telephone network having a plurality of circuit switched telephone channels and at least one message switched user-to-user signaling channel for connecting the fixed stations to the public telephone network;
• a plurality of service control points connected to said public switching telephone network and each comprising a wireless telephone service subscriber database and a call processing device;
• a service management system comprising a reference database;
• means for transmitting a maintenance message from a fixed station to a service control point over the user-to-user signaling channel in response to the fixed station detecting a fault, independent of any telephone signals then being transmitted between the fixed station and the service control point over said circuit-switched telephone channels;
• means for generating a maintenance ticket at said service control point;
• means for transmitting said maintenance ticket to said service management system and storing it in said reference database;
• means for downloading replacement software having an associated software version from said service management system to a designated fixed station via the service control point serving said designated fixed station over a telephone channel connecting said designated fixed station to said public switching telephone network, and
• means for transmitting a word identifying said software version of a fixed station in each respective maintenance message sent by said designated fixed station to said service management system.

A wireless telephone network comprising:

• a plurality of fixed stations;
• a plurality of wireless digital telephones;
• means for linking the wireless digital telephones by radio to the fixed stations;
• an integrated services digital public telephone network having a plurality of circuit switched telephone channels and at least one message switched user-to-user signaling channel for connecting the fixed stations to the public telephone network;
• a plurality of service control points connected to said public switching telephone network and each comprising a wireless telephone service subscriber database and a call processing device;
• a service management system comprising a reference database;
• means for transmitting a maintenance message from a fixed station to a service control point over the user-to-user signaling channel in response to the fixed station detecting a fault, independent of any telephone signals then being transmitted between the fixed station and the service control point over said circuit-switched telephone channels;
• means for generating a maintenance ticket at said service control plant;
• means for transmitting said maintenance ticket to said service management system and storing it in said reference database;
• means for transmitting from said service management system to a terminal of a regional maintenance center, maintenance information concerning a regional set of fixed stations of a region, said information being read from the reference database of the service management system;
• means for reading from said service management system maintenance information concerning a super-regional set of fixed stations of a plurality of regions, said information being read from said reference database of said service management system;
• and
• means for transmitting said maintenance information concerning said super-regional set of fixed stations to a terminal of a super-regional maintenance center.