Recorder transfer arrangement maintaining billing data continuity

Claim 2

For use with a plurality of recorders generating message accounting information in a telecommunication system, the combination comprising first and second data processing units each independently operative to receive each generation of information from each of said recorders and to check the validity of the information received thereat, said first processing unit having means for controlling system responses to said recorders including means for buffering the information received from said recorders and means for transmitting said buffered information to a remote processor, said second processing unit including means for providing a check indication if information received from said recorders is valid, said first processing unit including means responsive to receipt of invalid information from one of said recorders and to said chekc indication for corresponding information received by the second processing unit for selectively transferring control of said one recorder to said second processing unit, and means for generating a relinquish message and for controlling said transmission means to transmit said relinquish message to the remote processor, and said second processing unit including means responsive to said transfer of control for generating an acceptance message, means for buffering said acceptance message, and means for transmitting said buffered acceptance message to the remote processor after a predetermined time interval, wherein said second processing unit controls said last named buffering means for buffering and transmitting to the remote processor information received from said one recorder subsequent to said transfer of control.

Claim 3

The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said first and second processing units comprises a pair of duplicated microprocessors operating in synchronism, and a scanner for receiving information from each of said recorders and wherein said check indication providing means comprises a signal distributor point.

Claim 4

For use in a telecommunication system having a plurality of recorders generating message accounting information pertaining to calls in said telecommunication system, an intermediate data reception system comprising first and second data processing units each independently operative to receive blocks of information from each of said recorders and to check the validity of each block received thereat, a first recorder control circuit associated with a first one of said recorders and including means for indicating to said processing units that said first unit is primarily responsible for said first recorder and that said second unit is secondarily responsible for said first recorder, a second recorder control circuit associated with a second one of said recorders and including means for indicating to said processing units that said first unit is secondarily responsible for said second recorder and that said second unit is primarily responsible for said second recorder, said first and second units each including means for independently providing a check signal in conjunction with each data block received indicating that the information block received is valid, said first unit including first storing means responsive to a said check signal from the check signal providing means in said first unit for storing an information block received from said first recorder and first transmission means for transmitting said stored block to a remote processor, said second unit including second storing means responsive to another said check signal from said second unit for storing information from said second recorder and second transmission means for transmitting said last-named stored information to the remote processing unit, said first unit further including means responsive to a third said check signal from said second unit indicating that a valid information block was received from said first recorder and to said first unit's detection of a corresponding invalid information block from said first recorder for controlling said first recorder control circuit to indicate that said first processing unit is secondarily responsible for said first recorder and said second processing unit is primarily responsible for said first recorder, said first unit having means responsive to the change in primary and secondary responsibility indications from said first recorder control circuit for generating a relinquishment message, means for controlling said first storing means to store said relinquishment message, and means for controlling said first transmission means to transmit said relinquishment message to said remote processing unit, and said second unit having means responsive to the change in primary and secondary responsibility indications from said first recorder control circuit for generating an acceptance message, for controlling said second storing means to store said acceptance message and to store subsequent information blocks received from said first recorder, and for inhibiting said second transmission means from transmitting said acceptance message and information blocks stored in said second storing means to said remote processing unit for a predetermined time interval.

Claim 5

For use in a telecommunication system having a plurality of recorders generating message accounting information pertaining to calls in said telecommunication system, an intermediate data reception system comprising first and second data processing units each independently operative to receive blocks of information from each of said recorders and to check the validity of each block received thereat, a first recorder control circuit associated with a first one of said recorders and including means for indicating to said processing units that said first unit is primarily responsible for said first recorder and that said second unit is secondarily responsible for said first recorder, a second recorder control circuit associated with a second one of said recorders and including means for indicating to said processing units that said first unit is secondarily responsible for said second recorder and that said second unit is primarily responsible for said second recorder, said first and second units each including means for independently providing a check signal in conjunction with each data block received indicating that the information block received is valid, said first unit including first storing means responsive to a said check signal from the check signal providing means in said first unit for storing an information block received from said first recorder and first transmission means for transmitting said stored block to a remote processor, said second unit including second storing means responsive to another said check signal from said second unit for storing information from said second recorder and second transmission means for transmitting said last-named stored information to the remote processing unit, said first unit further including means responsive to a third said check signal from said second unit indicating that a valid information block was received from said first recorder and to said first unit's detection of a corresponding invalid information block from said first recorder for controlling said first recorder control circuit to indicate that said first processing unit is secondarily responsible for said first recorder and said second processing unit is primarily responsible for said first recorder, said first unit having means responsive to the change in primary and secondary responsibility indications from said first recorder control circuit for generating a relinquishment message, means for controlling said first storing means to store said relinquishment message, and means for controlling said first transmission means to transmit said relinquishment message to said remote processing unit, and said second unit having means responsive to the change in primary and secondary responsibility indications from said first recorder control circuit for generating an acceptance message, for controlling said second storing means to store said acceptance message and to store subsequent information blocks received from said first recorder, and for inhibiting said second transmission means from transmitting said acceptance message and information blocks stored in said second storing means to said remote processing unit for a predetermined time interval.

Claim 6

The telecommunication system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said first recorder control circuit further comprises switch means manually operable to control said first recorder control circuit to indicate that said first unit is secondarily responsible for said first one recorder and said second unit is primarily responsible for said first one recorder.

Claim 7

In combination, a plurality of first recorders each for generating information, a plurality of second recorders each for generating information, first and second data links to a remote processor, and first and second data processing units each for receiving the same information from each of the recorders and for independently checking the validity of the information received said first unit including a first buffer for buffering information received from said first recorders and first transmitting means for transmitting the information buffered in said first buffer to said remote processor via said first data link, said second unit including a second buffer for buffering information received from said second recorders and second transmitting means for transmitting the information buffered in said second buffer to said remote processor via said second data link, said first and second units each including means for independently generating respective first and second check signals if the corresponding information received by each unit from one of said recorders is valid, said first unit including means responsive to the detection by said first unit of invalid information from one of said first recorders and the presence of a corresponding said second check signal for generating a switch signal, said first unit including means responsive to said switch signal for selectively controlling a switch of said one first recorder from the plurality of first recorders to the plurality of second recorders, for generating a relinquish message for indicating to the remote processor the switch of said one first recorder and for controlling said first buffer to buffer said relinquish message and for controlling said first transmitting means to transmit said relinquish message to said remote processor via said first data link, and said second unit including means responsive to said switch signal for generating an acceptance message acknowledging the switch of said one first recorder to the plurality of second recorders, for controlling said second buffer to buffer said acceptance message, and for controlling said second transmitting means to inhibit transmission over said second data link to said remote processor for a predetermined time interval and to transmit said buffered acceptance message to said remote processor after the termination of said interval.

Claim 8

In combination, a plurality of first recorders each for generating information, a plurality of second recorders each for generating information, first and second data links to a remote processor, and first and second data processing units each for receiving the same information from each of the recorders and for independently checking the validity of the information received said first unit including a first buffer for buffering information received from said first recorders and first transmitting means for transmitting the information buffered in said first buffer to said remote processor via said first data link, said second unit including a second buffer for buffering information received from said second recorders and second transmitting means for transmitting the information buffered in said second buffer to said remote processor via said second data link, said first and second units each including means for independently generating respective first and second check signals if the corresponding information received by each unit from one of said recorders is valid, said first unit including means responsive to the detection by said first unit of invalid information from one of said first recorders and the presence of a corresponding said second check signal for generating a switch signal, said first unit including means responsive to said switch signal for selectively controlling a switch of said one first recorder from the plurality of first recorders to the plurality of second recorders, for generating a relinquish message for indicating to the remote processor the switch of said one first recorder and for controlling said first buffer to buffer said relinquish message and for controlling said first transmitting means to transmit said relinquish message to said remote processor via said first data link, and said second unit including means responsive to said switch signal for generating an acceptance message acknowledging the switch of said one first recorder to the plurality of second recorders, for controlling said second buffer to buffer said acceptance message, and for controlling said second transmitting means to inhibit transmission over said second data link to said remote processor for a predetermined time interval and to transmit said buffered acceptance message to said remote processor after the termination of said interval.

Claim 11

In a data reception and transmission arrangement wherein a first data processing unit checks data from a data source, stores checked data in a first memory and transmits the stored data to a remote processing unit, and wherein a second data processing unit checks the data from the data source and provides an indication of the validity of the checked data, the method of maintaining the continuity of data transmission when a transfer signal is generated indicating control of the data source is to be transferred from the first to the second data processing unit, comprising the steps of responsive to the transfer signal, generating in the first data processing unit a relinquish message indicating that control of the data source has been relinquished, transmitting the relinquish message to the remote processing unit, responsive to the transfer signal, generating in the second data processing unit an acceptance message indicating that control of the data source has been accepted, storing the acceptance message in a second memory in the second data processing unit and storing checked data from the data source in the second memory, inhibiting in the second data processing unit the transmission to the remote processing unit of the acceptance message and data stored in the second memory for a predetermined time interval, and after the termination of the time interval, transmitting the acceptance message and data stored in the second memory to the remote processing unit.

