Path testing and/or monitoring within a multiple node telecommunication system

Abstract

A multiple node telecommunication system path identification technique enabling expedited path testing and/or monitoring, and providing rapid confirmation upon completion of a successful testing and/or monitoring function. The technique eliminates erroneous system alarms arising from a properly transmitted PID arriving at a given node prior to the receipt at that node of the correct PID from a system controller. This is accomplished by employing a memory at each system node capable of storing the most recent PID sent to the node by the system controller, the previous PID sent to the node by the system controller, and the PID received from another system node, or from a transmitter linked to a system transmission path. Each of the nodes within the telecommunication system facilitating the technique is further adapted to accept a PID received via a transmission path without triggering an alarm, if that received PID matches either the most recent or previous PIDs received from the system controller. The nodes are also configured to tolerate a mismatch between a PID received via a transmission path and the stored PIDs received from the system controller for a specified period of time before initiating an alarm, so that if the mismatch may be reconciled if it is merely an erroneous condition brought about by a delay in communication between the node and the system controller.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.