Back to results
US 5,636,203 AGranted
Method and system for identifying fault locations in a communications network
AssigneeMCI, Inc.
InventorJasvantrai C. Shah
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeMCI, Inc.
InventorJasvantrai C. Shah
Estimating the term…
All nodes on a malfunctioned communications circuit of a communications network are enabled to identify the location of the fault causing the circuit malfunction. Upon detecting an incoming signal impairment on the circuit, each node on the circuit first assumes that the failure is on the segment of the circuit immediately upstream thereof, and accordingly sends an identifier of that fault location to its downstream nodes. Each node periodically repeats sending its identifier to its downstream nodes. A node that has sent its identifier at least a predetermined number of times without receiving a similar identifier from another node upstream thereof or without having detected a normal signal during all that time is determined to have sent out an identifier that correctly identifies the fault location on the communications circuit. If, on the other hand, a node receives a fault location identifier from a node upstream thereof before it has completed sending its identifier a predetermined number of times, then that node would stop sending its own identifier downstream. And upon receiving the same fault location identifier from an upstream node a predetermined number of times, that node further recognizes that the received identifier represents the correct location of the fault. The fault location identification process is terminated if the signal returns to the normal condition during the process.
In a communications network having a plurality of nodes and a plurality of communications circuits interconnecting said nodes, each of said nodes along a communications circuit having detected a fault signal caused by a fault in said communications circuit, a method for said each node along said communications circuit to identify the location of said fault in said circuit, comprising the steps of:
A method of identifying to all nodes of a communications path of a telecommunications network the location of a fault along said path when said fault occurs in said path, said network having a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of circuits, said path including a number of said nodes interconnected by a number of said circuits, said method comprising the step of:
A method of identifying to all nodes of a communications path of a telecommunications network the location of a malfunctioned span along said path, said network having a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of spans, said path including a number of said nodes interconnected by a number of said spans, said method comprising the steps of:
System for identifying to all nodes of a communications path of a telecommunications network the location of a fault along said path when said fault occurs in said path, said network having a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of circuits, said path including a number of said nodes interconnected by a number of said circuits, said system comprising:
System for identifying to all nodes of a communications path of a telecommunications network the location of a malfunctioned span along said path, said network having a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of spans, said path including a number of said nodes interconnected by a number of said spans, said system comprising:
In a communications network having a plurality of nodes and a plurality of communications circuits interconnecting said nodes, each of said nodes along a communications circuit having detected a fault signal caused by a fault in said communications circuit, apparatus in said each node for identifying the location of said fault in said circuit, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.