JPH10285252A - Method for testing and measuring communication equipment and its device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable executing testing and measuring as against the various kinds of combinations of the communication equipment type of a customer, models and contract service additional functions, by fetching a testing scenerio from the database of a management center to a testing scenario storing part. SOLUTION: A testing and measuring device 20 is provided with a testing scenario storing part 22, the respective kinds of testing scenarios are stored in it in accordance with respective scenario identifiers but the testing scenario corresponding to the whole machine kinds, models, contract additional functions and fault conditions is not stored. Then, the device 20 is connected to the management center 10 with a network 40. The management center 10 is provided with a testing database 16 and the testing scenarios are stored in accordance with the respective scenario identifiers. Therefore, the required testing scenario is fetched from the testing scenario database 16 of the management center 10 to the storing part 22 based on the execution result of a basic testing scenario in the testing scenario storing part 22 so as to be executed and, thus, correspondence is attained to various kinds of testing and measuring.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus, a telephone, a digital service unit (DS), and the like.
U), a method for testing and measuring analog or digital communication-related devices and systems such as a terminal adapter (TA), and a measuring apparatus using the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, an administrator of a network system is required to check a failure point of a customer's communication device.
Go to the customer location to do various tests and measurements,
It is necessary to sequentially determine the physical position and the functional position of the communication device. The procedure of the discrimination test measurement differs depending on the type and model of the communication device, the type of service provided by a contract with the system operator, and the state of the failure. Therefore, when a maintenance person goes to the site with a test / measurement device in response to a failure occurrence report and performs test measurement, the maintenance person must perform a judgment test / measurement according to a predetermined procedure. If the procedure is complicated, maintenance personnel cannot perform appropriate judgment tests and measurements. Moreover, it is expected that the operation center that manages the system will send the maintenance staff to the site as soon as possible in response to the customer's request and report the test / measurement and repair results.

[0003] From such a point, by establishing a predetermined outline and a method for performing the test and measurement as a computer program and data using the computer, and executing the program by a microprocessor, a judgment test is performed. It has been proposed by Kubota et al. To automatically perform measurement and report the measurement progress and the measurement result to an operation center through a network (1996 IEICE Communication Society Conference). According to this, as shown in FIG. 1, the operation center 10 is provided with a center computer 10A and a database 10B, and the center computer 10A
, A work status display function 12, and an estimated failure recovery time estimation function 13, and operation history information 14 and customer information 15 are accumulated in the database 10B. The customer information includes, for example, additional function service information received by the customer according to the contract, such as, for example, automatic transfer, display of a partner number, and the like.

A maintenance person carries a computer 20 having a mobile communication function 21, an operation scenario generation / display function 22, an operation content / result automatic transfer function 23, and a test function 24. The operation scenario generation display function 22 stores a scenario for executing a test procedure for various communication devices selected in advance that are presumed to be used by the customer, and displays the scenario selected by the maintenance staff. The test function 24 has a signal generation function for performing various tests and a signal measurement function.

[0005] The maintenance staff operates the operation center 1 using the mobile communication function 21 at the customer's communication equipment installation site.
0, and obtains customer contract information and operation history information of the used communication equipment, selects an appropriate test scenario by an operation scenario generation function based on the information, and performs a test in accordance with the scenario. The signal is applied and measured by operating the function, and the test result is sent to the operation center 10 by the operation content / result automatic transfer function. The operation center records the received test result in the database as operation history information of the corresponding communication device, and notifies the location of the next customer who has issued a failure report closest to the current location.

[0006] In this proposed system, if test scenarios corresponding to all combinations of communication device types, communication device models, and contracted service additional functions are not prepared, on-site testing is required. May not be possible. However, in order to keep the test scenario in the portable computer for all combinations of the type, model, and additional function of the communication device,
When the memory device of a portable computer becomes large and a new model or a new model or a new additional function is created, all corresponding test scenarios must be immediately added to all maintenance personnel's portable computers. There is inconvenience.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As shown in FIG.
By automating the test and measurement, the work of the maintenance staff can be simplified, and the appropriate test and measurement can be performed without being affected by the ability of the maintenance staff. However, at present, various devices are being improved and functions are being added year by year. Even if such an automated test and measurement device is brought to the site, the program built in the device will not work. In some cases, sufficient testing and measurement cannot be performed. For example, if a test / measurement program for a telephone is built in a computer, the device under test 30
If the phone is an X combined phone and its FAX function unit has a failure, the test and measurement cannot be performed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a test / measurement method and a test / measurement apparatus using the method, which can test / measure various types of customer communication equipment types, models, and contract service additional functions. It is to provide.

