US5553056A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Packetized remote test system for a telephone network
Assignee: Viavi Solutions Inc
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Filing: 1994-10-24
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Granted: 1996-09-03
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Expires: 2014-10-24
Abstract
Abstract A DS3 level access, monitor and test system for a telephone network. The system provides selective, and hitless, bit overwrite in any of the embedded DS1, DS0 and subrate channels in a DS3 signal. Multiple DS0 and subrate channels can be tested via the asynchronous time slot interchange in conjunction with the recombiner of the present invention. A second embodiment of the invention partitions the system into a base subsystem, a communications link and a remote subsystem, collectively referred to as a distributed architecture system. The distributed architecture system provides all of the performance monitoring and testing capabilities of the existing access system. The distributed architecture system provides a mechanism to transport a plurality of asynchronous and rate independent signals across the link to permit remote testing of digital and voice DS0 frequency circuits. In the preferred embodiment, the link that connects the base to the remote system is a standard DS1 channel. The clocks for the transmit and receive paths are derived from the same source, thus providing a common reference clock to both ends of the link. At the base site, the channels undergoing test are embedded DS0 channels within a DS3 signal accessed through a DS3 interface at the remote site.
Inventors
- 👤 Jeffery S. Bronte
- 👤 Mark J. Lever
- 👤 Kevin T. Pope
- 👤 Paul R. Hartmann
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 23:26
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/22; H04J; H04J3/00; H04J3/02; H04J3/06; H04J3/0602; H04J3/0605; H04J3/0608; H04J3/062; H04J3/0623; H04J3/14; H04M3/24; H04M3/244
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 57
Claim 1
Independent Claim
234 words
A system for remotely accessing any one of a plurality of asynchronous signals embedded in a signal, comprising: a communications channel connecting a base subsystem to a remote subsystem; the remote subsystem, comprising: an access circuit receiving and accessing the asynchronous signals embedded in the signal; a remote bus transporting data representative of each accessed asynchronous signal; a remote packet processor connected to the remote bus and the communications channel, wherein said remote packet processor packetizes the data received from the remote bus and transmits the packetized data to the base subsystem across the communications channel, and wherein said remote packet processor receives packetized data from the base subsystem across the communications channel and de-packetizes the packetized data for transmission to the remote bus; the base subsystem, comprising: a base bus transporting data representative of each accessed asynchronous signal; a base packet processor connected to the base bus and the communications channel, wherein said base packet processor receives packetized data from the remote subsystem across the communications channel and de-packetizes the packetized data for transmission to the base bus, and wherein said base packet processor packetizes the data received from the base bus and transmits the packetized data to the remote subsystem across the communications channel; a test resource that receives data from the base bus, wherein said test resource provides testing functions, and wherein said test resource transmits data to the base bus.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
234 words
A system for remotely accessing any one of a plurality of asynchronous signals embedded in a signal, comprising: a communications channel connecting a base subsystem to a remote subsystem; the remote subsystem, comprising: an access circuit receiving and accessing the asynchronous signals embedded in the signal; a remote bus transporting data representative of each accessed asynchronous signal; a remote packet processor connected to the remote bus and the communications channel, wherein said remote packet processor packetizes the data received from the remote bus and transmits the packetized data to the base subsystem across the communications channel, and wherein said remote packet processor receives packetized data from the base subsystem across the communications channel and de-packetizes the packetized data for transmission to the remote bus; the base subsystem, comprising: a base bus transporting data representative of each accessed asynchronous signal; a base packet processor connected to the base bus and the communications channel, wherein said base packet processor receives packetized data from the remote subsystem across the communications channel and de-packetizes the packetized data for transmission to the base bus, and wherein said base packet processor packetizes the data received from the base bus and transmits the packetized data to the remote subsystem across the communications channel; a test resource that receives data from the base bus, wherein said test resource provides testing functions, and wherein said test resource transmits data to the base bus.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
113 words
The system defined in claim 1, wherein a portion of the remote packet processor that receives data from the remote bus and transmits packetized data across the communications channel comprises: a remote bus receiver receivably connected to the remote bus so as to receive data from the remote bus; a remote packetizer receivably connected to the remote bus receiver, said remote packetizer receiving the remote bus data and assembling the remote bus data into one or more packets of a selected integer multiple of bytes, the packet having a control portion and a data portion; and a remote transmitter receivably connected to the remote packetizer for transmitting the packets across the communications channel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The system defined in claim 2, wherein the remote bus receiver comprises: a control circuit connected to the remote bus; a transmit buffer storing data received from the control circuit; and a packetizer interface circuit for controlling transfer of the buffered data to the packetizer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system defined in claim 3, wherein the control circuit accesses data communicated in PCM format on the remote bus.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system defined in claim 3, additionally comprising a configuration memory for configuring the accessed asynchronous signal in the remote bus, said configuration memory connected to the remote bus, the control circuit and the packetizer interface circuit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system defined in claim 2, additionally comprising a DS1 framer that identifies a valid DS1 frame synchronization bit of the packetized data on the communication channel between the base and remote subsystems, said framer connected between the remote packetizer and the remote transmitter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system defined in claim 2, wherein the control portion of the packet includes a frame relay header.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system defined in claim 2, wherein the control portion of the packet includes a cyclic redundancy check field.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system defined in claim 2, wherein the data portion of the packet is of a variable size.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system defined in claim 2, wherein the packet is of one of the following types: DS0 data packet and inter-processor communications (IPC) packet.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system defined in claim 10, wherein the data portion of the DS0 packet comprises up to 267 bytes and the IPC packet comprises up to 500 bytes.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system defined in claim 2, wherein said remote packetizer additionally assembles control packets.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system defined in claim 1, wherein the signal comprises DS3 data and each of the asynchronous embedded signals comprises DS0 data.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
