Patent · US Expired

Equipment protection system

US6202170A · kind A · utility

38Cited by
6References
39Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 23, 1998
Grant dateMar 13, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 23, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M3/18
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system provides automatic protection switching in case of failure or degradation in a function. For example, a system node may have a working server function, a protection server function, one or more client functions, and a control function. In its baseline configuration, the working server function is active, meaning that it is operating on-line with respect to the client functions, while the protection server function is standby, meaning that it is either inactive (i.e., cold standby) or operating off-line with respect to the client functions (i.e., hot standby). The control function monitors the operations of the working server function, and, if a failure or degradation is detected, or if an externally generated switch command is received, the control function will (1) instruct the working server function to change its status from active to standby and (2) instruct the protection server function to change its status from standby to active. In addition, the control function instructs each server function about a protection switch override condition. Each server function communicates its active/standby status as well as the override condition to the client functions (e.g., usin…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.