Test system for remotely testing switches within a telecommunications network

Abstract

A system for centrally and remotely testing cellular and conventional telecommunications network wherein a controller located at a remote location provides instructions to Remote Call Processor (RCP) to thereby prompt the RCPs to establish a communication link from the RCP through a switch to a destination device whereby audio from said destination device is communicated, by way of the RCP, to the controller in order to verify that the network properly routed and billed the call. The destination device may be a service provided by such network or it may be another RCP.

1 . A method of operating remote call processors to test telecommunications networks remotely from one or more test controllers, the method comprising: 
 receiving time synchronization information at a remote call processor;    synchronizing the remote call processor based on the received time synchronization information;    receiving control signals at the remote call processor from a test controller, the remote call processor remotely located with respect to the test controller, the control signals indicative of at least one instruction to establish at least one test call;    establishing the at least one test call from the remote call processor to a destination via at least a portion of a telecommunications network;    receiving telecommunications signals at the remote call processor that are indicative of at least one characteristic of the test call; and    transmitting test information from the remote call processor to the test controller, the test information indicative of at least one characteristic of the test call.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 repeatedly receiving time synchronization information at a remote call processor; and    repeatedly synchronizing the remote call processor based on the received time synchronization information.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving control signals at the remote call processor from a test controller includes receiving control signals at the remote call processor from the test controller via a communications channel that is different from the portion of the telecommunications network that is being tested.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein establishing the at least one test call from the remote call processor to a destination via at least a portion of a telecommunications network includes establishing the at least one test call through a call area switch located in a service area in which the remote call processor is located.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein establishing the at least one test call from the remote call processor to a destination via at least a portion of a telecommunications network includes establishing the at least one test call through a base station in a cell in which the remote call processor is located.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving telecommunications signals at the remote call processor that are indicative of at least one characteristic of the test call includes receiving audio from the destination at the remote call processor.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein transmitting test information from the remote call processor to the test controller includes transmitting the audio received at the remote call processor to the test controller.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 time stamping at least one event related to the test call at the remote call processor.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 time stamping at least one event related to the test call at the destination wherein the destination is one of at least two phones that are part of the remote call processor.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transmitting test information from the remote call processor to the test controller includes transmitting test information from the remote call processor to the test controller that is indicative of a time duration of the test call for a phone of the remote call processor that places the test call.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein transmitting test information from the remote call processor to the test controller includes transmitting test information from the remote call processor to the test controller that is indicative of a time duration of the test call for a destination phone of the remote call processor that receives the test call.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transmitting test information from the remote call processor to the test controller includes transmitting test information from the remote call processor to the test controller that is indicative of a time duration of the test call for the destination.  
   
   
       13 . A remote call processor operable to test telecommunications networks remotely from one or more test controllers, the remote call processor comprising: 
 a first phone;    a second phone; and    a processor coupled to receive time synchronization information and control signals from a test controller that the remote call processor is remotely located from, the control signals indicative of instructions to establish test calls, and the processor configured to synchronize the remote call processor based on the received time synchronization information, and to establish the test calls from at least the first phone of the remote call processor to one or more destinations via at least a portion of a telecommunications network, to receive telecommunications signals that are indicative of at least one characteristic of the test call; and to transmit test information indicative of at least one characteristic of the test call from the remote call processor to the test controller.    
   
   
       14 . The remote call processor of  claim 13  wherein the processor is configured to repeatedly synchronize the remote call processor based on the received time synchronization information.  
   
   
       15 . The remote call processor of  claim 13  wherein the processor is coupled transmit test information via a communications channel that is different from the telecommunications network that is being tested.  
   
   
       16 . The remote call processor of  claim 13  wherein the processor is configured to time stamp events related to the test call.  
   
   
       17 . The remote call processor of  claim 13  wherein the processor is configured to time stamp at least one event related to the test call at the destination, and wherein the destination is the second phone of the remote call processor.  
   
   
       18 . The remote call processor of  claim 13  wherein the processor is configured to transmit test information indicative of at least one characteristic of the test call in the form of audio received at the first phone of the remote call processor.  
   
   
       19 . The remote call processor of  claim 13  wherein the processor is configured to transmit test information indicative of at least one characteristic of the test call in the form of a value indicative of a duration of the test call for the first phone, where the first phone placed the test call.  
   
   
       20 . The remote call processor of  claim 13  wherein the processor is configured to transmit test information indicative of at least one characteristic of the test call in the form of a value indicative of a duration of the test call for the destination.  
   
   
       21 . The remote call processor of  claim 13  wherein the processor is configured to transmit test information indicative of at least one characteristic of the test call in the form of a value indicative of a duration of the test call for the second phone, where the second phone received the test call.  
   
   
       22 . A method for remotely testing the proper functioning of a switch in a telecommunications network comprising: 
 sending a control signal from a controller located at a remote user location, which is accessible to said telecommunications network, to a remote call processor (RCP) having at least one telephone, said remote call processor (RCP) located in a service area of said telecommunications network;    receiving said control signal in said remote call processor (RCP);    establishing a first communications link including said controller and said remote call processor (RCP);    processing said control signal in said remote call processor (RCP) wherein said control signal includes instructions for establishing a test telephone call from said remote call processor (RCP) through a calling area switch located in said service area to a destination telecommunications device;    establishing said test telephone call from said remote call processor (RCP) through said calling area switch to said destination telecommunications device;    receiving in said remote call processor (RCP), telecommunications signals related to said test telephone call wherein said telecommunications signals include audio signals; and    testing by said controller said telecommunications signals related to said test telephone call to verify proper operation of said calling area switch.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein testing by said controller said telecommunications signals related to said test telephone call includes measuring said audio signals for audio quality.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein establishing a first communications link including said controller and said remote call processor (RCP) is established via the Internet.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22  wherein establishing a first communications link including said controller and said remote call processor (RCP) is established through a wireless portion of said telecommunications network.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 22  wherein establishing said test telephone call from said remote call processor (RCP) through said calling area switch to said destination telecommunications device is established through a wireless portion of said network.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 interrogating said at least one telephone located in said remote call processor (RCP) for information regarding a call history for matching to billing records or translation records for said destination telecommunications device.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 querying said controller with queries generated by said destination telecommunications device which are sent through said calling area switch and said remote call processor (RCP), and    receiving responses to said queries from said controller via said remote call processor (RCP) and said calling area switch.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein querying and receiving responses to said queries verifies a complete transmission of at least a portion of an audio portion of said audio signals in at least one direction.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28  wherein querying and receiving responses to said queries verifies proper operation of a voicemail box.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein querying and receiving responses to said queries verifies, using said audio signals, the proper operation of a function selected from the group consisting of call forwarding, call waiting, no answer transfer, voice recognition service, and messaging service.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 22  wherein establishing a first communications link including said remote call processor (RCP) and said controller includes establishing a secure communications link, and said test telephone call between said remote call processor (RCP) where said destination telecommunications device is a secure telephone call.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 22  wherein establishing said test telephone call from said remote call processor (RCP) through said calling area switch to said destination telecommunications device includes establishing said test telephone call from said remote call processor (RCP) through said calling area switch to a voicemail box.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 22  wherein establishing said test telephone call from said remote call processor (RCP) through said calling area switch to said destination telecommunications device includes establishing said test telephone call from said remote call processor (RCP) through said calling area switch to a second remote call processor.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein said controller instructs said remote call processor (RCP) to establish said test call using said second remote call processor as said destination telecommunications device wherein if said second remote call processor does not receive said test call within a predetermined period of time, said second remote call processor will contact said controller indicating that said test call has not been received at said second remote call processor.  
   
   
       36 . A remote controller system for remotely testing at least one calling area switch of a calling area in a telecommunications network, said controller system comprising: 
 a controller located remotely from said at least one calling area switch of said calling area, said controller being capable of generating, sending, receiving and processing audio signals or telecommunications data signals;    a build script mode application stored in at least one memory and executed by said controller which builds test calls having at least said audio signals to test proper operation of said calling area switch; said build scripts mode application further including first commands for selecting a remote call processor (RCP), having at least one telephone, to place said test calls in said calling area through said calling area switch and second commands for recording said audio signals which are present in said test calls;    a run mode application stored in at least one memory and executed by said controller for executing said first commands and said at least second commands; and    a results mode application stored in at least one memory and executed by said controller to process, display, and store in a memory accessible to said controller, a result from said test calls.    
   
   
       37 . The remote controller system of  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 a schedule mode application stored in at least one memory and executed by said controller to execute said test calls on a predetermined schedule.    
   
   
       38 . The remote controller system of  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 a configure remote call processor (RCP) mode application stored in at least one memory and executed by said controller which may configure said at least one remote call processor (RCP) in said telecommunications system.