Patent ID: 7099439

Claim:
Telephone line diagnostic equipment for use with a loop test server, the equipment comprising: a frequency shift key (FSK) data detector configured for connection to a telephone line, wherein the data detector is configured to detect data encoded in accordance with the GR-30 standard provided on the telephone line and to provide signals representing the detected data at an output; a telephone line terminator configured for connection to the telephone line, wherein the telephone line terminator terminates the telephone line in response to a termination signal received at an input, thereby causing an off-hook condition, and wherein the telephone line terminator is configured to reflect test signals sent by the loop test server over the telephone line back over the telephone line during the off-hook condition; and a processor connected to the output of the data detector and the input of the telephone line terminator, wherein the processor monitors the signals provided at the output of the data detector for a Loop Test Message from the loop test server and provides a termination signal to the input of the telephone line terminator in response to the receipt of the Loop Test Message, wherein the Loop Test Message includes data other than caller-identification data of the loop test server.