Telephonic communications – Diagnostic testing – malfunction indication – or electrical... – Of centralized switching system
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-28
2004-11-30
Tran, Quoc (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Diagnostic testing, malfunction indication, or electrical...
Of centralized switching system
C379S001010, C379S009000, C379S026010, C379S027020, C379S029020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06826259
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the testing of telecommunication networks, and more particularly to a method for emulating a terminal for testing a telecommunication network and to a corresponding test apparatus for testing a telecommunication network.
In telecommunication networks, particularly also in open communication systems, digital data are usually transmitted according to specified rules. One form of such rules are so-called protocols. For testing telecommunication networks, test apparatuses, often so-called protocol testers, are used that can be configured with respect to the protocol used in the network. Examples include the protocols GSM, ISDN, GPS, UMTS, CDMA, ISUP.
To outline the problem underlying the invention, the following will first explain a protocol tester known from the state of the art, sold by the applicant of the present application under the name Tektronix K1297. To test a telecommunication network, the protocol tester is connected to said telecommunication network. The term “test” comprises very different forms of testing, only one of which, however, will be looked at in detail below. The K1297 referred to above comprises a screen on which the user can create a test scenario. A test scenario is entered using the keyboard and/or the computer mouse.
FIG. 1
shows a user interface known from the K1297, the so-called Diagram View, as can be seen from the bottom left-hand corner of FIG.
1
. In a top area and a right-hand area of the user interface there are icons, which by clicking on them lead to menus being opened in the known manner that support the user in setting up a test scenario. Since they are of secondary importance for the following, they are not described here in greater detail.
The architecture model for so-called open communication systems was developed by the International Standardization Organization, ISO. The OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) reference model breaks down the necessary functions into a hierarchical layer structure. It is this layer structure which the setting-up of a test scenario in a protocol tester has to follow. In
FIG. 1
the so-called protocol stack created by a user is marked
12
, this figure showing as an example a protocol stack for testing a communication organized according to the ISDN protocol. A bottom-most layer
14
serves to take into account layer
1
, i.e., the bit transfer layer (physical layer) and the transmission medium including the cables, cable ports, etc. used. This is followed by several layers,
16
, depending on which layer level the test is to take place. In the present example a second layer (isdnl
2
=ISDN Layer
2
)
16
a
and a third layer (isdnl
3
)
16
b
are shown. The suffix “−te” at the third layer
16
b
indicates that in the present case the terminal side is to be emulated by the protocol tester (te=terminal), it also being possible for a protocol tester of this kind to be used for emulating the network side, which would then be marked by a suffix “−et.” The third layer
16
b
is followed by the ISDN terminal layer
18
, which provides an adaptation to the third layer
16
b
located below it, and to a user interface (USIM)
20
located above it. Via the user interface
20
test scenarios desired by a user may be entered into the protocol tester, particularly by designing so-called terminals, one of which is in each case assigned to the test communication. For each user interface
20
up to 240 terminals may be programmed. The user interface is assigned a terminal layer
18
.
Although
FIG. 2
already exhibits features of the present invention, the user interface Parameter View
22
shown, particularly its left-hand window
24
, may serve to describe further the setting up of a test with the known protocol tester K1297. As can be seen from said window
24
the protocol tester in the protocol stack to be emulated includes the emulation of layer
14
of layer
16
a
, of layer
16
b
and of the terminal layer
18
. The user interface
20
allows general specification data to be given in a menu item (general)
22
and the traffic taking place on the communication network to be specified in a menu item (traffic profile)
25
. A menu item (users)
26
allows the behavior of the terminals (terminals) involved in the communication to be specified. It is possible to specify that all terminals execute the same test, i.e., have the same test communication sequence, see menu item
28
, and/or individual terminals or groups of terminals may be assigned other communication sequences. For this purpose, menu items U
1
_
10
, U
11
_
30
, U
31
_
60
, U
61
_
100
and U
101
_
240
are given, with U meaning user=terminal and the numbers corresponding to the associated terminals numbered consecutively. In the case shown in
FIG. 2
, terminal
1
(see dark background of menu item
30
) is to be assigned a test communication sequence.
The user may now choose between manual and automatic execution of a test. With reference to
FIG. 2
, in the top right-hand window
32
the manual mode may be selected via menu item
34
. In the manual mode actions may be selected via other menu items, such as menu item
36
(offhook=lift [a receiver]) and menu item
38
(onhook=put down [a receiver]). When the relevant menu item is clicked, the respective action is executed for the specified terminal
30
. Special functions may be entered via a menu item
40
(feature button). Via a menu item
42
the automatic mode may be selected. In the state of the art, with K1297 in its known embodiment, one of two firmly specified test scenarios may be chosen in the automatic mode: in the first scenario a terminal offhooks, makes a call on its own within a specified period of time, waits a specified period of time, and then onhooks. After a specifiable period of time the test starts anew. In the second firmly specified test scenario, a terminal is called, offhooks after a specified period of time, and onhooks after a specifiable time. A time period after which this sequence is repeated may be set.
The disadvantage of this solution is that the two firmly specified test scenarios, which may be selected in the automatic mode, are sufficient for some test cases, but some wishes remain unsatisfied. For supplementary services, for example, such as ‘call waiting’ or ‘brokers call’, there are no sufficient test opportunities. Also, defective calls, when only a part of the number is dialled, cannot be simulated in the automatic mode.
Running such tests in the manual mode would be extremely complex and time-consuming to program, particularly for several terminals in the test communication network, so that there is no realistic way of running the mentioned tests. However, plausible statements concerning the operability of a communication network may only be made if the tests to be executed come close to the conditions encountered in actual practice. It is particularly important to determine the maximum load carrying capacity of a telecommunication network. This is the only way to determine up to which limit the operability of the telecommunications network can be guaranteed.
What is desired is a method for emulating a terminal for testing a communication network which significantly expands the possibilities of the tests to be executed as well as a corresponding test apparatus.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly the present invention provides a method for emulating a terminal for testing a communication network, said terminal being assigned a user interface programmable by the user for executing an automatic communication sequence, a large number of keywords being made available for programming said user interface from which a communication sequence of at least one terminal in the automatic communication sequence may be compiled, each keyword having a program code correlated with it. Also, an entry mask is provided on a display device into which a user may enter a series of at least two keywords to compile the communication sequence of the at
Gray Francis I.
Tektronix International Sales GmbH
Tran Quoc
LandOfFree
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