99 words
The system defined in claim 1, wherein a portion of the base packet processor that receives packetized data from across the communication channel and transmits de-packetized data to the base bus comprises: a base receiver receivably connected to the communications channel so as to receive data packets from the channel; a base de-packetizer receivably connected to the base receiver, said base de-packetizer receiving the data packets and disassembling each received packet into a selected integer multiple of bytes, each packet having a control portion and a data portion; and a base bus transmitter receivably connected to the base de-packetizer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
53 words
The system defined in claim 14, wherein the base bus transmitter comprises: a de-packetizer interface circuit for controlling transfer of the data from the de-packetizer; a receive buffer storing data received from the de-packetizer; and a control circuit receivably connected to the receive buffer, said control circuit further connected to the base bus.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system defined in claim 15, wherein the control circuit provides data on the base bus communicated in PCM format.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system defined in claim 15, additionally comprising a configuration memory for configuring the accessed asynchronous signal in the base bus, said configuration memory connected to the base bus, the control circuit and the de-packetizer interface circuit.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
70 words
The system defined in claim 1, wherein the test resource comprises: a test resource receiver receivably connected to the base bus so as to provide base bus data to the test resource; a processor for testing the data received from the base bus; a test resource transmitter receivably connected to the processor so as to read test data from the processor and communicate the test data to the base bus.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
100 words
The system defined in claim 1, wherein a portion of the base packet processor that receives data from the base bus and transmits packetized data across the communication channel comprises: a base bus receiver receivably connected to the base bus so as to receive data from the base bus; a base packetizer receivably connected to the base bus receiver, said remote packetizer receiving base bus data and assembling the data into a packet of a selected integer multiple of bytes, each packet having a control portion and a data portion; and a base transmitter receivably connected to the base packetizer.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
45 words
The system defined in claim 19, wherein the base bus receiver comprises: a control circuit connected to the base bus; a transmit buffer storing data received from the control circuit; and a packetizer interface circuit for controlling transfer of the buffered data to the packetizer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system defined in claim 20, wherein the control circuit accesses data communicated in PCM format on the base bus.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system defined in claim 20, additionally comprising a configuration memory for configuring the accessed asynchronous signal in the base bus, said configuration memory connected to the base bus, the control circuit and the packetizer interface circuit.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
105 words
The system defined in claim 1, wherein a portion of the remote packet processor that receives packetized data from across the communication channel and transmits de-packetized data to the remote bus comprises: a remote receiver receivably connected to the communications channel so as to receive data packets from the channel; a remote de-packetizer receivably connected to the remote receiver, said remote de-packetizer receiving the received data packets and disassembling each received packet into a stream of data of a selected integer multiple of bytes, each packet having a control portion and a data portion; and a remote bus transmitter receivably connected to the remote de-packetizer.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
53 words
The system defined in claim 23, wherein the remote bus transmitter comprises: a de-packetizer interface circuit for controlling transfer of the data from the de-packetizer; a receive buffer storing data received from the de-packetizer; and a control circuit receivably connected to the receive buffer, said control circuit further connected to the remote bus.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system defined in claim 24, wherein the control circuit provides data on the remote bus communicated in PCM format.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system defined in claim 24, additionally comprising a configuration memory for configuring the accessed asynchronous signal in the remote bus, said configuration memory connected to the remote bus, the control circuit and the de-packetizer interface circuit.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system defined in claim 1, wherein the communications channel transports a DS1 signal.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system defined in claim 1, wherein the remote bus transports asynchronous time slot data.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system defined in claim 1, wherein the base bus transports asynchronous time slot data.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system defined in claim 1, wherein the base subsystem and remote subsystem each additionally comprise a channel rate control element.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system defined in claim 30, wherein the remote subsystem channel rate control element comprises feedback control means.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system defined in claim 31, wherein the feedback control means generates a remote to base control packet.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system defined in claim 32, wherein the remote to base control packet includes a packet rate control field.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system defined in claim 33, wherein the feedback control means comprises a mechanism to determine the value of the packet rate control field.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system defined in claim 32, wherein the remote to base control packet includes a rate control information field associated with one of the asynchronous signals.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system defined in claim 30, wherein the base subsystem channel rate control element comprises a base receive portion for matching a data rate of the base bus to a data rate of the remote bus.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system defined in claim 36, wherein the base receive portion controls the data rate of the base bus in response to the rate specified by the packet received from the communications channel.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system defined in claim 30, wherein the base subsystem channel rate control element additionally comprises a base transmit portion that controls the rate of data transfer from the test resource to the base bus.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system defined in claim 36, wherein the asynchronous signals comprise DS0 signals.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system defined in claim 39, wherein the data rate of the remote bus is derived from a one of the DS0 signals.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system defined in claim 30, wherein the base subsystem additionally comprises a base bus rate control subsystem.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