[0009]

A test / measurement apparatus according to the present invention for testing / measuring a communication terminal is connected to a communication terminal under test of a customer, and performs a test / measurement for performing a test / measurement on the communication terminal. Unit, a test scenario storage unit in which test scenarios are stored in correspondence with identifiers representing them, and a test / measurement execution unit for decoding and executing the test scenario and causing the test / measurement unit to perform test / measurement And scenario analysis means for determining an identifier of a test scenario to be executed based on customer information, and loading the test scenario corresponding to the determined identifier from a database into the test scenario storage unit via a network.

A method for testing and measuring a communication terminal of a customer according to the present invention includes the following steps, wherein a management center connected to a network is provided with a database storing customer information and test scenario information: (a) (B) determine an identifier of a test scenario to be executed based on the customer information and the detected abnormality, and execute the basic test scenario based on the customer information to detect an abnormality of the communication terminal. A corresponding test scenario is fetched from the test scenario information database of the management center based on the obtained test scenario identifier, and (d) the communication terminal is tested and measured in accordance with the fetched test scenario.

[0011]

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a test / measurement apparatus 20 according to the present invention. The apparatus 20 according to the present invention includes a test / measurement unit 24 composed of various hardware,
The test / measurement unit 24 is connected to a communication device under test (also referred to as a communication terminal under test) 30 via a physical interface unit 24A. The test / measurement unit 24 executes an appropriate test / measurement according to the sequence control of the test scenario selected by the scenario analysis / execution unit 25. Also, this device 20
Has a test scenario storage unit 22 in which various test scenarios are stored in association with scenario identifiers. However, it is not necessary to previously store test scenarios corresponding to all models, models, additional contract functions, and failure symptoms. The test / measurement device 20 further includes a transmission / reception unit 21 for connecting to the management center 10 via the network 40, a data input interface 26 for an operator to input data, a display unit 28, and a data input interface 26. And a user interface unit 27 for controlling data input from the PC and output of data to the display unit 28. The transmitting / receiving unit 21 has a mobile communication function such as a mobile phone.

The management center 10 has a customer information database 15 and a test scenario database 16. The customer information database 15 stores information such as the customer's name (or telephone number), the type of communication equipment used by the customer, the contracted additional service function, and the like. The test scenario database 16 stores test scenarios corresponding to the scenario identifiers.

The test scenario is a program constructed to execute the test / measurement in accordance with the type (item) of the test / measurement, based on the outline of the test / measurement and the execution method. For example, as shown in FIG. , A sequence SEQ for executing a test / measurement, a scenario identifier ID (name, number, symbol), creation date DATE, size SZ, checksum C
HKSM, update check presence / absence UPD at the time of execution, and the like. As the scenario identifier ID, an external location where the test scenario is stored, that is, a location of the management center may be displayed by a first digit or a plurality of digits or a symbol of the identifier. Further, a procedure for transferring the test scenario may be provided in the header of the test scenario.

Here, whether or not there is an update check at the time of execution UPD
Is a type of test scenario in which the test scenario can always be updated when the check is made. For example, additional service functions (three-party call, voice mail service, telephone number display, calling Transfer, etc.) can function properly. When there is no check, the test scenario is a type of test scenario that will not be updated in the future, for example, to test whether the communication standard and the electrical standard are satisfied. If a test scenario (hereinafter referred to as an internal test scenario) retrieved from the test scenario storage unit 22 of the test / measurement apparatus 20 has an update check, the test scenario database 16 in the management center 10
Search for the test scenario with the same identifier (hereinafter referred to as the external test scenario), compare the creation dates of both test scenarios with the same identifier, and if the external test scenario is newer than the internal test scenario, The test scenario with the identifier is fetched from the database 16, the corresponding test scenario in the test scenario storage unit 22 is updated with the test scenario, and the updated test scenario is executed. The size and the checksum are for checking whether or not the test scenario is correct. In a state where the transmission / reception unit 21 is not connected to the network 40, the search procedure for the test scenario database 16 of the management center 10 is not performed from the beginning, so that the processing time can be reduced.

