The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 19, 2002
Filed:
Mar. 16, 1999
Thomas A. Manning, Northboro, MA (US);
David N. Peck, Northbridge, MA (US);
Robert Constantin, Cambridge, MA (US);
David E. Hammond, Bedford, NH (US);
Andrew Michal, Windham, NH (US);
Stephen R. Veit, Chesterfield, MO (US);
Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc., Richardson, TX (US);
Abstract
Each switch along a call setup path in a network decides whether the call request should be upgraded from a non-flow-controlled service type to a flow-controlled service type. Each switch bases the decision on whether a boolean variable for the calling subscriber that appears in a management information base (MIB) is set to a value indicating that the subscriber is entitled to the upgrade. In addition, the upgrade is performed only if an interface on the route to the called party on which the call setup request is to be forwarded supports flow-controlled connections. When the call is to be upgraded, the switch replaces the service type indicator in the setup message with a value indicating a flow-controlled service type, and forwards the setup message toward the called subscriber. If the MIB variable is set to a value indicating that the upgrade is not to be performed, it is still possible for a subscriber to request flow-controlled service directly, by indicating this service type in the original call setup message. Each switch also makes a call downgrade decision. When a call setup message is received requesting flow-controlled service but destined for an interface that does not support flow-controlled operation, the switch replaces the service type indicator in the outgoing setup message with a value indicating a non-flow-controlled service type.