US5889954A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Network manager providing advanced interconnection capability
Assignee: Ericsson Inc
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Filing: 1996-12-20
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Granted: 1999-03-30
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Expires: 2016-12-20
Abstract
Abstract A network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network having a plurality of nodes which communicate in a plurality of communications protocols. The network manager dynamically connects and disconnects each of the plurality of nodes to the network. The network manager also determines which of the plurality of communications protocols is utilized by each of the plurality of nodes, establishes connections between nodes which communicate in compatible communications protocols, and denies connections requested between nodes which communicate in incompatible communications protocols. The network manager includes a Design function and a Supervisory function. The Design function sets up the network, defines nodes, defines which nodes are to operate on which workstations, and establishes connections. The Supervisory function manages and operates the network. This includes launching the network, monitoring the nodes and links, and reconfiguring the network when requested. The Supervisory function initiates each node, dynamically takes nodes down and brings them back up again, severs links and reinstates them, and provides an operator with status information for each node and each link in the network. A Graphical User Interface is provided for operator interaction with the network manager.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert J. Gessel
- 👤 Thomas Kevin Autrey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 09:30
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L41/00; H04L41/08; H04L41/0803; H04L41/0813; H04L41/0816; H04L41/14; H04L41/145; H04L41/20; H04L41/22; H04L43/00; H04L43/08; H04L43/0805; H04L43/0811; H04L43/0817
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 41
Claim 1
Independent Claim
103 words
A network manager for automatically configuring and controlling in real time a simulated telecommunications network having a plurality of nodes which communicate in a plurality of communications protocols, said network manager comprising: means for connecting each of said plurality of nodes to said network manager; means for disconnecting each of said plurality of nodes from said network manager; means for determining which of said plurality of communications protocols is utilized by each of said plurality of nodes; means for establishing connections between nodes which communicate in compatible communications protocols; and means for denying connections requested between nodes which communicate in incompatible communications protocols.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
103 words
A network manager for automatically configuring and controlling in real time a simulated telecommunications network having a plurality of nodes which communicate in a plurality of communications protocols, said network manager comprising: means for connecting each of said plurality of nodes to said network manager; means for disconnecting each of said plurality of nodes from said network manager; means for determining which of said plurality of communications protocols is utilized by each of said plurality of nodes; means for establishing connections between nodes which communicate in compatible communications protocols; and means for denying connections requested between nodes which communicate in incompatible communications protocols.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 1 further comprising means for dynamically reconfiguring said network in real time upon connecting one of said plurality of nodes to said network and upon disconnecting one of said plurality of nodes to said network.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 2 wherein said means for connecting each of said plurality of nodes to said network manager includes means for connecting at least one telecommunication system emulator.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 2 wherein said means for connecting each of said plurality of nodes to said network manager includes means for connecting at least one communications protocol simulator.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 2 wherein said means for connecting each of said plurality of nodes to said network manager includes means for connecting at least one target telecommunications hardware node.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 1 further comprising means for allocating said plurality of nodes to a plurality of workstations.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 6 further comprising: means for initializing each of said plurality of workstations; and means for designating each of said plurality to workstations to execute specified emulation software programs.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 7 wherein said means for designating each of said plurality to workstations to execute specified emulation software programs includes means for designating one of said plurality of workstations to execute more than one specified emulation software program.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein said means for establishing connections between nodes which communicate in compatible communications protocols includes means for interconnecting nodes by remote shell to a specified workstation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein said connections between nodes which communicate in compatible communications protocols are UNIX sockets.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
91 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein said connections between nodes which communicate in compatible communications protocols include: means for encapsulating messages in a telecommunications protocol in the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol; means for connecting a first node to a network utilizing a first Internet socket connection; means for connecting a second node to the network utilizing a second Internet socket connection; and means for transmitting encapsulated telecommunications protocol messages via said network from said first node to said second node.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 11 wherein said network is the Internet.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 1 further comprising means for monitoring data as said data passes between said nodes.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 1 further comprising a Graphical User Interface (GUI) which enables an operator to configure and control said network by dragging and dropping icons and lines on a display screen.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
97 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein said means for establishing connections between nodes which communicate in compatible communications protocols includes: a plurality of Connection Information (CI) blocks, each of which includes information necessary to complete a connection to a particular one of said plurality of nodes in said network; a plurality of Connection Blocks (CBs), each of which is an abstraction of a particular connection endpoint; a pointer within each originating CB to an associated CI block; and a pointer within each CI block to a terminating CB.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 1 further comprising means for interfacing said network manager with at least one other network manager.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
