Customer bridge with built-in test access

Details Customer bridge with built-in test access Customer bridge with built-in test access

1997-09-30

2001-09-04

Karlsen, Ernest (Department: 2858)

Electricity: measuring and testing

Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components

For fault location

C379S026020

Reexamination Certificate

active

06285194

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to customer bridges used at the site of customers of telecommunication networks and more particularly to customer bridges that allow customers to quickly determine the origin of any malfunction in the wiring connected to the customer bridges.
2. Description of the Related Art
Customer bridges are devices that are used to demarcate a customer's equipment and a telecommunications network. The customer bridge is part of a telecommunications system and is connected directly to customer equipment and to the telecommunications network. The customer bridge has network terminals on its network side and customer terminals on its customer side. A network line (e.g., twisted pair of wires) is connected to the network side of the customer bridge which electrically couples the network line to the customer terminals which typically have customer equipment (e.g., telephone, facsimile machine, modem) connected thereto.
At a customer's site such as buildings with multiple customers, a plurality of customer bridges are usually disposed in a housing commonly referred to as network interface unit typically mounted in a basement or in an outdoor environment with the network side of each bridge being connected to an individual network line. Network interface units also include other equipment such as protection circuitry used to prevent customer equipment from being damaged by voltage or current surges.
FIG. 1
depicts a prior art customer bridge
10
that includes a base member
12
which is typically made of plastic. At the customer side of the bridge, a pair of hollow cylindrical projections
14
and
16
, typically molded from the same plastic of base member
12
and integral therewith contain electrical terminals which include posts
18
and
20
to which customer terminals
22
and
24
are electrically connected. The posts
18
and
20
extend to and through the bottom of base member
12
. Wrapped around posts
18
and
20
are wires
26
and
28
respectively, which over most of their length are protected by sheath,
30
. Wires
26
and
28
terminate in a standard well known RJ11 plug,
32
. Plug
32
is shown inserted within base member
12
that contains an RJ11 plug mating member (not shown in
FIG. 1
; see
FIG. 2
) to which insulated wires
34
and
36
are connected. Thus, each insulated wire
34
and
36
is electrically connected to customer terminals
22
and
24
respectively when plug
32
is properly engaged to the RJ11 plug mating member (not shown) disposed within base member
12
.
FIG. 2
shows a cross sectional view of the customer bridge
10
of FIG.
1
. Mating member
38
is positioned within base member
12
so that its electrical contacts (not shown) engage with the electrical contacts (not shown) of plug
32
. Insulated wires
34
and
36
emanating from mating member
38
are connected to the telecommunications network. Electrical wires
40
and
42
shown connected to customer terminals
22
and
24
provide the electrical connection to a customer device (not shown) such as a telephone, facsimile machine, modem and the like. Customer terminals
22
and
24
make electrical contact with top ends of terminals
44
and
46
. The bottom ends of terminals
44
and
46
include posts
18
and
20
that extend beyond the bottom of base member
12
.
Many times, a malfunction occurs in a network line and there is a need to determine whether the malfunction is located at the customer side or at the network side of the telecommunications system. In such circumstances, a customer unplugs RJ11 plug
32
electrically disconnecting the network side of the bridge from the customer side. The customer typically plugs into the customer bridge a working telephone handset to test the network line. Thus, for example, if a telephone handset is plugged in and the customer detects a dial tone and is able to dial a number and establish a connection, then it is reasonable to conclude that the problem lies with the customer's wiring and not with the network line. However, plugs such as RJ11 plugs are expensive and many times unreliable in outdoor environments where customer bridges are often located. Thus, many times a malfunction may be due to an inoperative RJ11 plug. Further, the use of a telephone handset or other telecommunications device to test a network line is often laborious and awkward as many times the customer has to go to a basement or to an outdoor location with a telephone, locate the line in question, disconnect the appropriate RJ11 plug and plug in its place a telephone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a customer bridge that couples an energy detecting device to a customer line of a telecommunications system allowing any energy in the customer line to energize the energy detecting device such that the customer line can be tested for malfunctions.
The customer bridge of the present invention comprises an activating mechanism having a first terminal and a second terminal and an energy detecting device coupled to one of the first and second terminals such that when the activating mechanism is activated the energy detecting device is coupled to the other one of the first and second terminals of the activating mechanism.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4069403 (1978-01-01), Beaudette
patent: 4513176 (1985-04-01), Fostveit
patent: 4588862 (1986-05-01), Grabowy
patent: 5622518 (1997-04-01), Kalpaxis
patent: 5754624 (1998-05-01), Sullivan
Neward Electronics Catalog, 500 N. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, IL 60624, p. 355, 1989.

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