Lucent Technologies Inc.

At+t Corp.

Stuart Warmink

Mark Michael Clougherty

Peter Allen Dempsey

Kyoo J Lee

Michael W Goodwin

Jay Wang

Robert D Trachtenberg

Lakshmanan Parameswaran

David L Sprague

Alexis M Butrym

Yik-Ming Ho

Kin Ling Leung

Yannis Magiros

The extended messaging scheme adds additional packet formats to the prior art 6-byte Lucent Access Interface Unit (AIU) Message Format of Table 1. The extended messaging scheme supports multi-packet messaging over telecommunication system configurations not supported by the prior art AIU Message Format. In one implementation, the extended messaging scheme includes (1) a &ldquo;first-of-many&rdquo; packet format for the initial data packets of messages requiring more than one 6-byte data packet, (2) a &ldquo;continuation&rdquo; packet format for the one or more subsequent data packets corresponding to such multi-packet messages, and (3) a &ldquo;first-and-only&rdquo; packet format for messages requiring only a single data packet. The extended messaging scheme enables telecommunication systems to be configured with one or more (possibly non-co-located) client terminals in addition to a main remote terminal to provide telecommunication services to a large number of widely distributed customers.

Extended messaging scheme for point-to-point communications

Reducing code size of debug output statements

A method for handling upgrades of systems comprising two circuit packs which contain memory. In one embodiment, on some trigger signal to a circuit pack, that circuit pack acts as a slave circuit pack, and causes version information for the data stored in the memory of the second circuit pack, which acts as a master circuit pack, to be transferred to the slave circuit pack. If the transferred version information indicates that the data in the slave circuit pack should be updated, the slave circuit pack causes a transfer of information from memory in the master circuit pack to the slave circuit pack, and stores the new information in the memory of the slave circuit pack.

Circuit pack system with semi-or fully-automatic upgrade capability

A central controller, such as an RF distribution shelf (RFDS) of a hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) access system, keeps track of the different channels assigned to different remote units, such as the network interface units (NIUs) of the HFC system. Information about the different channel assignments (e.g., for upstream channels) is broadcast to the remote units as part of the overhead bits in each of the downstream channels. Each remote unit monitors the broadcast messages and, over time, updates its own version of the data structure containing the channel assignments, as appropriate. In one embodiment, the central controller also transmits a second type of broadcast message indicating when changes in the channel assignments occur. In this embodiment, the second type of broadcast message is transmitted more frequently than the entire data structure containing the channel assignments, and the remote units only update their copies of the data structure when the second type of broadcast message indicates a change in the data structure.

Channel switching control for a communication system

A data system, such as a computer network or a telecommunications system, has a base station and a number of nodes called network interface units (NIUs). Each NIU is assigned to one of a number of groups of NIUs. The base station transmits special data to the NIUs indicating which groups of NIUs are currently authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station, where only the authorized NIUs are allowed to transmit upstream messages. When message collisions in the upstream direction becomes a problem, the base station can reduce the number of NIU groups that are authorized at any given time to transmit upstream messages, in order to attempt to reduce the rate of message collisions. In one possible embodiment, each NIU is assigned horizontal and vertical group words that identify to which group it is assigned. The special data contain additional horizontal and vertical code words that are monitored by the NIUs. If the bits in the downstream code words appropriately match the corresponding bits in the NIU's assigned group words, then the NIU recognizes that it is authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station. Otherwise, it is not. The horizontal and vertical code words correspond to two-dimensional patterns that indicate which subset of NIU groups are authorized at any given time. By cycling through a series of 2D patterns, the base station ensures that each NIU is authorized at least some of the time. Depending on the number of bits in the code words, a back-off scheme can be designed with different back-off levels, each of which authorizes a different number of groups to transmit. The base station can progressively decrease the rate of upstream transmission by selecting back-off levels with fewer and fewer NIU groups authorized to transmit.

Bandwidth control in a packet-based data system

A special network interface unit (NIU) for a communication system, called a super NIU, simulates operations of multiple NIUs, called virtual NIUs, for such purposes as testing other components of the communication system. The super NIU has a real (i.e., actual) NIU that communicates with a message simulator implemented on a PC configured with the actual NIU. The component to be tested (e.g., the host digital terminal of the communication system) sends downstream messages intended for the virtual NIUs to the super NIU, which handles the downstream messages, generates any necessary upstream messages from the virtual NIUs, and transmits the upstream messages back to the component. In one embodiment, some of the downstream messages are handled by the actual NIU without assistance from the computer, while, for other downstream messages, the computer receives and processes the downstream messages from the actual NIU, and generates and transmits any necessary upstream messages from the virtual NIUs back to the actual NIU, which forwards the upstream messages to the component to be tested.

Simulator for multiple network interface units

A transmit-receive unit (TRU) which includes interface circuitry for interconnection with another TRU. Interconnect lines can carry PCM data to and from a line interface unit as well as share system information between the two transmit-receive units. An embedded operation channel data path multiplexer (EDP) also permits transmission of data between the transmit-receive unit and a bank controller unit over a service request lead.

Growing community of inventors

Morristown, NJ, United States of America

Stuart Warmink