Remote disconnection and shortcircuiting apparatus

Abstract: Apparatus for remote disconnection and short-circuiting of a pair of conductors (14, 16), such as those comprising a telephone line (18), consists of a switching unit (10) and a probe unit (12). The switching unit (10) is capable of generating a tone and the tone may be sent down the pair of conductors, where the probe unit (12) is used to identify the pair. The probe unit is also able to send bursts of a signal along the pair, upon receipt of which the switching unit switches sequentially from a first mode (when the tone is applied to the conductors) to a second-mode (where the conductors are disconnected) to a third mode (where the conductors are short circuit). The apparatus is useful in line fault location and telephone apparatus installation.

Description: This invention relates to remote disconnection and short-circuiting of a pair of conductors such as those used in telephone or other communications lines. One of the most common types of fault in telephone lines is the appearance of resistive paths between legs of a pair to earth, or from one conductor of a pair to another. The resistance of such faults may vary from zero ohms to a megohm or more. The most common technique for locating such faults is to use a Varley bridge type fault locator which requires a short-circuit strap to be placed to one end of the suspect pair. Usually the following fault location procedure is followed. A telephone technician places an audio-frequency oscillator on the pair at one end and then proceeds to the other end of the line. The technician then identifies the pair using a very high gain receiver which converts a received signal to an audio output. By searching through the cabling at the remote end of the line, the technician is able to locate the correct pair by looking for the conductors carrying the loudest signal and detecting the null, or area of no signal, in the gap midway between the conductors of the pair. This detection confirms and positively identifies the pair. Varley fault location is only able to proceed when the oscillator end of the line is strapped, that is, short-circuited. At present, such an operation requires the technician to travel to the other end of the line, connect a strap to the line, and then travel back to the remote end, where the pair identification has taken place. He then connects the Varley fault locator and proceeds with the location of the fault. Clearly, this manner of pair identification for fault location is inefficient and costly. The same disadvantages exist in present methods for the installation of telephones or other communications equipment. In such a situation, the telephone pair is connected to a functioning telephone exchange, and thus has typically, 50V between the legs or conductors of the pair. The telephone installer connects an oscillator to the pair at the exchange, or at an intermediate point between the exchange and the subscriber's premises, and then proceeds to the cable joint nearest to the premises to locate the particular pair to which the telephone or other apparatus is to be connected. Having located the pair, the installer must connect the telephone and undertake dial and ringback tests. Such tests are only able to be undertaken if the oscillator is firstly removed from the exchange end of - or intermediate point in - the line. This requires the installer to travel to the exchange or intermediate point to disconnect the oscillator from the pair. The installer then returns to the subscriber's premises, connects the telephone or other apparatus and is then able to call the exchange and ask for ringback tests to confirm that the line is operational. As with fault location, the present installation procedure involves the technician in travel which is time-consuming and, as a result, costly. In some circumstances, when a technician at the non-exchange end of a line has access to a telephone operating on another line, or to radio communications equipment, he may be able to instruct a second technician at the exchange to perform certain functions at the exchange end of the line in question. However, such access is not usually available, and the use of a second technician would also be costly. Of course, many unmanned exchanges are now used, and if such an exchange were involved, or an intermediate pillar, such a second technician could in any event not be readily utilized. US-A-4,550,225 to Lynch et al discloses a type of Remote Interrupt Device (RID). An RID is one of a family of devices commonly installed at a telephone subscriber's premises, and is interposed between the telephone line from the exchange to the premises, and the subscriber equipment. The function of the RID is to allow remote testing of the telephone line from the exchange or some intermediate point by enabling disconnection of the subscriber equipment (thus providing an open circuit line) and/or terminating the line with a known impedance or standard test generator. US-A-4,550,225, describes a digital device which can disconnect the subscriber equipment and terminate the line in response to a signal command from a remote point. It can also operate in response to a signal command from an inbuilt timer. EP-A-0091 267 is also an RID device. It includes a transformer, a second winding of which is connected in series across a telephone line. To test the line a tone is applied to the line at the exchange, and that tone is detected by a detection connected across a third winding. In response a control circuit switches to disconnect the subscribers equipment. US-A-3,912,882 to Beerbaum discloses a remote loop-back terminating unit (RID) adapted to be interposed between a central station end of a telephone line