Claim 12

In a data reception and transmission arrangement wherein a first data processing unit checks data from a data source, stores checked data in a first memory and transmits the stored data to a remote processing unit, and wherein a second data processing unit checks the data from the data source and provides an indication of the validity of the checked data, the method of maintaining the continuity of data transmission when a transfer signal is generated indicating control of the data source is to be transferred from the first to the second data processing unit, comprising the steps of responsive to the transfer signal, generating in the first data processing unit a relinquish message indicating that control of the data source has been relinquished, transmitting the relinquish message to the remote processing unit, responsive to the transfer signal, generating in the second data processing unit an acceptance message indicating that control of the data source has been accepted, storing the acceptance message in a second memory in the second data processing unit and storing checked data from the data source in the second memory, inhibiting in the second data processing unit the transmission to the remote processing unit of the acceptance message and data stored in the second memory for a predetermined time interval, and after the termination of the time interval, transmitting the acceptance message and data stored in the second memory to the remote processing unit.

Claim 17

In combination, a plurality of data sources, first and second data processing units, each for independently receiving and checking the validity of data blocks from each of the data sources, a plurality of control circuits individually associated with different ones of the data sources, each control circuit having means for assigning, independently of the other control circuits, one of the processing units as primary and the other processing unit as secondary for processing the data from its associated data source, each of the processing units having means for independently providing a validity check signal in response to each reception of a valid data block from the data sources, and each of said processing units further including means, independently responsive to the reception of an invalid data block from a given one of the data sources for which the processing unit has been assigned as primary and responsive to the concurrent independent generation of a validity check signal from the validating means within the corresponding secondary processing unit for the same data block from said given data source, to cause the control circuit associated with said given data source to switch selectively the assignment of the respective primary and secondary statuses of the processing units with respect to only said given data source.

Claim 18

In combination, a plurality of data sources, first and second data processing units, each for independently receiving and checking the validity of data blocks from each of the data sources, a plurality of control circuits individually associated with different ones of the data sources, each control circuit having means for assigning, independently of the other control circuits, one of the processing units as primary and the other processing unit as secondary for processing the data from its associated data source, each of the processing units having means for independently providing a validity check signal in response to each reception of a valid data block from the data sources, and each of said processing units further including means, independently responsive to the reception of an invalid data block from a given one of the data sources for which the processing unit has been assigned as primary and responsive to the concurrent independent generation of a validity check signal from the validating means within the corresponding secondary processing unit for the same data block from said given data source, to cause the control circuit associated with said given data source to switch selectively the assignment of the respective primary and secondary statuses of the processing units with respect to only said given data source.

Claim 19

The combination in accordance with claim 10 further comprising a first data link extendible from said first processing unit to a remote processing unit, and a second data link extendible from said second processing unit to the remote processing unit, wherein said first processing unit comprises first storage means for storing the data blocks received by said first processing unit from ones of the data sources for which it is primary, first transmission means for transmitting data blocks stored in said first storage means to said remote processing unit via said first data link, and means responsive to a selective switch of the first processor to secondary status for one of the data sources for generating a relinquish message and for controlling said first transmission means to transmit said relinquish message to said remote processing unit, and wherein said second processing unit comprises second storage means for storing data blocks from ones of the sources for which it is primary, second transmission means for transmitting data blocks stored in said second storage means to said remote processing unit via said second data link, and means responsive to the selective switch of the second processing unit to primary status for said one data source for generating an acceptance message, for controlling said second storage means to store said acceptance message and for controlling said second transmission means to transmit said stored acceptance message after the termination of a predetermined time interval.

Claim 20

The combination in accordance with claim 11 wherein each of said data sources is a recorder generating message accounting information in a telecommunication system and wherein each of said first and second processing units comprises a pair of duplicated microprocessing units operating in synchronism.

Claim 21

The combination in accordance with claim 10 wherein each said control circuit includes switch means manually operable to switch selectively the respective primary and secondary statuses of the processing units for the data source associated with the control circuit, wherein the processing unit to be made secondary for one of the data sources by an operation of one of the switch means includes means responsive to the operation for generating a relinquish message and means for transmitting said relinquish message to a remote processing unit, and the processing unit to be made primary by the operation of said one switch means includes means independently responsive to the operation for generating an acceptance message, means for storing said acceptance message, and means for transmitting said stored acceptance message to said remote processing unit after a predetermined time interval.