Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
93 words
Apparatus for isolating and analyzing faults in a link-connected system, utilizing fault reports generated from within the system itself, wherein said system comprises a plurality of units interconnected by a plurality of links, and further wherein said units are coupled to a central reporting location, comprising: (a) means for detecting faults as they occur in the network; (b) means for transmitting reports of detected faults to said central location; (c) means for associating fault reports transmitted to said central location; and (d) means for generating a single error message from associated fault reports.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the associating means comprises means for detecting whether two or more fault reports transmitted to the central location correspond to a single fault, and, if so, associating those fault reports.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of in Claims 1 or 2 wherein said transmitting means further comprises means for generating at least one fault report for each detected fault, wherein each report includes at least an identification of the unit reporting the fault, an identification of the link on which a fault was detected by the reporting unit, and an indication of any detected fault symptoms.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 wherein said means for generating a single error message from associated fault reports is operative to both isolate and diagnose the cause of a fault based at least in part on said indication of detected fault symptoms.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the associating means detects whether two or more fault report have been transmitted to the central location during a predetermined time interval.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fault reports transmitted to the central location include an identification of one or more units or links or both connected to the unit or link detected to be faulty.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
77 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 wherein said identification comprises at least one pair of link adapter identifiers (LAIDs), wherein the first identifier in each LAID pair identifies both the transmitting unit and link adapter on the transmitting unit that is coupled to a given link on which a fault is detected, and further wherein the second identifier in each LAID pair identifies the unit and link adapter attached to the opposite end of said given link.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as set forth in any preceding claim wherein said transmitting means includes at least one of the link-coupled units of said system.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said transmitting means for each unit can transmit via a primary or alternative reporting path for each unit in said system.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said associating means utilizes a systemwide configuration table.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which each of said units comprises means responsive to the loss of an incoming signal on a link for transmitting a predetermined outgoing signal on said link.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
125 words
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which one or more of the units comprises: (a) One or more link adapters for attaching said unit to said plurality of links, each link adapter having a unique link adapter identifier (LAID) assigned thereto; (b) means for locally storing at each unit the LAID of each adapter at that unit that is coupled to a link, along with the LAID of each adapter at another unit which is coupled to that line, so as to form locally stored LAID pairs for each link-coupled link adapter of each unit; and (c) means for transmitting fault reports containing said stored LAID pairs, along with any detected fault symptoms, from each unit observing a fault to said central location;
Claim 13
Independent Claim
80 words
A method of isolating faults in a link-connected system comprising the steps of: (a) detecting faults as they occur in said network; (b) transmitting reports of the detected faults to a reporting location; (c) associating those fault reports transmitted to said location to determine which reports are related to a particular error event; and (d) generating a single error message from the associated fault reports relating to said particular error event, wherein said message includes fault isolation and diagnostic information.