Telephone ringback test device and method

A device for testing a telephone circuit comprising:

• means for obtaining a caller's telephone number from caller ID information available from a telephone facility when the caller is switched into a telephone circuit;
• storage means for storing the caller's telephone number obtained from the caller ID information;
• means for instructing the caller to disconnect from the circuit when the caller's telephone number has been stored;
• and
• means for automatically calling the stored telephone number from the device when the caller is disconnected from the circuit so that a ringback test to the caller's telephone number can be completed.

A method of testing a telephone circuit comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting caller ID information when a caller is switched to a testing device in the telephone circuit, the caller ID information including the caller's telephone number;
• (b) storing the detected telephone number in the testing device;
• and
• (c) automatically calling the stored telephone number from the testing device when the caller goes on hook.

A method of testing a telephone network circuit comprising the steps of:

• (a) calling from a caller's telephone in a telephone network a telephone number assigned to a test device in the telephone network;
• (b) detecting at the test device the telephone number in caller ID information provided by the telephone network when the test device is switched to the caller's telephone;
• (c) storing the detected telephone number at the test device;
• (d) providing the detected telephone number to the caller;
• (e) instructing the caller to go on hook when the detected telephone number has been stored;
• and
• (f) calling the stored telephone number from the test device.

A method of testing a telephone circuit in a telephone network comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting caller ID information when a caller is switched to a testing device in the telephone circuit without the use of a toll trunk of the telephone network, the caller ID information including the caller's telephone number;
• (b) storing the detected telephone number in the testing device;
• and
• (c) automatically calling the stored telephone number from the testing device when the caller goes on hook.

A system for testing a telephone loop and providing status information to a loop subscriber source comprising:

• the loop subscriber source having a path to a telephone network for establishing the telephone loop;
• a specialized maintenance device coupled to the loop subscriber source for initiating testing and communicating status information;
• and
• an autonomous device positioned as a subscriber in the telephone network for establishing the telephone loop;
• the autonomous device being selectively responsive to the specialized maintenance device;
• the autonomous device automatically extracting, storing, and communicating status information on the source when testing is initiated by the specialized maintenance device;
• wherein the specialized maintenance device and autonomous device exercise loop communications from the source to the autonomous device and from the autonomous device to the source.