Abstract: A method for determining a restoration path for a new service in a mesh network involves selecting between candidate restoration paths corresponding to a primary path for the new service based on the shared-risk link groups (SRLGs) associated with links in the primary path. The method includes, for each of a plurality of candidate restoration paths associated with the primary path, (1) determining whether the primary path requires any additional restoration bandwidth to be reserved on any link of the restoration path based on whether, for each link of the restoration path, the primary path is SRLG-disjoint from each other primary path that is protected by that link, (2) generating a path cost for the restoration path, where the path cost is a function of whether any additional restoration bandwidth is required; and (3) selecting the restoration path for the new service based on the path cost.

Abstract: A communication device includes a transmitter portion, a receiver portion and a management portion. The transmitter portion transmits information into a channel. The receiver portion receives information from the channel. The management portion includes a request-to-send packet generating portion, a clear-to-send packet receiving portion, a threshold database, a comparator and a resolution packet generating portion. The threshold database stores a threshold value for the parameter of the channel and provides the threshold value to the comparator. The comparator compares the threshold value and the channel parameter information and generates an instruction signal based on the comparison. The resolution packet generating portion generates a resolution packet based on the instruction signal and provides the resolution packet to the transmitter portion.

Abstract: A method for representing, in a network data structure, a minimum amount of protection bandwidth required to be reserved on each link in a mesh network, to restore service upon failure of another node or link in the network. The method includes (1) receiving a request for a new service in the network, wherein the new service is represented by a service data structure having an identification of each link and transit node in a primary path for the new service, (2) determining, using the network and service data structures, whether the new service requires additional protection bandwidth to be reserved on any link in the network, and (3) updating the network data structure if any additional protection bandwidth is determined to be needed. In one implementation the network and service data structures are vectors and the steps of determining and updating involve vector operations between these structures.

Abstract: A communication device and method are provided for communicating with a receiving device over a channel within a mobile ad-hoc network. The receiving device includes a clear-to-send (CTS) packet generating portion that can generate and a CTS packet based on a parameter of the channel and that can transmit the CTS packet over the channel. The communication device includes a transmitter portion, a receiver portion and a management portion. The transmitter portion can transmit information into the channel. The receiver portion can receive information from the channel. The management portion includes a request-to-send (RTS) packet generating portion, a CTS packet receiving portion, a threshold database, a comparator and an RES packet generating portion. The management portion is in communication with the transmitter portion and the receiver portion. The RTS packet generating portion can generate a RTS packet and can provide the RTS packet to the transmitter portion.

Abstract: A method for determining primary and restoration paths for a new service in a mesh network involves (1) for each of a plurality of candidate primary/restoration path pairs for the new service, generating a path cost for each candidate pair, where the path cost for each restoration path is a function of the sum of the cost of links within the restoration path, and (2) selecting the primary and restoration paths for the new service from the plurality of candidate path pairs based on the path cost. If no sharing is possible, for low utilization links, the cost of links is a function of the administrative weight of the link, whereas for high utilization links, the link cost is a function of the inverse of the available capacity on the link. If sharing is possible, the cost is a function of the inverse of a sharing degree for the link.

Abstract: An architecture for quality-of-service (QoS) management creates a logical circuit-switched network within a packet network to support QoS-sensitive demands levied on the network. This QoS-managed network can serve to interwork, e.g., a PSTN with VoIP networks. The architecture can include a connection resource manager (CRM), which oversees bandwidth availability and demand admission/rejection on dynamically provisioned virtual trunk groups (VTGs) within the packet network, and a transport bandwidth controller (TBC). The VTGs serve to transport QoS-sensitive demands across the packet network. The TBC serves the CRM by providing an interface to routers and/or OAM systems of the packet network to size VTGs to meet QoS requirements. Media switches located at the packet network borders serve to mux/demux the demands into/from VTGs. CRMs and TBCs can be implemented as centralized, distributed, or hierarchical, and flat and aggregated variants of the architecture are supported.

Abstract: An extension to a connection setup protocol for establishment of a restoration path for a service in a mesh network involves, at a transit node along the restoration path, the steps of (1) receiving a service data structure having an identification of each link and transit node in a primary path for the service, and (2) determining whether to reserve additional protection bandwidth on an outgoing link incident to the transit node using the service data structure, wherein the outgoing link is part of the restoration path. In one or more embodiments, the service data structure includes identification of the service, identification of the outgoing link, and bandwidth of the service. In some cases, the extension involves reserving the additional protection bandwidth on the outgoing link, if the transit node determines that the protection bandwidth is required, based upon knowledge of the protection bandwidth already reserved on the outgoing link.

Abstract: Multiple requests to set up and/or tear down connections in a node of a communication network (or multiple failure notifications) are bundled together for transmission within the network. In an “inter-nodal” embodiment, multiple connection requests/failure notifications are bundled together as a single message for transmission between pairs of nodes in the network. In an “intra-nodal” embodiment, multiple connection requests/failure notifications received at one component of a node in the network are bundled together as a single group for forwarding to another component within the same node for implementation. In either case, the bundling of multiple connection requests/failure notifications can reduce the total amount of time required to communicate and implement the desired connection requests/restoration processing. This reduction in time can be critical to the ability of a network to satisfy requirements associated with restoration processing following a network fault.

Abstract: A method for determining a restoration path for a new service in a mesh network involves selecting between candidate restoration paths corresponding to a primary path for the new service based on the shared-risk link groups (SRLGs) associated with links in the primary path. The method includes, for each of a plurality of candidate restoration paths associated with the primary path, (1) determining whether the primary path requires any additional restoration bandwidth to be reserved on any link of the restoration path based on whether, for each link of the restoration path, the primary path is SRLG-disjoint from each other primary path that is protected by that link, (2) generating a path cost for the restoration path, where the path cost is a function of whether any additional restoration bandwidth is required; and (3) selecting the restoration path for the new service based on the path cost.

