Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for signaling path restoration information in a mesh network

US7426179B1 · kind B1 · utility

33Cited by
8References
42Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 17, 2000
Grant dateSep 16, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 2, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04Q2213/13383
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring and signaling a path restoration using pre-computed restoration paths following a detected fault on a primary service path in a communications network. A fault occurring inside the restorable portion of a network in heterogeneous or multiple network environments can be distinguished from faults occurring outside the restorable network in accordance with the ANSI Tandem Connection Maintenance standard, T1.105.05-1994. Path restoration is activated only when a fault causing path failure occurs inside the restorable portion of the network. Each conforming node in the restorable portion of the network has the necessary monitoring, signaling and cross-connect functionality and databases to participate actively in real time restoration. Additional non-conforming network elements can be positioned between the restoration nodes without preventing path restoration. With the signaling architecture of the present invention, when an end-node detects a path failure caused by an in-network fault, it formulates a signaling message for restoring the failed path. The restoration signaling message is thereafter relayed from one node to another in t…

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