Management system capable of quickly assigning a terminal endpoint identifier to a terminal equipment unit

Claim 1

A management system for use in managing a plurality of terminal endpoint identifiers which are to be selectively and variably assigned to terminal equipment units connected to an integrated services digital network through data links and which identify the data links between the terminal equipment units and the integrated service digital network, said management system comprising: up-down counter means responsive to a count mode signal representative of a selected one of a count-up and a count-down mode said counter means also being responsive to a sequence of count pulses, so as to count said count pulses to produce a count signal representative of a count value; memory means for storing a threshold value signal representative of a predetermined threshold value; comparing means responsive to said count signal and said threshold value signal for comparing said count value with said predetermined threshold value and to thereby produce a comparison signal when said count value is equal to or greater than said threshold value; operation control means cooperating with said comparing means, said up-down counter means, and said terminal equipment units for controlling said up-down counter means and said terminal equipment units by sending, in response to said comparison signal, a check request to the terminal equipment units all of which are connected to said network and to which said terminal endpoint identifiers are assigned, by monitoring whether or not each response to said check request is received from each of the last-mentioned terminal equipment units, to determine, as non-reception terminal equipment units, the terminal equipment units from which no response is received, and by producing internal clock pulses equal in number to said non-reception terminal equipment units and a count down signal representative of said count-down mode; and means for delivering said count down signal and said internal clock pulses to said up-down counter means and said sequence of the count pulses, respectively.