Apparatus and method for generating calls and testing telephone equipment

An apparatus for testing telephone equipment that includes a message storage memory, said apparatus comprising:

• a memory for storing procedures;
• a communication channel for communicating with said telephone equipment;
• DTMF tone generation circuitry;
• electronic signal generation circuitry configured to generate a message to be stored in said message storage memory;
• and
• a processor coupled to said memory, to said communication channel, to said DTMF tone generation circuitry and to said electronic signal generation circuitry, said processor configured to execute said procedures stored in said memory and to engage in communication with said telephone equipment via said communication channel, said communication including said processor initiating a first call by sending first information to said telephone equipment via said communication channel, said first information including tones for instructing said telephone equipment to form a connection, tones for instructing said telephone equipment to switch to a requested mail box, and a delivered message for storage in said requested mail box, and said processor initiating a second call by sending second information to said telephone equipment via said communication channel, said second information including tones for instructing said telephone equipment to form a connection, tones for instructing said telephone equipment to switch to a requested mail box, and tones for instructing said telephone equipment to retrieve said message stored in said requested mail box as a retrieved message.

An apparatus for testing telephone equipment that includes a message storage memory, said apparatus comprising:

• a memory for storing procedures;
• a communication channel for communicating with said telephone equipment;
• message generation circuitry configured to generate a message to be stored in said message storage memory;
• a processor coupled to said memory, to said communication channel, and to said message generation circuitry, said processor configured to execute said procedures stored in said memory and to engage in communication with said telephone equipment via said communication channel, said communication including said processor initiating a plurality of first calls by sending first information to said telephone equipment via said communication channel, said first information including an instruction to form a connection, an instruction to switch to a requested mail box, and a delivered message for storage in said requested mail box, and said processor initiating a plurality of second calls by sending second information to said telephone equipment via said communication channel, said second information including an instruction to form a connection, an instruction to switch to a requested mail box, and an instruction to retrieve said message stored in said requested mail box as a retrieved message.