Multiplex communications – Communication techniques for information carried in plural... – Adaptive
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-02
2001-07-10
Vu, Huy D. (Department: 2664)
Multiplex communications
Communication techniques for information carried in plural...
Adaptive
C709S228000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06259706
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to a communication controlling apparatus and a recording medium for recording communication controlling programs. More particularly, the present invention relates to communication protocol conversion in a data transmission system with a communication protocol on a transmitter side different from a communication protocol on a receiver side.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a data transmission system, data is exchanged among a plurality of communication apparatuses such as SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) apparatuses through a plurality of communication lines. Normally, an SDH apparatus is provided with a monitoring processing unit for monitoring hardware failures of a communication line interface unit performing the role of an interface between a terminal and a communication line and failures occurring in a received signal. In the event of a failure, alarm information is transmitted to an external monitoring apparatus in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. Receiving the alarm information, the external monitoring apparatus notifies a person in charge of maintenance of the existence of the failure by outputting the alarm information to a display unit. The person in charge of maintenance then issues a variety of control commands to the communication apparatus through a control processing unit employed in the communication apparatus in order to enhance communication reliability.
With development of an information society going on in recent years, the size of a communication network built to connect communication apparatuses and the amount of data transmitted among the apparatuses through the network keep increasing and, at the same time, up-graded versions of hardware and software are often introduced for improving the functional aspect of each of the communication apparatuses.
As a result, interlocked with the upgrading of the communication apparatus, the monitoring and controlling functions of the external monitoring apparatus are also improved substantially. In some cases, a communication protocol between the communication apparatus and the external monitoring apparatus is also reconstructed.
However, the conventional communication apparatus has only a communication function designed for a fixed communication protocol for communicating with the external monitoring apparatus. As a result, the following problems have been raised.
(a) If a communication network includes communication apparatuses having different communication protocols used for communicating with an external monitoring apparatus, it is necessary to provide a plurality of external monitoring apparatuses to cope with the different communication protocols. As a result, not only does the cost of developing the external monitoring apparatuses rise, but it is also necessary for the user to prepare a plurality of external monitoring apparatuses. That is why the communication network becomes complicated and the cost of its development is skyrocketing.
(b) Even in the case of a communication network built to connect communication apparatuses having a certain communication protocol used for communicating with an external monitoring apparatus, in order to replace the communication apparatuses with those each having new functions and a different communication protocol, it is also necessary to change the external monitoring apparatus with one that keeps up with the new communication protocol. That is to say, it is impossible to replace only the communication apparatus by one having new functions with the external monitoring apparatus kept unchanged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to solve the problems described above by providing a data transmission system with a communication controlling apparatus which makes it possible to implement a network configuration wherein communication apparatuses having different communication protocols used for communicating with an external monitoring apparatus can coexist with the existing external monitoring apparatus remaining unchanged as it is.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication controlling apparatus provided between a first apparatus on a transmitting side originally designed for transmitting a first signal in accordance with a first communication protocol to a second apparatus on a receiving side for receiving a second signal in accordance with a second communication protocol and the second apparatus, wherein an acknowledgment response to the second signal is returned to the first apparatus if the second signal is received normally, and used for converting the first signal into the second signal conforming to the second communication protocol, the communication controlling apparatus comprising: receiving side communication protocol identifying means for determining a candidate communication protocol for the second apparatus wherein, if an acknowledgment response to the second signal transmitted to the second apparatus is received from the second apparatus, a communication protocol used for the transmission of the second signal to the second apparatus is determined to be a candidate communication protocol for the second apparatus and, if no acknowledgment response to the second signal transmitted to the second apparatus is received from the second apparatus, on the other hand, operations to convert the first signal into another signal conforming to another communication protocol supposed to be adopted by the second apparatus and to transmit the other signal to the second apparatus in accordance with the other communication protocol are repeated till an acknowledgment response to the other signal is received from the second apparatus in which case the other communication protocol is determined to be a candidate communication protocol for the second apparatus; communication protocol converting means for converting the first signal into another signal conforming to another communication protocol supposed to be adopted by the second apparatus; and communication protocol conversion controlling means for controlling the communication protocol converting means wherein, if the first communication protocol is different from a communication protocol identified by the receiving side communication protocol identifying means, a command is given to the communication protocol converting means to convert the first signal into another signal conforming to the communication protocol identified by the receiving side communication protocol identifying means and, if the first communication protocol matches a communication protocol identified by the receiving side communication protocol identifying means, on the other hand, the first signal is passed on to the second apparatus as it is.
The above and other objects, features as well as many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will become readily appreciated and the manner of realizing them will become more apparent as the same becomes better understood from a study of the following detailed description of some preferred embodiments and appended claims when considered in connection with accompanying diagrams showing the embodiments.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5500860 (1996-03-01), Perlman et al.
patent: 5586117 (1996-12-01), Edem et al.
patent: 5883894 (1999-03-01), Patel et al.
patent: 6-2137945 (1987-06-01), None
patent: 2198049 (1990-08-01), None
patent: 4235439 (1992-08-01), None
patent: 7245636 (1995-09-01), None
Fujitsu Limited
Harper Kevin C.
Helfgott & Karas, PC
Vu Huy D.
LandOfFree
Communication controlling apparatus and recording medium for... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Communication controlling apparatus and recording medium for..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Communication controlling apparatus and recording medium for... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2496817