Patents by Inventor Christopher Appleton

Christopher Appleton has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method and apparatus for determining and resolving missing topology features of a network for improved topology accuracy
    Patent number: 7076564
    Abstract: The present invention describes a method and apparatus for resolving anomalies within a network topology map that typically occur when a derived topology map fails, for a variety of reasons, to include devices resident on the network. The method of the present invention discovers missing devices by identifying a conflicting link within a received topology map, the conflicting link comprising a source and one or more conflicting destinations. The conflicting link is resolved through the use of one or more virtual devices within the topology map. The conflicting link is replaced with a link to a virtual device based upon the resolution of the conflicting link, thereby eliminating the anomaly in the topology map. The step of resolving the conflicting link may also comprise the steps of determining a number of conflicting destinations from the source of the conflicting link, resolving the source of the conflicting link, and resolving the conflicting destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Micromuse Ltd.
    Inventors: Hing Wing To, Christopher Appleton
  • Method and apparatus for determining and resolving missing topology features of a network for improved topology accuracy
    Publication number: 20040193705
    Abstract: The present invention describes a method and apparatus for resolving anomalies within a network topology map that typically occur when a derived topology map fails, for a variety of reasons, to include devices resident on the network. The method of the present invention discovers missing devices by identifying a conflicting link within a received topology map, the conflicting link comprising a source and one or more conflicting destinations. The conflicting link is resolved through the use of one or more virtual devices within the topology map. The conflicting link is replaced with a link to a virtual device based upon the resolution of the conflicting link, thereby eliminating the anomaly in the topology map. The step of resolving the conflicting link may also comprise the steps of determining a number of conflicting destinations from the source of the conflicting link, resolving the source of the conflicting link, and resolving the conflicting destination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Inventors: Hing Wing To, Christopher Appleton