and a subscribers equipment. A check tone is applied to the line at the central station, which activates a switch which disconnects the equipment. US-A-3,843,848 to Cox describes another RID, in the form of apparatus for remote testing of a communications line, which includes sensing means responsive to a trigger signal sent from an exchange, which when sensed, activates switching means to disconnect a subscriber's equipment. According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for testing a pair of conductors between first and second spaced apart points, comprising a switching unit and a probe unit arranged to be connected to the conductors at respective ones of said points, the probe unit having signal generation means for generating a switching signal for transmission along the pair of conductors, the switching unit having detection means for detecting the signal and control means operable to open an interrupt switch in one of the conductors in dependence upon the detection of the signal, the apparatus being characterised in that the control means is further operable to close the interrupt switch and open and close a short circuiting switch connected between the conductors also in dependence upon the detected signal, for each switch each of those changes of state being directly dependent upon respective detections of the signal. For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram of a telephone line with the switching unit and the probe unit of one embodiment of the apparatus of this invention in position to be attached thereto; Figure 2 is a block diagram of the switching unit of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a block diagram of a switching unit enhancement; Figure 4 is a block diagram of the probe unit of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a line situation diagram with the switching unit in a first mode; Figure 6 is a line situation diagram with the switching unit in a second mode; and Figure 7 is a line situation diagram with the switching unit in a third mode. The apparatus for short-circuiting and disconnecting a line 18 includes a switching unit 10 and a probe unit 12. In use, as is discussed in detail hereinafter, the switching unit 10 is connected to one end of a pair 14,16 of conductors constituting, for example, a telephone line 18, and the probe unit 12 is used at the other end thereof. In this embodiment, units 10 and 12 are hand-held and battery-operated. Firstly, with particular reference to Fig. 2, we describe switching unit 10. The switching unit 10 includes an audio-frequency oscillator 20 which is capable of producing a tone such as a warble tone, preferably in the range 1.5 kHz to 3.0 kHz. The oscillator 20 may be shunted by resistor R2, which preferably has a value of one kilohm. Contacts 22,24 are available for connection to pairs 14,16 of a telephone line 18. The switching unit 10 also includes a preamplifier 26, a narrow band filter 28, preferably operating at about 175 Hz, a diode pump rectifier 30, a Schmitt trigger 32, flip-flops 34 and bistable relays A and B (with relay contacts A1 and B1 respectively). Other elements are a power source V - as mentioned earlier, this is preferably provided by batteries - a reset switch 36, an on/off switch 38, a sensitive current transformer T1, capacitors C1 (preferably 0.0033 microfarad) and C2 and resistor R1, which is preferably a one megohm resistor. The operation of switching unit 10 will now be described. When unit 10 is switched on at 38, the oscillator 20 comes up in warble tone mode using the switch-on reset 36 to trigger the flip-flops 34 so that relay A is closed and relay B is open. It can be seen that the warble tone of oscillator 20 is provided to line 18 through contacts 22,24. The first mode is shown in Fig. 5. The output across pair 14,16 is in the vicinity of 0.7V. When a signal - preferably a 175 Hz signal - appears on line 18 [as a result of probe unit 12 being activated (to be described hereinafter)] the signal is sampled, and that sample is supplied to narrow-band filter 28 via C1 and R1. The diode pump rectifier 30 raises the voltage on C2 to operate Schmitt trigger 32, which in turn operates the flip-flops 34 and bistable relays A and B. Thus the mode of switching unit 10 changes to a second 'disconnect' mode (Fig. 2) in which case relay A opens and relay B remains open. To all intents and purposes, the telephone line 18, looking 'into' the unit 10, is an open circuit with C1 and R1 appearing as shunts. The value of C1 is, as stated, preferably small, and from a telephone apparatus viewpoint, simply appears as cable mutual capacitance. The value of R1 is chosen high, as stated, preferably 1 megohm, to further make the condition of line 18 look like an open circuit. On receipt of a second signal on line 18, again from probe unit 12 and again is sampled, the sample being supplied to filter 28 via C1 and R1, thence to the diode pump rectifier 30, Schmitt trigger 32 and to flip-flops 34. Relay B closes, and relay A remains open. In this mode, line 18, 'looking into' switching unit 10, sees a DC short circuit. In this mode (Figure 7) line 18 is in a condition where it may be used for Varley fault location or DC resistance checks. On receipt of a further signal, again from probe component 12 and again preferably about 175 Hz, a different manner of signal detection is employed by switching unit 10. Current generated by the signal flows through relay contact B1 and current transformer T1. Transformer T1 takes a sample of the 175 Hz signal, which sample is then preamplified by pre-amplifier 26 before being applied to narrow-band filter 28, the Schmitt trigger 32 and the flip-flop array 34. Relay B opens and A closes so that the switching unit 10 returns