The scenario analysis / execution unit 25 is composed of, for example, a microprocessor, and includes a data input interface unit 26 such as a keyboard, and a user interface unit 2.
Customer name (or phone number) entered via 7
Is obtained from the customer information database 16 of the management center 10 via the transmission / reception unit 21,
Further, a basic test scenario (referred to as a default test scenario) based on the customer information, that is, the type of the terminal communication device used by the customer, the contract additional service function, and the like.
Is read from the test scenario storage unit 22, and a basic test of the communication terminal under test 30 is executed. As the default test, for example, when the communication terminal under test is a FAX device, a transmission test, a reception test, an image signal transmission / reception test, and the like are performed. By this basic test, the presence or absence of abnormality of the communication terminal under test is detected,
If there is an abnormality, the symptom is detected, the test scenario to be executed is determined from the presence or absence of the abnormality, the abnormality symptom and the customer information, and the identifier of the test scenario is obtained. Next, the test scenario corresponding to the scenario identifier is fetched from the test scenario database 16 of the management center 10 into the test scenario storage unit 22 via the test scenario transmission / reception unit 21 as described above, or the test scenario stored in the test scenario storage unit 22 is read. The test scenario is decoded and executed, and the test / measurement unit 24 executes the test / measurement on the communication terminal under test 30 connected to the line 31 while displaying necessary operations on the display unit 28 for the maintenance staff. The test / measurement results are displayed on the display unit 28 via the user interface unit 27.

FIG. 4 shows a digital line ISDN as the communication terminal under test 30 connected to the communication line 31.
4 shows an example of a test procedure when a FAX device or a telephone connected via an SU is tested in accordance with a sequence SEQ of a selected test scenario shown in FIG. 3. However, the DSU for connecting the communication terminal 30 to the ISDN is the test equipment 2
It is assumed that a normally operating DSU built in the test / measurement unit 24 is used.

In step S1, it is checked whether or not the output of the DSU connected to the line is normal. If the output is abnormal, it is determined that an error has occurred in the exchange, and the fact is displayed on the display unit 28. Therefore, in this case, the following test of the communication terminal 30 is stopped. When the output of the DSU is displayed as normal on the display unit 28, an instruction to check the wiring from the DSU to the installed communication terminal 30 is displayed on the display unit 28 in step S2. The maintenance person checks the wiring, and if an abnormality (wiring failure) is found, repairs the wiring in step S3 and proceeds to the next step S4. In step S4, an outgoing / incoming call test is performed. In this test, it is tested whether transmission and reception according to a predetermined protocol are normally performed by the type of the communication terminal under test 30, for example, telephone or FAX. The operator performs the test and
A transmission signal is sent to the communication terminal under test 30 by the measuring unit 24, or the test / measurement unit 24 is transmitted from the communication terminal 30 to be tested.
To determine whether or not it is normal. If abnormal, it is determined that the setting of the communication terminal under test 30 is defective, and the display is made in step S5. In step S5, the operator resets the communication terminal under test 30. Next, in step S6, an instruction for connecting the communication terminal under test to the line and performing a continuity test is displayed. When the line 31 is ISDN, a bit error rate (BER) is measured as a continuity test,
If the BER is equal to or less than the specified value, it is determined that the BER is normal. As a result of the continuity test, if it is abnormal, it is determined that the line is abnormal. In step S7, the operator repairs the line and ends the test and measurement.

A plurality of management centers 10 having a customer information database 15 and a test scenario database 16 may be provided on the network 40. In that case, all test scenarios may be provided in each management center 10, or test scenarios may be distributed and stored in each management center 10. This external scenario database 1
From 6, necessary test scenarios can be taken into the test scenario storage unit 22 in the test / measurement device 20 via the network.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Customer name (telephone number) operated by an operator (maintenance engineer) from the data input interface unit 26
Is input (step S1), the scenario analysis / execution unit 25 accesses the customer information database 15 of the management center 10 from the transmission / reception unit 21 via the network 40 in step S2, and the communication terminal used by the customer The customer information such as the type of the service and the additional function of the contract service is read out and taken in. Next, the scenario analysis / execution unit 25 reads the corresponding basic test scenario from the test scenario storage unit 22 based on the type of the communication terminal and the customer information acquired in step S3, and executes the test / measurement unit 24 according to the scenario. Performs a basic test of the communication terminal under test 30. Thereby, a failure state of the communication terminal 30, that is, an abnormal symptom is detected. In addition, scenario analysis
In step S4, the execution unit 25 determines an optimal test scenario for the communication terminal under test 30 from the abnormal state, the type of the communication communication terminal 30, and customer information, and obtains an identifier of the test scenario. The scenario analysis / execution unit 25 further searches whether the test scenario with the scenario identifier is stored in the test scenario storage unit 22 (Step S).
5) If the test scenario does not exist, an external test scenario database 16 is
Then, the test scenario is searched from (step S6), and if found, it is determined in step S7 whether there is an update check of the test scenario. If there is a check, it is determined in step S9 whether the creation date of the external test scenario is newer than the creation date of the internal test scenario. In this case, since it is determined in step S5 that there is no internal test scenario, the external test scenario is the latest one, and the process proceeds to step S8 to load the external test scenario into the storage unit 22.