A network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network having a plurality of nodes which communicate in a plurality of communications protocols, said network manager comprising: a Designer function that sets up the network; and a Supervisory function that dynamically controls the network.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
45 words
A network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network having a plurality of nodes which communicate in a plurality of communications protocols, said network manager comprising: a Designer function that sets up the network; and a Supervisory function that dynamically controls the network.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
45 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 17 wherein said Designer function includes: means for defining said plurality of nodes; and means for establishing an initial network configuration by allocating each of said plurality of nodes to a workstation.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
48 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 17 wherein said Supervisory function includes: means for monitoring the status of each of said plurality of nodes; means for monitoring the status of links between said nodes; and means for dynamically reconfiguring said network.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
53 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 19 wherein said means for dynamically reconfiguring said network includes a Graphical User Interface (GUI) which enables an operator to reconfigure said network by dragging and dropping icons and lines on a display screen while said network continues to operate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 17 further comprising a Monitor function which displays to an operator, message data being transmitted between any two of said plurality of nodes in said network.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
62 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 21 wherein said Monitor function utilizes a Graphical User Interface (GUI) through which an operator may view on a display screen, message data being transmitted between any two of said plurality of nodes by placing a monitor icon over a graphical representation of a link between said two nodes.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
53 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 17 further comprising a Protocol Simulator Based Monitor (PSBM) function which decodes message data being transmitted between any two of said plurality of nodes in said network and displays said decoded message data to an operator in a user-friendly format.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
39 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 17 further comprising means for broadcasting a socket-based SS7 message from an originating node in the network to a plurality of receiving nodes in the network.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
71 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 24 wherein said means for broadcasting a socket-based SS7 message from an originating node in the network to a plurality of receiving nodes in the network includes a broadcast function which connects the originating node to the plurality of receiving nodes and enables identical messages to be sent from the originating node to each of the receiving nodes.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
35 words
The network manager for configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 25 wherein said broadcast function includes means for enabling a plurality of originating nodes to broadcast messages to a single receiving node.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of automatically configuring and controlling in real time a simulated telecommunications network having a plurality of nodes which communicate in a plurality of communications protocols, said method comprising the steps of: connecting each of said plurality of nodes to said network manager; determining which of said plurality of communications protocols is utilized by each of said plurality of nodes; establishing connections between nodes which communicate in compatible communications protocols; and denying connections requested between nodes which communicate in incompatible communications protocols.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of automatically configuring and controlling in real time a simulated telecommunications network having a plurality of nodes which communicate in a plurality of communications protocols, said method comprising the steps of: connecting each of said plurality of nodes to said network manager; determining which of said plurality of communications protocols is utilized by each of said plurality of nodes; establishing connections between nodes which communicate in compatible communications protocols; and denying connections requested between nodes which communicate in incompatible communications protocols.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 27 further comprising the step of dynamically reconfiguring said network in real time upon connecting one of said plurality of nodes to said network and upon disconnecting one of said plurality of nodes to said network.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 28 wherein said step of connecting each of said plurality of nodes to said network manager includes connecting at least one telecommunication system emulator.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 28 wherein said step of connecting each of said plurality of nodes to said network manager includes connecting at least one communications protocol simulator.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 28 wherein said step of connecting each of said plurality of nodes to said network manager includes connecting at least one target telecommunications hardware node.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 27 further comprising the step of allocating said plurality of nodes to a plurality of workstations.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 32 further comprising the steps of: initializing each of said plurality of workstations; and designating each of said plurality to workstations to execute specified emulation software programs.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 33 wherein said step of designating each of said plurality to workstations to execute specified emulation software programs includes designating one of said plurality of workstations to execute more than one specified emulation software program.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 27 wherein said step of establishing connections between nodes which communicate in compatible communications protocols includes interconnecting nodes by remote shell to a specified workstation.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 27 wherein said step of establishing connections between nodes which communicate in compatible communications protocols includes establishing said connections with UNIX sockets.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 27 further comprising the step of monitoring data as said data passes between said nodes.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of configuring and controlling a simulated telecommunications network of claim 27 further comprising the step of enabling an operator to dynamically control said network by dragging and dropping icons and lines on a display screen utilizing a Graphical User Interface (GUI).
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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) | 2002-03-29 | 2002-09-28 | 2003-03-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-03-29 | 2006-09-28 | 2007-03-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-03-29 | 2010-09-28 | 2011-03-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |