EP0555997B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Apparatus and methods for implementing protocols
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1993-02-04
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Granted: 2001-10-31
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Expires: 2013-02-04
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerard Johan Holzmann
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 14:28
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F15/00; H; H04; H04L; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04L69/00; H04L69/03; H04L69/18
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of communicating in a distributed system comprising the steps of: in a first entity (201) of the distributed system, receiving a first general protocol
message which includes a protocol description (203) describing a specific protocol, CHARACTERIZED BY : the specific protocol described by the protocol description being initially unknown
to the first entity, the protocol description being in a protocol description language which
is independent of any particular hardware or software implementation of the first entity;
and responding to the first general protocol message by employing first protocol
description interpretation means (209) to execute the protocol description included in the
first general message which enables the first entity to communicate with a second entity of
the distributed system using the specific protocol.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of communicating set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that : the step of responding to the first general protocol message includes the step of checking the first general protocol message.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of communicating set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that : the step of responding to the first general protocol message includes the step of interpreting protocol data transferred according to the specific protocol according
to a parameter contained in the first general protocol message.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of communicating set forth in claim 3 further characterized in that : the parameter specifies the byte order employed in the protocol data; and the step of interpreting protocol data interprets the protocol data according to the
byte order specified in the parameter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of communicating set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that : the parameter specifies the word size employed in the protocol data; and the step of interpreting protocol data interprets the protocol data according to the
word size employed in the protocol data.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of communicating set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that : in a second protocol apparatus, sending the first general protocol message from the second protocol apparatus to
the first protocol apparatus; and employing the specific protocol to communicate with the first protocol apparatus.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
96 words
The method set forth in claim 6 further characterized by : in the first entity, receiving a second general protocol message which includes a protocol specifier
specifying the protocol description; responding to the second general protocol message by determining whether the
specified protocol description is accessible to the first entity; if the specified protocol description is accessible, employing the first protocol
description interpretation means to interpret the specified protocol description; but if the specified protocol description is not accessible, sending a first error message
and thereupon performing the step of receiving the first general protocol message.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
94 words
Protocol apparatus within a first element of a distributed system for
communicating with other elements of the distributed system, the protocol apparatus being CHARACTERIZED BY : means for receiving (207) a first general protocol message which defines
an arbitrary data communication protocol which is initially unknown to the first
element, the arbitrary data communication protocol being defined in a protocol
description language which is independent from any particular hardware or software
implementation of the first element; and means for configuring (209) the first element to receive data formatted in
the arbitrary data communication protocol.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
72 words
The protocol apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein the means for
receiving a first general protocol message checks the first general protocol message to
determine whether the first general protocol message has been correctly transmitted;
and if the first general protocol message has not been correctly transmitted,
the means for configuring the first element does not configure the first element to
receive data formatted in the arbitrary data communication protocol.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
75 words
The protocol apparatus set forth in claim 8, wherein the means for
receiving a first general protocol message includes a checking and indicating means for
checking the first general protocol message and indicating whether the first general
protocol message is a valid first general protocol message, the protocol apparatus
further comprising error handling means for sending an error message when the
checking and indicating means indicates that the first general protocol message is not
valid.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
The protocol apparatus set forth in claim 8, further comprising: error handling means for sending an error message when an error occurs
during operation of the means for configuring the first element to receive data formatted
in the arbitrary data communication protocol.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
The protocol apparatus set forth in claim 11, wherein: the first data message includes at least one parameter for interpreting
data transferred according to the arbitrary data communication protocol; and the means for configuring the first element interprets the transmitted data
according to the at least one parameter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The protocol apparatus set forth in claim 12, wherein: the at least one parameter specifies a byte order of the transmitted data;
and the means for configuring the first element interprets the transmitted data
base on the specified byte order.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
The protocol apparatus set forth in claim 12, wherein: the at least one parameter specifies a word size of the transmitted data;
and the means for configuring the first element interprets the transmitted data
based on the specified word size.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
The protocol apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein the means
for configuring the first element interprets the first data message by directly executing
instructions contained in the first general protocol message.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The protocol apparatus set forth in claim 9, wherein the means for
configuring the first element interprets the first general protocol message by compiling
the first general protocol message to produce instructions.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
157 words
An apparatus for communicating between computers in a distributed
system, comprising: a first data processing apparatus of the distributed system configured to
use a data communication protocol; a second data processing apparatus of the distributed system configured
to use an arbitrary data communication protocol; CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the first data processing apparatus
includes: receiving means (207) for receiving from the second data processing
apparatus a general protocol message that defines the arbitrary data communication
protocol which is initially unknown to the first data processing apparatus and which is
defined in a protocol description language which is independent from any particular
hardware or software implementation of the first data processing apparatus, and configuring means (209) for configuring the first data processing
apparatus to use the arbitrary data communication protocol defined by the general
protocol message, wherein the receiving means is able to receive an additional message
in the arbitrary data communication protocol from the second data processing apparatus.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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