On the other hand, if the target test scenario exists in the internal storage unit 22 in step S5, it is determined whether or not the test scenario has an update check (step S10). The external database 16 is searched by the identifier to search for the corresponding test scenario. If found, the presence or absence of an update check is determined in step S7, and if so, the creation date and time of the test scenario is changed to the creation date and time of the internal test scenario in step S9. It is checked whether it is newer or not. If it is newer, the process proceeds to step S8, where the externally retrieved test scenario is fetched and stored in the storage unit 22.
And the corresponding test scenario stored so far is updated.

In step S10, when there is no update check, in step S9, when the external test scenario is not new (that is, when it is the same), and in step S8, the external test scenario is fetched. The test / measurement items, that is, the test scenarios in the internal storage unit 22 corresponding to the inputted scenario identifiers are stored in step S1.
1 (preparation execution), and verify in step S12 whether the test scenario is physically executable. If it can be executed, the setting of each unit of the test / measurement unit 24 is performed, and the execution of the test scenario is continued (actual execution). For example, the separation test / measurement is sequentially performed on the communication terminal under test 30, and as a result, Is displayed on the display unit 28 (step S13).

At the end of the execution of the test scenario, it is described whether or not it is necessary to execute another test scenario, and if necessary, the scenario identifier is described. Is determined to be necessary, and if necessary, the process returns to step S5 to search for a test scenario with a scenario identifier. In step S14,
If it is not necessary to execute another test scenario, it is checked whether the execution of the test scenario has been completed normally (step S1).
5) If the process is normally completed, the final result is displayed on the display unit 28 in step S16, and the process returns to step S1 to wait for a new input. If the process has not been completed normally in step S15, the fact that the process is abnormal is reported to the display unit 28 in step S17, and the process returns to step S1. If it is determined in step S12 that the execution is physically impossible, the process proceeds to step S18 to execute a control program when an abnormality occurs, and in step S18, the display unit 28 displays that the hardware equipment is abnormal. . The fact that this is the actual execution in step 13 is displayed on the display unit 28.

If the target test scenario does not exist outside in step S6, the fact that the test scenario is abnormal is displayed in step S18, and a request for creating a new test scenario corresponding to this is displayed on the display unit 28. And return to step S1. If it is determined in step S12 that the execution is physically impossible, the process proceeds to step S18 to execute the control program at the time of occurrence of the abnormality, and in step 19, the fact that there is an abnormality in the hardware equipment is displayed on the display unit 28. . Step S
If the test cannot be continued in the middle of the actual execution in step 13, the process proceeds to the execution of the control program when an abnormality occurs (step S18) as indicated by the broken line, and the abnormality occurrence state is displayed on the display unit 28 and , Discard the test scenario.

In the above, instead of or in combination with an operator input section such as a keyboard as the data input interface section 26, for example, a test / measurement item or a scenario identifier is transmitted from the management center through a network to the apparatus 20. May be input. Further, instead of or in combination with the display unit 28, a report of a test result or a request for creating a new test scenario may be made to a management center or the like via a network. In this case, an instruction can be given from the management center to receive the result report and execute another test scenario corresponding to the result report. In this case, an instruction from the management center may be issued through the transmission / reception unit 21.

In the above description, the presence or absence of the update check may be omitted. In other words, if there is a corresponding scenario in the internal storage unit 22, it is always executed, and only when there is no corresponding test scenario in the storage unit 22, the relevant test scenario is fetched from the outside. Only one test scenario may be stored in the internal storage unit 22, and the capacity of the storage unit 22 may be reduced.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, if there is no relevant test scenario in the test scenario storage unit 22, the relevant test scenario is fetched from the database of the management center 10. When the present invention is applied to a protocol analyzer or a protocol simulator that performs a conformance test on a communication protocol (communication procedure), the following effects can be obtained.

(A) If a standardized protocol itself is changed or expanded, a new test scenario corresponding to the standardized protocol itself is created and stored in the test scenario database 16 of the management center 10. When testing and measuring communication terminals of the extended protocol and the lines connected to them, new test scenarios can be taken in from the outside to deal with them. It can be executed by a test scenario stored in the test scenario storage unit 22 in the measurement device 20 (a new test scenario is distinguished by an identifier). In other words, conventionally, it is necessary to prepare a new test / measurement device corresponding to the protocol after the change / extension, and when testing communication terminals of both the new and old format protocols and the lines connected to them, It was necessary to prepare a test and measurement device, and both of them had to be brought to the site. However, the apparatus according to the present invention can cope with this by taking in a test scenario via a network. In addition, when all communication terminals have the new protocol, the new test scenario and the old test scenario can be distinguished from each other by an identifier and used, or the maintenance check can be performed or not. The test / measurement device 20 automatically changes and becomes compatible with the extended protocol, and there is no need to collect or improve the test / measurement device compatible with the old protocol.