67 words
The system defined in claim 41, wherein the base bus rate control subsystem comprises: a base bus control circuit; a configuration memory connected to the control circuit; and a processor connected to the control circuit and to the configuration memory, wherein the processor modulates the data rate of the base bus for each accessed asynchronous signal by enabling and disabling an enable bit in the configuration memory.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system defined in claim 42, wherein the processor receives a headroom value from the base channel rate control element, said headroom value controlling a data rate of the base bus.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
119 words
In a system having a base location, a remote location and a communications link between the base and remote locations, a method for accessing a selected one of a plurality of asynchronous embedded channels in a signal received at the remote location, comprising the steps of: accessing, at the remote location, the selected one of the asynchronous embedded channels; placing a portion of the data in the selected channel on a remote bus; transporting the data on the remote bus; extracting the data on the bus; packetizing the extracted data; transmitting the packetized data over the communications link; receiving the packetized data at the base location; de-packetizing the received data; and inserting the de-packetized data onto a base bus.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
119 words
In a system having a base location, a remote location and a communications link between the base and remote locations, a method for accessing a selected one of a plurality of asynchronous embedded channels in a signal received at the remote location, comprising the steps of: accessing, at the remote location, the selected one of the asynchronous embedded channels; placing a portion of the data in the selected channel on a remote bus; transporting the data on the remote bus; extracting the data on the bus; packetizing the extracted data; transmitting the packetized data over the communications link; receiving the packetized data at the base location; de-packetizing the received data; and inserting the de-packetized data onto a base bus.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method defined in claim 44, additionally comprising the steps of: transmitting each packet of the packetized data a second time; and selecting a non-errored packet between the two packets.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method defined in claim 44, additionally comprising the step of testing the data on the base bus.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method defined in claim 46, wherein the testing step includes replacing selected data with test data.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
92 words
The method defined in claim 47, additionally comprising the steps of: inserting, at the base location, test data onto the base bus; transporting the test data on the base bus; extracting the test data from the base bus; packetizing the extracted data; transmitting the packetized data over the communications link; receiving the packetized data at the remote location; de-packetizing the received data; inserting the de-packetized data onto the remote bus; transporting the data on the remote bus; extracting the data from the remote bus; and inserting the data into the embedded channel.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method defined in claim 44, wherein data is placed into a selected time slot on the remote bus.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method defined in claim 48, wherein data is placed into the selected time slot on the base bus.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
111 words
In a system having a base location including a base bus, a remote location including a remote bus, and a communications link between the base and remote locations, a method for accessing a selected one of a plurality of asynchronous embedded channels in a signal received at the remote location, comprising the steps of: accessing, at the remote location, the selected one of the asynchronous embedded channels; transmitting packetized data over the communications link representative of the accessed channel; testing the data on the base bus, thereby producing tested data; transmitting the packetized data representative of the tested data over the communications link; and inserting the data into the embedded channel.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
111 words
In a system having a base location including a base bus, a remote location including a remote bus, and a communications link between the base and remote locations, a method for accessing a selected one of a plurality of asynchronous embedded channels in a signal received at the remote location, comprising the steps of: accessing, at the remote location, the selected one of the asynchronous embedded channels; transmitting packetized data over the communications link representative of the accessed channel; testing the data on the base bus, thereby producing tested data; transmitting the packetized data representative of the tested data over the communications link; and inserting the data into the embedded channel.
Claim 55
Independent Claim
65 words
A system for accessing a selected one of a plurality of asynchronous signals embedded in a signal received at a remote location, comprising: remote means for remotely accessing the asynchronous signals embedded in the signal; base means for testing the embedded asynchronous signals; and a packet data link connecting the remote access means and the base test means, wherein data on said link comprises packets.
Claim 56
Independent Claim
65 words
A system for accessing a selected one of a plurality of asynchronous signals embedded in a signal received at a remote location, comprising: remote means for remotely accessing the asynchronous signals embedded in the signal; base means for testing the embedded asynchronous signals; and a packet data link connecting the remote access means and the base test means, wherein data on said link comprises packets.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system defined in claim 52, wherein each of the embedded asynchronous signals comprises a DS0 signal.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-09-03 | 2000-03-04 | 2000-09-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-09-03 | 2004-03-04 | 2004-09-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-09-03 | 2008-03-04 | 2008-09-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |