Abstract: The present invention provides a wireless telecommunications system comprising an interface mechanism for allocating a radio slot for a wireless link between a central terminal and a subscriber terminal within said wireless telecommunications system. At least one frequency channel is provided to support wireless links between the central terminal and the subscriber terminal, and a frequency channel is arranged to provide a plurality of radio slots. The interface mechanism comprises a radio manager, responsive to an indiction that a call is to be established, for issuing an allocation request message to a radio slave within the central terminal requesting that radio slave to allocate a radio slot for the call.

Abstract: A first aspect of the invention discloses a local server station for controlling a wireless telecommunications system comprising a plurality of remote server stations and client stations, the local server station comprising: an object based control system maintained at the local server station for controlling the wireless telecommunications system wherein the local server station is connected by way of an interface with at least one control station of the wireless telecommunications system, and a reconfigurable dynamic interface for communication with at least one of the remote servers and/or client stations.

Abstract: Message packets for passing control information between a central telecommunications station and a controller for one or more telecommunications stations include: a packet header including a packet start pattern and a message size identifier for individually setting a message size for respective packets; a variable number of message records, each having a size relating to the message size selected for the packet; and a packet terminator including a unique packet end pattern invalid as an initial bit sequence for a message record. The tracking of transmissions is facilitated by the use of cyclical sequence numbers and an arrangement whereby up to a predetermined number of messages may be sent without an acknowledgment.

Abstract: The present invention provides a client station and method for controlling a telecommunications system, the telecommunications system including a central station and a server station. The server station is arranged to maintain an object model thereon representing the central station, and is connectable to the central station to send control signals to the central station in accordance with the object model. The client station comprises a communications manager for establishing a connection with the server station to enable communication between the client station and the server station, thereby enabling the client station to manage the object model maintained on the server. The client station has a memory for storing a portion of the object model, and a retrieval means for retrieving from the server station, as required by the client station, additional objects of the object model for expanding the portion of the object model stored in the memory.

Abstract: The present invention provides a client station and method for controlling a telecommunications system, the telecommunications system including a central station and a server station. The server station is arranged to maintain an object model thereon representing the central station, and is connectable to the central station to send control signals to the central station in accordance with the object model. The client station comprises a communications manager for establishing first and second interfaces with the server station to enable communication between the client station and the server station, thereby to manage the object model maintained on the server. The client station has a memory for storing a portion of the object model, and a processor for processing commands received by the client station via the first interface from a queue maintained on the server station.

Abstract: The present invention provides a client station and method for controlling a telecommunications system, the telecommunications system including a central station and a server station. The server station is arranged to maintain an object model thereon representing the central station, and is connectable to the central station to send control signals to the central station in accordance with the object model. The client station comprises a communications manager for establishing a connection with the server station to enable communication between the client station and the server station, thereby to manage the object model maintained on the server. The client station has a memory for storing a portion of the object model, and a processor for processing commands received by the client station to determine whether status information associated with each object in the portion of the object model should be altered, and for altering the status information based on said commands.

Abstract: A protocol converter for a wireless telecommunications system, the protocol converter comprising: an interface for receiving first protocol message packets from at least one control station of the telecommunications system and for transmitting first protocol message packets to the at least one control station; and a server in communication with the interface for maintaining the protocol converter and an object based telecommunications system control system; wherein the protocol converter converts first protocol message packets received from the interface into operations and converts operations into first protocol message packets for subsequent transmission to the at least one control station via the interface, the operations being received from and applied to the object based control system maintained in the server thereby to control the wireless telecommunications system.

Abstract: A message handler for the transmission and/or reception of message packets in one or both directions between a telecommunications station and a controller for one or more telecommunications stations, has a number of control layers including a transmitter and/or receiver control layer for the transmission and/or reception of strings of characters between the controller and the telecommunications stations via a transmission line, a call control layer, above the transmitter/receiver layer, for establishing and maintaining connection with the transmission line when message packet transmission is required and a security layer, above the call control layer, for the exchange of authentication messages between the controller and the telecommunications stations to verify the identity of elements of the telecommunications station during the establishment of a call connection.

Abstract: A network controller for monitoring the status of a network includes a hierarchical object-based data structure representative of the network to be controlled. The data structure includes a set of hierarchically linked objects representative of elements of the network and each object includes object parameters including an object status parameter (e.g., a fault parameter) and, with the exception of the root object of the object hierarchy, a pointer to a parent object. A graphical user interface is configured to display one or more views of an object and is responsive to the selection of a displayed object by user. The controller can provide a hierarchical view of the objects and/or a physical location view of at least selected objects from the hierarchy. The display of objects associated with faults is highlighted to facilitate identification and the controller allows the operator to navigate through the object structure.