to the first mode (Figure 5). The transformer T1 may be replaced by a series resistor, typically having a value of 50 milliohm, although the switching unit 10 does not then operate as accurately in the Varley fault location mode. It can be seen that by sending repetitive bursts of signal from probe unit 12, the switching unit 10 can switch from one mode to another mode, for example sequentially from first mode to second mode to third mode and back to first mode as required. Figure 3 shows an enhanced version 40 of switching unit 10. In Figure 3, a third conductor 42 is added to provide a third contact 44, with an additional relay contact B2, to the pair (14,16) under test. This third conductor 42 is commonly used in Varley fault location procedure, and, if available, its use provides for greater fault location accuracy. Figure 4 shows probe unit 12. The probe unit 12 includes a sensitive high-gain receiver 46, which is used to detect the preferred 1.5 kHz - 2.5 kHz warble tone applied to a line 18 by switching unit 10. Receiver 46 consists of a high-gain high input impedance preamplifier 48, preferably an audio preamplifier, and a power amplifier 50 which drives an acoustic or other signal device such as a loudspeaker 52 or piezoelectric device. The use of piezoelectric transducer has the benefit of reducing current drain from the battery. Typically, the drain is 5mA with such a transducer, compared to around 40mA with another component. Preferably, the output of the high impedance amplifier 48 is fed via an ideal rectifier, acting as a frequency doubler, to the piezoelectric transducer, the purpose of the frequency doubler being to match the frequency of the identification tone more closely to the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transducer to obtain the maximum effective audio signal output. More preferably, the output of the frequency doubler is fed via two amplifiers out of phase to the two sides of the piezoelectric transducer, so that the effective output signal from the transducer is effectively doubled. Coupling of the receiver 46 to line 18 is capacitive via an insulated metal probe 54. By introducing the probe 54 near the cable including the line pair carrying the warble tone a signal is received and that reception is signalled to the technician by device 52. As the probe 54 is moved closer to the pair 14,16 without direct electrical connection the volume of the signal increases, thus allowing identification of the pair. The probe unit 12 is capable of being used to detect the null referred to in the introduction to this specification, by moving the probe 54 to find the desired position. The probe unit 12 also includes an oscillator 56, preferably a 175 Hz oscillator. The oscillator 56 functions when push-button switch 62 is operated, and the output of oscillator 56 is applied to a pair 14,16 by contacts 58,60. The units 10,12 of the present embodiment are used by a fault-locating technician as follows. Before leaving the exchange or an intermediate junction, the technician couples a switching unit 10 to a desired pair 14,16 via contacts 22,24. The switching unit 10 is switched on, and automatically resets via the 'power on' reset switch 36 to the first mode (Figure 5). The technician then travels to a remote end of the line 18 formed of pair 14,16, taking with him a probe unit 12. When he arrives at the remote end of the line 18, he identifies the pair 14, 16 using the probe 54 and the technique described hereinbefore. Having located the pair, or if the pair is known, the technician connects contacts 58,60 to conductors 14,16. By depressing push-button switch 62 he generates a signal which travels down the line to switching unit 10. The switching unit 10 then switches to the second mode. A further signal burst then switches the switching unit 10 to the third mode, in which state the technician is able to conduct Varley fault location. If the technician were installing a telephone set or other such equipment, he would leave the switching unit 10 in the second mode. When the technician has finished his task at the remote end of the line, he disconnects probe unit 12 and departs. Back at the exchange or at the intermediate junction, the technician removes the switching unit 10 from the line 18. It can be seen that the use of the described embodiment of the invention permits a technician to detect faults or otherwise test telephone lines, without having to undertake unnecessary travel. Accordingly, use of the invention will result in the saving of time, with a resultant saving in cost. It should be noted that the preferred signalling frequency for the probe until 12 of around 175 kHz has been selected for Australian use for the following reasons: a) It is not a harmonic of the commonly used power frequency 50 Hz and hence there is less likelihood of switching unit 10 tripping on the receipt of spurious signals from mains-borne interference sources; b) The signal, having a frequency beneath the nominal telephone bandwidth of 300 Hz to 3500 Hz, would be substantially inaudible to a subscriber; c) Some telephone lines use loading coils or other line equalization devices which are in nature generally low pass filters. The 175 Hz signal is therefore not attenuated by such filters. It should be noted that in other countries, that other signalling frequencies may be used. 150 Hz could be used in the United States of America. It should also be understood that telephone lines on which the present invention is intended to be used are subject to transient voltages of quite a high order, and consequently protection diodes and transient suppression devices in the form of metal oxide varistors are used where possible to minimize the damaging effects of such transients.

