Patents by Inventor Virgil E. Long

Virgil E. Long 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).

  • Patent number: 7401360
    Abstract: Methods and systems for identifying and mitigating telecommunications management message security threats are disclosed. A distributed security screening platform receives management messages from external sources. The distributed security screening platform identifies messages affecting the status of the same managed resource and applies a time-based security policy to these messages. If the messages are determined to violate the time-based security policy, a mitigating action is performed to protect the managed resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Tekelec
    Inventors: Venkataramaiah Ravishankar, Apirux Bantukul, Virgil E. Long
  • Publication number: 20040107362
    Abstract: Methods and systems for identifying and mitigating telecommunications management message security threats are disclosed. A distributed security screening platform receives management messages from external sources. The distributed security screening platform identifies messages affecting the status of the same managed resource and applies a time-based security policy to these messages. If the messages are determined to violate the time-based security policy, a mitigating action is performed to protect the managed resource.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Applicant: Tekelec
    Inventors: Venkataramaiah Ravishankar, Apirux Bantukul, Virgil E. Long
  • Patent number: 6167129
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for signal mediation in a common channel signaling network are described. The method involves identifying candidate message signal units that require mediation and transmitting the candidate signal unit to an associated mediation function which performs access mediation on the contents of the candidate signal unit. The access mediation function may return one or more data packets to the network. The apparatus includes the signal transfer point, the associated mediation function and enhanced functionality in the signal transfer point for screening candidate signal units. The advantage is a more flexible and easily managed signal mediation point that removes the bulk of signal mediation from the signal transfer point so that the signal transfer point can remain dedicated to its signal transfer function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: Tekelec
    Inventors: Gerald W. Fikis, H. Stewart Patch, Michael J. Mueller, Venkat Ravishankar, Dean D. Glenn, Virgil E. Long, Lee B. Smith, Richard Arthur Leonard Ellis, Brian Frederick George Bidulock
  • Patent number: 5974052
    Abstract: An enhanced frame relay access device (FRAD) capable of bidirectional interfacing between Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) protocol and Frame Relay protocol is utilized to economically transport SS7 signaling and link management information between SS7 networks via a Frame Relay protocol digital communications network. In an outgoing data transfer, the enhanced SS7 FRAD interface determines and eliminates redundant signaling unit information found in an SS7 data stream before packaging the essential information into a frame "payload" and introducing the frame into the Frame Relay network. For incoming data transfers, the SS7 FRAD extracts the frame payload data and regenerates the appropriate SS7 signaling units to maintain a continuous and synchronous data stream on the SS7 network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: U.S.T.N. Services
    Inventors: Bruce E. Johnson, Michael J. Mueller, Craig C. Pedersen, Virgil E. Long, Venkataramaiah Ravishankar, Jesse Sherwood
  • Patent number: 5953404
    Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for mediating signalling protocol dialogue between an internal signalling network operational domain operated by one network operator and an external signalling network operational domain operated by another network operator. One embodiment provides a method of dividing the SS7 traffic (Message Signal Units or MSUs) arriving for Mediation, into classes such that network performance requirements can be met, wherein some message classes will receive only normal SS7 processing while others will be analyzed in detail. MSUs requiring detailed analysis must be routed to a mediation application process appropriate to that class. Another embodiment provides a method of manipulating Signalling Connection Control Part (SCCP) address parameters in the SMP in order to maintain normal SS7 message processing and routing functions while mediating individual messages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Stentor Resource Centre, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald W. Fikis, H. Stewart Patch, Michael J. Muelifr, Venkat Ravishankar, Dean D. Glenn, Virgil E. Long, Lee B. Smith