Telephony testing system
AssigneeTollgrade Communications, Inc.
InventorsJohn M. Benedict, Bradford R. Holmes, Larry Mortimer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic relay matrix (22) is connectable between a plurality of customer telephone lines and a plurality of testers (2, 201-203) The electronic relay matrix (22) includes a line matrix (80) having a plurality of relay assemblies (821-8250) Each relay assembly (82) in a relaxed state connects together the line-side (12) and the drop-side (8) of one of the customer telephone lines. Each relay assembly (82) is adjustable to enable one of the plurality of testers (2, 201-203) to be connected to the drop-side (8) and/or the line-side (12) of a desired customer telephone line.
Claims4
A method of testing a telephone line comprising:
- (a) providing an electronic relay matrix (ERM) connected in series between a line-side and a drop-side of a telephone line;
- (b) providing first and second testers connected to the ERM via respective test paths:
- (c) detecting with the ERM the presence or absence of activity on the telephone line when its line-side and drop-side are connected together;
- (d) in response to detecting the an absence of activity on the telephone line the ERM disconnecting the line-side of the telephone line from the drop-side of the telephone line and connecting the test path of the first tester to one of the line-side and the drop-side of the telephone line;
- and
- (e) testing the one of the line-side and the drop-side of the telephone line with the first tester via its test path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.