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MECHANIZED ORACLE EXPLORES BELL SYSTEM COMMUNICATIONS

At m o n i t o r i n g conso l e . <le>i«iner H . D . I rv in w a t r h t ^ p e r f o r m a n c e «*f **>]Π·\Γ~ d u r i n g î*~~î <»i u~er-rt-3*rti<»ii tomp-r-ri-i n r n t a l t*-ît*phom*s. Λ comput<*r-likt- m a c h i n e . >iii>! <>im;ilal«— th«- iuxHîi<*ii- «»i iu ' s . r r * ««mmum* ali«*ri'» λ*\ -« ·-> ami records· in terplax be tween p h o n e - and u ? t r ? . Sil*>3 i> raani»-<J ail«-x l l ie \* i»mm «ra» 1»> c»î a u i n - r : ! (.#:»-«-*»*.

A mechanized "oracle?" is helping Bell Telephone Lab­oratories predict the future in communications devices and systems.

The oracle i s "Sibyl." a computer-like machine de­veloped by Bell Laboratories engineers and psychologists-It can simulate the action of man ν kinds of communications de\ices. Through Sibyl, new kinds of telephone service can be evaluated without the considerable expense of building actual equipment. Observing and recording users" reac­tions to the simulated equipment. S i lnl provides indica­tions of how users would react to proposed new s\>tems features and equipment.

Sibyl, for example, is used to test the reaction of Bell Laboratories people to experimental push-button tele­phones. Each test subject has a push-button telephone in his office and he uses it in the ordinary course of his busi­

ness. But the set is not c»«nneoted dire-ctlv t«» the l««cal PBX : it is connected through Sib\ L w iiicts. performs the ?p«-cial signaling functions required l»v such a pu^h-huttoit *ele-prione. IÏÎ this u a \ . pu>h-button telephone -erv ice i- s h en to a group of people without m«*difv ins the P B \ . or pro­viding eompleteK inr-truniented |»usrn-butt«»si telephones.

At the same time. Si lui «athers· information on how the cal! w as placed —date. time, originator. speed of «»|»era-ti*L#n. err**rs. whether the line was i:»u>\ «»r the call com­pleted. S i ln l does all this without \iolatir»£ the pri \ac\ of telephone com ers»at ions.

Bell e*ngineers ex|»ect thaï Sibvl uill provide a letter understanding of the relationship l»e£ ween telephone e-fjuip-menl and the people who use i l . Sihxfs rapid and eco­nomical technique for e\aliaating n«e\\ t> |*es «»f telephone sets i s an important contribution t«» the art of telephnnv.

ΛΓ% BELL TELEPHONE LABORATORIES W O R L D CENTER OF C O M M U N I C A T I O N S RESEAHCH AND DEVE2.0P3MENT"

DEC. 8. 1 9 5 8 C S E N 9