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:
May. 30, 2006
Filed:
Nov. 02, 2001
Robert Mcnamara, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Greg M. Bernstein, Fremont, CA (US);
Robert A. Levin, Riva, MD (US);
Srinivasa Hebbar, Columbia, MD (US);
Robert McNamara, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Greg M. Bernstein, Fremont, CA (US);
Robert A. Levin, Riva, MD (US);
Srinivasa Hebbar, Columbia, MD (US);
CIENA Corporation, Linthicum, MD (US);
Abstract
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is a method of detecting network elements in an optical communications network. The method includes an initiating network element generating a neighbor discovery message including a requested hierarchy level at which neighbor discovery is requested and transmitting the neighbor discovery message downstream along the optical communications network. A downstream network element receives the neighbor discovery message, determines if the downstream network element operates at the requested hierarchy level. The downstream network element generates a responding neighbor discovery message if the downstream network element operates at the requested hierarchy level and transmits the responding neighbor discovery message to the initiating network element. Alternate embodiments include a system and storage medium for implementing the method.