(B) When a physical function is added, such as when the communication terminal under test 30 is a telephone and becomes a facsimile telephone, an apparatus for testing whether or not it conforms to the telephone protocol is used. Unable to test for compliance with FAX protocol. According to the present invention, a test for conformity to the FAX protocol can be performed by loading a test scenario for testing whether the protocol conforms to the FAX protocol from the outside into the device 20. There is no need to prepare a telephone test / measurement device and a FAX test / measurement device. The hardware provided in the test / measurement unit 24 is also provided in the test / measurement unit 24 by changing the function of the communication terminal under test 30 by using a programmable device such as a programmable logic device. Existing hardware changes can be accommodated by the new test scenarios.

(C) In a use situation where immediate response is required, such as at a maintenance site, the present invention is applied to a test / measurement device used by maintenance personnel, and only a basic test scenario to be executed first is standardized. If the necessary test scenario is determined based on the execution result of the basic test scenario, obtained from the test scenario database 16 of the management center 10 and executed, the test is performed. The data amount of the test scenario held in the measuring device 20 can be minimized, and it is possible to cope with a variety of situation changes at the site.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional test / measurement device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the test / measurement device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a test scenario.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a test / measurement procedure according to a test scenario.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for performing a test / measurement using the method of the present invention in the apparatus of FIG. 2;

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Honda Ohira 1-32-1 Asahimachi, Nerima-ku, Tokyo Inside Advantest Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masakazu Baba 3-192-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Within Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Takashi Kubota, inventor 3--19-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Claims (8)

[Claims] Claims: 1. A connection with a communication terminal under test of a customer,
On the other hand, a test / measurement unit for performing test / measurement, a test scenario storage unit in which test scenarios are stored corresponding to identifiers representing them, The test / measurement execution means for performing the test / measurement of the test section and the identifier of the test scenario to be executed based on the customer information are determined, and the test scenario corresponding to the determined identifier is read from the database via the network. A test / measurement device for a communication terminal, comprising: a scenario analysis unit to be loaded into a test scenario storage unit. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said scenario analyzing means checks whether a test scenario corresponding to said identifier exists in said test scenario storage section, and said scenario analysis section determines that said test scenario does not exist in said test scenario storage section. Means for importing from a database. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the means for taking in the data from the database includes a transmitting / receiving means connected to the network for transmitting an identifier and receiving a test scenario read from the database. 4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the scenario analysis means, when a test scenario corresponding to the identifier exists in the test scenario storage unit, corresponds to the existing test scenario with the external test identifier. Means for determining whether the test scenario is newer, and means for retrieving the external corresponding test scenario and updating the corresponding test scenario in the scenario storage unit when it is determined that the test scenario is newer. 5. A method for testing and measuring a customer communication terminal, wherein a database storing customer information and test scenario information is provided in a management center connected to a network, comprising the following steps: (a) (B) determine an identifier of a test scenario to be executed based on the customer information and the detected abnormality, and (c) determine a test scenario identifier to be executed based on the customer information and the detected abnormality. The corresponding test scenario is fetched from the test scenario information database of the management center based on the obtained test scenario identifier, and (d) the communication terminal is tested and measured according to the fetched test scenario. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the test / measurement apparatus is provided with a test scenario storage unit in which a test scenario corresponding to each identifier is stored in advance, and the step (a) comprises: (a) -1) reading the customer information corresponding to the customer name from the customer information database of the management center in response to the input customer name; and (a-2) executing based on the read customer information. Determining an identifier of a basic test scenario to be performed, reading and executing a basic test scenario corresponding to the identifier from the test scenario storage unit, and detecting the abnormality. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said steps are:
(c) includes a step of reading out and taking in a test scenario corresponding to the obtained identifier of the test scenario from the database of the management center via transmitting / receiving means connectable to the network. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein each of the test scenarios includes a check item indicating whether or not the test scenario is an update target, and update time information indicating an update date and time of the test scenario. The step (c) includes: (c-1) comparing the test scenario in the test scenario storage unit corresponding to the determined identifier with the update time information of the corresponding test scenario in the database to determine which is newer. (C-2) if the update time information of the test scenario in the database is newer, fetch the corresponding test scenario in the database and update the corresponding test scenario in the test scenario storage unit. .