Patents by Inventor R. Douglas Howson

R. Douglas Howson 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 system for protection switching in a telecommunications network
    Patent number: 6674755
    Abstract: A method for protection switching in a telecommunications network is provided that includes receiving a plurality of primary and secondary sub-streams. Each primary sub-stream corresponds to a redundant secondary sub-stream. Each sub-stream has an associated priority level. Protection switching is provided for the sub-streams based on the priority levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Potter, R. Douglas Howson
  • Transport interface for performing protection switching of telecommunications traffic
    Patent number: 6188667
    Abstract: A transport interface (10) provides add drop multiplex functionality and termination requirements for the transportation of network traffic. The transport interface (10) includes high speed units (12), broadband interfaces (16), and SONET formatters (18). Each high speed unit (12), broadband interface (16), and SONET formatter has redundant protection pairs (A and B). The high speed units (12), broadband interfaces (16), and SONET formatters (18) communicate with each other by in-band datalinks (40). The redundant protection pairs (A and B) communicate with one another by protection pair datalinks (42). The in-band datalinks (40) and the protection pair datalinks (42) provide protection switching within the transport interface (10) in the event of component failure. The in-band datalinks (40) are generated out of available or consumed bytes within either a section overhead (32) or a line overhead (34) of SONET OC-N frame (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Alcatel USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Roberts, Thomas A. Potter, R. Douglas Howson, Jr.
  • Transport interface for performing protection switching of telecommunications traffic
    Patent number: 6009075
    Abstract: A transport interface (10) provides add drop multiplex functionality and termination requirements for the transportation of network traffic. The transport interface (10) includes high speed units (12), broadband interfaces (16), and SONET formatters (18). Each high speed unit (12), broadband interface (16), and SONET formatter has redundant protection pairs (A and B). The high speed units (12), broadband interfaces (16), and SONET formatters (18) communicate with each other by in-band datalinks (40). The redundant protection pairs (A and B) communicate with one another by protection pair datalinks (42). The in-band datalinks (40) and the protection pair datalinks (42) provide an effective means for performing protection switching within the transport interface (10) in the event of component failure. The in-band datalinks (40) are generated out of available or consumed bytes within either a section overhead (32) or a line overhead (34) of SONET OC-N frame (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: DSC Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Roberts, Thomas A. Potter, R. Douglas Howson, Jr.