Claims: Apparatus for testing a pair of conductors (14, 16) between first and second spaced apart points, comprising a switching unit (10) and a probe unit (12) arranged to be connected to the conductors at respective ones of said points, the probe unit (12) having signal generation means (56) for generating a switching signal for transmission along the pair of conductors (14, 16), the switching unit (10) having detection means for detecting the switching signal and control means operable to open an interrupt switch (A1) in one of the conductors in dependence upon the detection of the switching signal, the apparatus being characterised in that the control means is further operable to close the interrupt switch and open or close a short circuiting switch (B1) connected between the conductors also in dependence upon the detected switching signal, for each switch each of those changes of state being directly dependent upon respective detections of the switching signal. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit is able to adopt a predetermined number of modes which are determined by distinct receipts of said switching signal and which modes include a first mode in which the interrupt switch (A1) is closed and the short circuit switch (B1) is open, a second mode in which the short circuit switch (B1) is open and the interrupt switch (A1) is open and a third mode in which the short circuit switch (B1) is closed. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein, in the third mode, the interrupt switch (A1) is open. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the switching unit (10) is arranged to switch between the modes sequentially from first to second, from second to third and from third to first upon detection of successive ones of the switching signal. Apparatus according to claim 2, 3 or 4, including test means (54) arranged to be connected to the conductors in the region of the probe unit (12) for conducting a test on the conductors. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the test means (54) is operable to conduct a test whilst the switching unit is configured in the third mode. An apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein in the first mode a second signal can be applied to the conductors (14, 16) in the region of the switching unit (12) for transmission along the conductors towards the probe unit (12). Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the switching unit (10) is arranged automatically to re-set to the first mode when it is turned on. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the switching unit (10) includes an oscillator (20) for applying a second signal to the conductors, the probe unit (12) having a receiver (46) to receive the second signal and to produce in response a technician-observable signal for use in conductor pair identification. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, when the switching unit (10) is turned on, the switching unit is arranged automatically to re-set to a condition in which the oscillator (20) is operative to generate the second signal. Apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the means for producing said technician-observable signal is a loudspeaker (52). Apparatus according to claims 9 or 10, wherein the means for producing said technician-observable signal is a piezoelectric transducer whereby power consumption is reduced. Apparatus according to claim 12, the receiver (46) comprising at its input a high impedance amplifier (48) having its output connected via a rectifier to the piezoelectric transducer, wherein the rectifier is arranged to double the frequency of a received signal corresponding to the second signal to more closely match the transducer input frequency to the resonant frequency of the transducer to gain maximum audio signal output. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the output of the rectifier is connected via two out-of-phase amplifiers to two opposed sides of the piezoelectric transducer so that the output signal from the transducer is doubled. Apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 14, wherein the second signal is a warble tone having a carrier frequency in the range 1.5 kHz to 3 kHz and a warble frequency of between 3 Hz and 10 Hz. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the switching signal generated by the probe unit is generated by a second oscillator (56). Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the frequency of the switching signal is approximately 175 Hz. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the frequency of the switching signal is approximately 150 Hz. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each of the switching unit (10) and the probe unit (12) is hand-held and battery powered. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims which in use is connected to a pair of conductors (14, 16) which constitute a communications line (18). Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the communications line (18) is a telephone line. Apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the probe unit (12) is connected to the telephone line at a point closer to the subscriber end of the telephone line than the point of connection of the switching unit (10). Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the probe unit (12) is connected to the subscriber end of the telephone line and the switching unit (10) is connected to the telephone exchange end of the line. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the detection means comprises a receiver tuned to the frequency of the switching signal, the receiver including means for detecting the voltage between the pair of conductors and/or the current flowing through the short circuit, the detection means further comprising rectification and filtering means connected to an output of the receiver and means for converting the resulting signal into pulses which cause a stepping relay, or digital logic circuits, to operate the switches. Apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the tuned receiver comprises a Riordan type gyrator, the rectifying and filtering means comprise a diode pump (30), the means for converting comprise a Schmitt trigger (32) and the logic circuits comprise a counter comprised of one or more flip flop digital logic circuits (34) the counter having its clock input connected to an output of the Schmitt trigger. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the switches are bistable relays (A,B). Apparatus according to claim 26 when appended to claim 25, wherein the output of the flip flop digital logic circuits (34) is connected via pulse generator circuits, each of which consists of a capacitor, resistor and a transistor, to the coils of bistable relays (A, B) so that the coils can be energized for long enough to actuate the relays, in order to reduce battery current drain. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, the detection means comprising a current transformer (T1) connected between the conductors and in series with the short circuiting switch (B1) and a preamplifier connected to the current transformer to detect current flowing through the short circuiting switch. Apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the current transformer (T1) is replaced by a resistor. Apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the value of said resistor is in the vicinity of 50 milliohm.

Inventors: LA SALLE ROGER JOHN, RIORDAN ROGER HAMLINE STAFFORD, LA SALLE, ROGER JOHN, RIORDAN, ROGER HAMLINE STAFFORD
Applicants: TELETECH PTY LTD
Application year: 1988
Main classification: H04M3
IPC codes: H04M3, H04B3, G01R31