Abstract: An extension to a connection setup protocol for establishment of a restoration path for a service in a mesh network involves, at a transit node along the restoration path, the steps of (1) receiving a service data structure having an identification of each link and transit node in a primary path for the service, and (2) determining whether to reserve additional protection bandwidth on an outgoing link incident to the transit node using the service data structure, wherein the outgoing link is part of the restoration path. In one or more embodiments, the service data structure includes identification of the service, identification of the outgoing link, and bandwidth of the service. In some cases, the extension involves reserving the additional protection bandwidth on the outgoing link, if the transit node determines that the protection bandwidth is required, based upon knowledge of the protection bandwidth already reserved on the outgoing link.

Abstract: A method for determining primary and restoration paths for a new service in a mesh network involves (1) for each of a plurality of candidate primary/restoration path pairs for the new service, generating a path cost for each candidate pair, where the path cost for each restoration path is a function of the sum of the cost of links within the restoration path, and (2) selecting the primary and restoration paths for the new service from the plurality of candidate path pairs based on the path cost. If no sharing is possible, for low utilization links, the cost of links is a function of the administrative weight of the link, whereas for high utilization links, the link cost is a function of the inverse of the available capacity on the link. If sharing is possible, the cost is a function of the inverse of a sharing degree for the link.

Abstract: A method for representing, in a network data structure, a minimum amount of protection bandwidth required to be reserved on each link in a mesh network, to restore service upon failure of another node or link in the network. The method includes (1) receiving a request for a new service in the network, wherein the new service is represented by a service data structure having an identification of each link and transit node in a primary path for the new service, (2) determining, using the network and service data structures, whether the new service requires additional protection bandwidth to be reserved on any link in the network, and (3) updating the network data structure if any additional protection bandwidth is determined to be needed. In one implementation the network and service data structures are vectors and the steps of determining and updating involve vector operations between these structures.

Abstract: Multiple requests to set up and/or tear down connections in a node of a communication network (or multiple failure notifications) are bundled together for transmission within the network. In an “inter-nodal” embodiment, multiple connection requests/failure notifications are bundled together as a single message for transmission between pairs of nodes in the network. In an “intra-nodal” embodiment, multiple connection requests/failure notifications received at one component of a node in the network are bundled together as a single group for forwarding to another component within the same node for implementation. In either case, the bundling of multiple connection requests/failure notifications can reduce the total amount of time required to communicate and implement the desired connection requests/restoration processing. This reduction in time can be critical to the ability of a network to satisfy requirements associated with restoration processing following a network fault.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing a virtual circuit network is disclosed that enables hand-off management. An illustrative embodiment establishes a virtual ciruit by receiving, at a radio port, a virtual circuit identifier from a wireless terminal and attaching the virtual circuit identifier to an OA&M cell. The radio port then transmits, over a pre-established unidirectional virtual ciruit, the OA&M cell to a radio port manager.

Abstract: An Asynchronous Transfer(ATM) network comprising a plurality of ATM switches may be arranged so that it receives calls from Synchronous Transfer Mode (STM) switches that employ out-of-band signaling such that the ATM switches communicate telephone call signaling information between each other and the STM switches via an out-of-band signaling network associated with the ATM network and interface with out-of-band networks associated with the STM switches.

Abstract: The retransmission of signaling messages that data terminals (e.g., modems) might exchange prior to exchanging user data is controlled by arranging a data terminal that receives multiple copies of the same signaling message so that it saves only the first copy thereof, but transmits a response to the sending terminal following receipt of each such copy. The sending terminal terminates its transmission of the signaling message upon receipt of a response from the receiving terminal. The inventive procedure is especially advantageous for controlling the retransmission of signaling messages during a n-way handshake between two terminals.

Abstract: A telecommunications architecture using ATM based technology is disclosed that supports wireless communications. Some embodiments of the present invention may provide a mechanism for hand-off, which has fewer costs and restrictions than other hand-off schemes the in the prior art. In one embodiment a plurality of virtual circuit identifiers is created such that each is unambiquously associated with the others. The virtual circuit identifiers are then transmitted to a wireless terminal, via a first radio port. Subsequently, the wireless terminal transmits one of the virtual circuit identifiers to second radio port.

Abstract: An Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network comprising a plurality of ATM switches may be arranged so that it may receive for routing telephone calls originating at Synchronous Transfer Mode (STM) switches. This may be done in the ATM network by accumulating voice signals as they are received from a STM switch and forming an ATM data-cell payload when the accumulation includes a predetermined number of the voice signals, e.g., 48 voice signals. The payload and a header, including a virtual channel identifier determined as a function of the identity of the STM trunk over which the voice signals were received, may then be supplied to an associated ATM switch for routing to an intended destination.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting and/or receiving packets (e.g., CDMA packets, CDPD packets, etc.) that are associated with different channels and which are multiplexed via a single channel (e.g., an ATM Channel).

Abstract: Congestion in a high speed connection oriented packet network carrying bursty data and real time service is avoided by a novel in-call negotiation scheme for reserving bandwidth for real time calls and reserving buffer capacity for bursty calls.For a real time call, a centralized call controller in each switch in the network determines which of its outgoing trunks has available to it the peak bandwidth needed to accommodate the call. Once one of these trunks is found, the call routing is set up so that the call is directed through that trunk and the peak bandwidth requirement of the call is allocated on that output trunk for the duration of the call.The network contains one or more switches, each of which has a centralized call controller and a plurality of trunk controllers. The call controller routes calls from a plurality of input trunks to a plurality of output trunks, identifies kinds of calls, and allocates bandwidth on the output trunks.