Maintenance system for a telecommunication installation

Abstract

The invention provides a portable and autonomous assistance device to derive information on faults in a private telecommunication installation comprising particularly equipment units to assist the client owning the installation in maintaining the latter. A maintenance session is selected in a maintenance server of the service provider managing the installation as a function of information transmitted by the assistance device so as to provide instructions in the device. The address of the server and an identifier of the equipment unit are rapidly read by means of a bar code reader which can also read bar codes in a user manual. The assistance device also serves to configure a terminal (TE) by means of a configuration session opened in a server (SFT) of the terminal manufacturer.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is a continuation of the PCT International Application No. PCT / FR01 / 01841 filed Jun. 13, 2001, which is based on the French Application No. 00-08199 filed Jun. 23, 2000.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates generally to the operation and maintenance of a private telecommunication installation including in particular equipment units such as terminals.[0004]The telecommunication installation is a modern installation which obviously groups together several terminals on the premises of a client having access to different operators, such as a satellite TV terminal, a microcomputer connected to the Internet network via an ADSL line, and a digital telephone set. The installation includes management means for managing the set of the equipment units in the installation, the authentication of access rights, the profiles of the users of the terminals, transcoding and adaptation at lea...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a maintenance system for a telecommunication installation using a maintenance server. The system includes a portable assistance device that can identify the type of installation and any faults in it, and a manufacturer server that can be called automatically to perform maintenance tasks on the equipment units. The assistance device can also enter the manufacturer's address and the identifier of the equipment unit automatically to call the manufacturer server for configuration purposes. The maintenance method involves using the portable assistance device to call the maintenance server and to receive instructions on how to fix any faults or how to configure the equipment unit. The technical effects of the invention include improved efficiency and accuracy in identifying and fixing faults in telecommunication installations, as well as simplifying the process of configuring equipment units.

Problems solved by technology

Although this may be tolerable in the case of campus or building type collective networks and services offered by an administrative body, known in France as a >, it is somewhat controversial in individual homes and in the professions.

This constraint can no longer be regarded as the norm in a private network installation whose active life and the cycle of introducing new terminals and new applications are increasingly short.

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