Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/377,003 entitled “Systems and Methods for Facilitating Placement of Telecommunications Test Calls” filed Feb. 28, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     The present invention is directed generally and in various embodiments to systems and methods for facilitating placement of telecommunications test calls.  
         [0003]     When telecommunications products or services are added or changed for a customer of a telecommunications service provider, changes must be programmed into the relevant telecommunications switch that serves the customer. Following such programming changes, verification must be made as to whether the change was properly made and whether the change is disruptive to the telecommunications network. Accordingly, extensive mechanized testing is often undertaken in which various test calls are placed to test the change. Because mechanized testing is may be expensive and time-consuming, a technician may place a manual test call prior to the invocation of mechanized testing. If the test call is unsuccessful, the problem may be remedied before mechanized testing is invoked.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method for placing a test call in a telecommunications network. The method includes retrieving an indication of a translation change for a telecommunications switch from storage and placing a test call to test whether the translation change was successful.  
         [0005]     In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a system. The system includes a database having stored therein information relating to translation changes in a telecommunications network and a computer in communication with the database and a telecommunications switch located in the telecommunications network, wherein the computer is configured to retrieve an indication of a translation change for the telecommunications switch from the database and to place a test call to test whether the translation change was successful.  
         [0006]     In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to retrieve an indication of a translation change for a telecommunications switch from storage and place a test call to test whether the translation change was successful. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     Further advantages of the present invention may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a test call system according to one embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a process flow through the test call system of  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0010]     It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention, while eliminating, for purposes of clarity, other elements. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, however, that these and other elements may be desirable. However, because such elements are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, a discussion of such elements is not provided herein.  
         [0011]     As used herein, the terms “translations”, “translations updates”, or “translations changes” means the addition of, for example, a service, feature, or the like to a telecommunications switch by, for example, programming the service, feature, or the like into the switch.  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a test call system  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention. The system  10  may be used with any telecommunications network, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN)  12  or an advanced intelligent network (AIN) (not shown), in which translations to telecommunications switches must be changed.  
         [0013]     A terminal  14  is in communication with a translations activity database  16 . The terminal  14  may be, for example, a personal computer or any other type of computing device that is capable of performing computational and communication activities. The terminal  14  may include, for example, a modem (not shown) that can be used to communicate (i.e. place calls) with a telecommunications switch  18 . The translations activity database  16  stores recent switch translations changes or updates relating to the switch  18 . The database  16  may be any type of storage that is suitable for storing such data and may be configured as a part of the terminal  14  (e.g. an internal disk drive) or may be located separately from the terminal  14 .  
         [0014]     In operation and in general terms according to one embodiment of the present invention, the terminal  14  may place a call (e.g. a test call) following a translation change, using, for example, a modem. The translation change may have been made using, for example, the Lucent Mechanized Translations System (MTS). The terminal may log the results of the call so that a user may determine whether the call was successful. Such a procedure may be performed, for example, prior to testing using, for example, a mechanized AMA testing and validation (MATV) service.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a process flow through the test call system  10  of  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment of the present invention. At step  30 , a translation change or changes is made using, for example, an MTS system. At step  32 , the change or changes is sent to the switch  18 . At step  34 , the terminal  14  logs the translation change or changes into the database  16 . At step  36 , the terminal retrieves a translation change from the database  16 . The retrieval may be at a periodic time such as, for example, at the beginning or end of a day when all translation changes for a prior period (e.g. the prior day) are retrieved.  
         [0016]     At step  38 , the terminal  14  places a test call, via the switch  18  by, for example, dialing a telephone number using, for example, a modem in the terminal  14 . The test call may be used, for example, to determine if the translation change caused a problem. The test call may also be used prior to testing because mechanized testing, such as MATV testing, may be relatively expensive. At step  39 , the results of the test call are logged in, for example, the database  16  or other suitable storage device in communication with or located within the terminal  14 .  
         [0017]     At step  40 , the terminal  14  determines whether the call was successful. The determination at step  40  could be made by, for example, determining whether answer supervision was returned following placement of the call. If the call was successful, at step  42  mechanized testing, such as MATV testing, may be performed. The terminal  14  may create a request for MATV testing and MATV may then make a test call for every class of service in an office to ensure proper billing for the new translation. If the call was unsuccessful, at step  44  the reason for the call being unsuccessful is logged in, for example, the database  16  or other suitable storage device in communication with or located within the terminal  14  and a technician is alerted via, for example, the production of a work order or ticket, an electronic mail message, a wireless paging message, or an automated telephone call. The technician may then remedy the problem by, for example, undoing the translation change.  
         [0018]     In one embodiment of the present invention, the methods and modules described herein are embodied in, for example, computer software code that is coded in any suitable programming language such as, for example, visual basic, C, C++, or microcode. Such computer software code may be embodied in a computer readable medium or media such as, for example, a magnetic storage medium such as a floppy disk or an optical storage medium such as a CD-ROM.  
         [0019]     While several embodiments of the invention have been described, it should be apparent, however, that various modifications, alterations and adaptations to those embodiments may occur to persons skilled in the art with the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the present invention. It is therefore intended to cover all such modifications, alterations and adaptations without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Technology Category: h