Technique for use in conjunction with an ISDN terminal adapter for expeditiously and automatically performing ISDN switch type detection and SPID configuration

Apparatus for automatically configuring a service profile identifier (SPID) to be used with data terminal equipment (DTE), the DTE adapted to be connected through data circuit terminating equipment (DCE) to a local integrated services digital network (ISDN) switch, the apparatus comprising, in either the DTE or DCE:

• processor;
• a memory, connected to the processor, for storing both executable instructions and a database of pre-defined SPID formats, for a plurality of different types of ISDN switches, wherein corresponding ones of the SPID formats to be used with each one of said switch types are ordered in terms of relative popularity of usage of the corresponding formats with said one switch type so as to form a corresponding set of SPID formats for each of said switch types;
• wherein, in response to the stored instructions, the processor:
• a) sends a preliminary initialization request message containing a SPID in a pre-defined generic SPID format to the local ISDN switch;
• and
• b) analyzes a responding message, issued by the switch to the preliminary initialization request message, to determine whether the local ISDN switch initialized in response to the SPID in the generic format, and, based on a format of the responding message, the type of the local ISDN switch;
• and
• c) if the responding message indicates that initialization did not succeed:
• d) generates, using the database of SPID formats, and sends to the local ISDN switch, connected to the DCE, an initialization request message for undertaking initialization with the local ISDN switch, wherein the request message contains a SPID having a most popularly used SPID format in the set corresponding to a type of the local ISDN switch;
• and
• e) successively repeats operation (d) but with a next successive most popularly used one of the SPID formats in the set corresponding to the type of the local switch, so as to form a separate successive initialization request message having a SPID in the format of the next successive most popularly used SPID format in the set, until either initialization occurs or all the SPID formats in the set corresponding to the type of the local ISDN switch are exhausted.

In apparatus for automatically configuring a service profile identifier (SPID) to be used with data terminal equipment (DTE), the DTE adapted to be connected through data circuit terminating equipment (DCE) to a local integrated services digital network (ISDN) switch, the apparatus situated in either the DTE or DCE and having:

• a processor, and
• a memory, connected to the processor, for storing both executable instructions and a database of pre-defined SPID formats, for a plurality of different types of ISDN switches, wherein corresponding one's of the SPID formats to be used with each one of said switch types are ordered in terms of relative popularity of usage of the corresponding formats with said one switch type so as to form a corresponding set of SPID formats for each of said switch types;
• the method comprising the steps of:
• generating, using the database of SPID formats, and sends to the local ISDN switch, connected to the DCE, an initialization request message for undertaking initialization with the local ISDN switch, wherein the request message contains a SPID having a most popularly used SPID format in the set corresponding to a type of the local ISDN switch;
• and
• successively repeating the generating step but with a next successive most popularly used one of the SPID formats in the set corresponding to the type of the local switch, so as to form a separate successive initialization request message having a SPID in the format of the next successive most popularly used SPID format in the set, until either initialization occurs or all the SPID formats in the set corresponding to the type of the local ISDN switch are exhausted.

In apparatus for automatically configuring a service profile identifier (SPID) to be used with data terminal equipment (DTE), the DTE adapted to be connected through data circuit terminating equipment (DCE) to a local integrated services digital network (ISDN) switch, the apparatus situated in either the DTE or DCE and having:

• a processor, and
• a memory, connected to the processor, for storing both executable instructions and a database of pre-defined SPID formats, for a plurality of different types of ISDN switches, wherein corresponding ones of the SPID formats to be used with each one of said switch types are ordered in terms of relative popularity of usage of the corresponding formats with said one switch type so as to form a corresponding set of SPID formats for each of said switch types;
• the method comprising the steps of:
• sending a preliminary initialization request message containing a SPID in a pre-defined generic SPID format to the local ISDN switch;
• and
• analyzing a responding message, issued by the switch to the preliminary initialization request message, to determine whether the local ISDN switch initialized in response to the SPID in the generic format, and, based on a format of the responding message, the type of the local ISDN switch;
• and
• if the responding message indicates that initialization did not succeed:
• generating, using the database of SPID formats, and sends to the local ISDN switch, connected to the DCE, an initialization request message for undertaking initialization with the local ISDN switch, wherein the request message contains a SPID having a most popularly used SPID format in the set corresponding to a type of the local ISDN switch;
• and
• successively repeating the generating step but with a next successive most popularly used one of the SPID formats in the set corresponding to the type of the local switch, so as to form a separate successive initialization request message having a SPID in the format of the next successive most popularly used SPID format in the set, until either initialization occurs or all the SPID formats in the set corresponding to the type of the local ISDN switch are exhausted.