← Back to Patent Explorer
US5825751A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method and apparatus for tracing frames transmitted through a network path

Assignee: RPX Corp
•
Filing: 1996-09-10
•
Granted: 1998-10-20
•
Expires: 2016-09-10
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A data section or a set of data sections (frames or cells) are transmitted through a plurality of network nodes. The network path taken by the data section or the set of data sections (frames or cells) is recorded into the data section or the set of data sections (frames or cells).

Inventors

  • 👤 Karen A. Papierniak
  • 👤 Michael D. Ellestad

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 05:48
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L41/00; H04L41/32; H04L43/00; H04L43/10; H04Q; H04Q11/00; H04Q11/04; H04Q11/0428; H04Q11/0478; H04L12/00; H04L12/54; H04L12/56; H04L12/5601; H04L2012/5628; H04L2012/5638; H04L2012/5646; H04L2012/5652

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 124 words
A method for recording path information in an ATM network, said network including a plurality of network nodes having a start network node and an end network node, said method comprising the steps of: (a) at said start network node. generating a start and an end trace cells; (b) sending said start and end trace cells from said start network node to said end network node; (c) for a pair of adjacent network nodes, inserting a message trace cell between said start and end trace cells; and (d) recording virtual path information between said pair of adjacent network nodes into said inserted message trace cell, wherein a message trace cell is used to record virtual path information for each pair of adjacent network nodes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 124 words
A method for recording path information in an ATM network, said network including a plurality of network nodes having a start network node and an end network node, said method comprising the steps of: (a) at said start network node. generating a start and an end trace cells; (b) sending said start and end trace cells from said start network node to said end network node; (c) for a pair of adjacent network nodes, inserting a message trace cell between said start and end trace cells; and (d) recording virtual path information between said pair of adjacent network nodes into said inserted message trace cell, wherein a message trace cell is used to record virtual path information for each pair of adjacent network nodes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: at said end network node, collecting said inserted message cell so that said virtual path information can be obtained.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 215 words
A method for recording path information in an ATM network, said network including a plurality of network nodes being named as N 0 , N 1 , . . ., N i , . . ., N m , said N 0 being a start network node and N m , an end network node, said method comprising the steps of: (a) at network node N 0 ,generating a start and an end trace cells; (b) sending said start and end trace cells from N 0 through said N i (i=1; 2, . . ., m); (c) between said start and end trace cells, inserting a plurality of message trace cells being named as F 1 , F 2 , . . ., F i , . . ., F m , said F i (i=1, 2, . . ., m) being capable of storing virtual path information between two adjacent network nodes N i-1 and N i (i=1, 2, . . ., m); and (d) recording virtual path information between N i-1 and N i (i=1, 2, . . ., m) into said inserted F i (i=1, 2, . . ., m) message trace cell, wherein a message trace cell is used to record virtual path information for each pair of adjacent network nodes.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 215 words
A method for recording path information in an ATM network, said network including a plurality of network nodes being named as N 0 , N 1 , . . ., N i , . . ., N m , said N 0 being a start network node and N m , an end network node, said method comprising the steps of: (a) at network node N 0 ,generating a start and an end trace cells; (b) sending said start and end trace cells from N 0 through said N i (i=1; 2, . . ., m); (c) between said start and end trace cells, inserting a plurality of message trace cells being named as F 1 , F 2 , . . ., F i , . . ., F m , said F i (i=1, 2, . . ., m) being capable of storing virtual path information between two adjacent network nodes N i-1 and N i (i=1, 2, . . ., m); and (d) recording virtual path information between N i-1 and N i (i=1, 2, . . ., m) into said inserted F i (i=1, 2, . . ., m) message trace cell, wherein a message trace cell is used to record virtual path information for each pair of adjacent network nodes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 32 words
The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of: at said network node N m , collecting said inserted message trace cells so that said virtual path information can be collected.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 130 words
A method for recording path information in an ATM network, said network including a plurality of network nodes having a start network node and an end network node, said method comprising the steps of: (a) at said start network node, generating a start trace cell and a sequence of empty message trace cells; (b) sending said start trace cell and said sequence of empty message trace cells from said start network node to said end network node; and (c) for a pair of adjacent network nodes, recording virtual path information between said pair of adjacent network nodes into an empty message trace cell in said sequence of empty message trace cells, wherein an empty message trace cell is used to record path information for each pair of adjacent network nodes.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 130 words
A method for recording path information in an ATM network, said network including a plurality of network nodes having a start network node and an end network node, said method comprising the steps of: (a) at said start network node, generating a start trace cell and a sequence of empty message trace cells; (b) sending said start trace cell and said sequence of empty message trace cells from said start network node to said end network node; and (c) for a pair of adjacent network nodes, recording virtual path information between said pair of adjacent network nodes into an empty message trace cell in said sequence of empty message trace cells, wherein an empty message trace cell is used to record path information for each pair of adjacent network nodes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of: at said end network node, collecting said message trace cell so that said virtual path information can be obtained.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method of claim 5, wherein said virtual path information is recorded into a first empty message trace cell in said sequence of empty message cells.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 157 words
A method for recording path information in an ATM network, said network including a plurality of network nodes being named as N 0 , N 1 , . . ., N i , . . ., N m , said N 0 being a start network node and N m an end network node, said method comprising the steps of: (a) at N 0 network node, generating a start trace cell and a sequence of empty message trace cells; (b) sending said start trace cell and sequence of empty message trace cells from N 0 through said N i (i=1; 2, . . ., m); and (c) recording virtual path information between N i-1 and N i (i=1, 2, . . ., m) into an empty message trace cell in said sequence of empty message trace cells, wherein an empty message trace cell is used to record virtual path information for each pair of adjacent network nodes.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 157 words
A method for recording path information in an ATM network, said network including a plurality of network nodes being named as N 0 , N 1 , . . ., N i , . . ., N m , said N 0 being a start network node and N m an end network node, said method comprising the steps of: (a) at N 0 network node, generating a start trace cell and a sequence of empty message trace cells; (b) sending said start trace cell and sequence of empty message trace cells from N 0 through said N i (i=1; 2, . . ., m); and (c) recording virtual path information between N i-1 and N i (i=1, 2, . . ., m) into an empty message trace cell in said sequence of empty message trace cells, wherein an empty message trace cell is used to record virtual path information for each pair of adjacent network nodes.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of: at N m network node, collecting said recorded message trace cells so that said path information can be collected.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 9, wherein said path information is recorded into a first empty message cell in said sequence of empty message trace cells.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5329527A Cited
US5299209A Cited
US5257311A Cited
US5343463A Cited
US5440565A Cited
US5337307A Cited
US5634097A Cited
US5384768A Cited
US5408461A Cited
US5331628A Cited
US5627836A Cited
US5675578A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2001-10-19 2002-04-20 2002-10-20 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2005-10-19 2006-04-20 2006-10-20 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2009-10-19 2010-04-20 2010-10-20 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag