Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer network managing – Computer network access regulating
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-30
2002-10-29
Rinehart, Mark H. (Department: 2152)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer network managing
Computer network access regulating
C379S265080
Reexamination Certificate
active
06473799
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a user system for a distributed network, and more particularly, to a user system of a type which has no distributed application platform provided therein and thus is unable to be incorporated in a distributed network.
(2) Description of the Related Art
TINA (Telecommunications Information Networking Architecture) is known as a distributed network architecture using a distributed application platform which is distributed communication control means.
FIG. 47
shows, by way of example, a configuration of a distributed network conventionally adopted according to TINA. A user system
100
, such as a workstation, is equipped with an interface card
100
a
for distributed application platform, a network card
100
b
, and a sound card
100
c
. The sound card
100
c
treats a speaker
100
d
as a stream flow endpoint.
Network systems
101
,
102
and
103
also are provided with interface cards
101
a
,
102
a
and
103
a
for distributed application platform, respectively, and the network systems
102
and
103
are additionally provided with network cards
102
b
and
103
b
, respectively. The distributed application platform interface cards
100
a
,
101
a
,
102
a
and
103
a
are interconnected via a control signaling channel
122
, and the network cards
100
b
,
102
b
and
103
b
are interconnected via an information channel
121
and ATM switches
111
and
112
.
FIG. 48
illustrates the architecture of the distributed network shown in FIG.
47
. As shown in
FIG. 48
, in a TINA-compliant distributed network architecture using a distributed application platform (CORBA etc.)
150
, an information network
130
and a signaling network
140
are separated from each other. The distributed application platform
150
is a distributed OS for executing distributed communication control and is hereinafter referred to as “distributed communication control means.”
The signaling network
140
can be divided into user components
141
and
142
and network components
145
to
149
. The user components
141
and
142
are application programs of user systems that use the distributed communication control means
150
, and the network components
145
to
149
are application programs of network systems that also use the distributed communication control means
150
. If a request signal requesting establishment of an information link on the information channel
121
is sent from the user component
141
,
142
to the signaling network
140
, it is transferred to the network component
145
-
149
via the distributed communication control means
150
. Thereupon, a connection request is sent from the network component
145
-
149
to a network information unit
135
,
136
, and also a connection request is sent from the user component
141
,
142
to a stream terminating system
131
and a network terminating system
132
. As a result, an information link is established on the information channel
121
.
FIG. 49
shows, by way of example, a structure of a user system complying with TINA. As shown in the right-hand part of
FIG. 49
, conventionally, the user system has the distributed communication control means
150
, treats the sound card
100
c
of the user system
100
, for example, as a stream flow endpoint, and logically treats the network card
100
b
, which is the connection point between the network terminating system of the user system
100
and the network information system, as a network flow endpoint.
According to TINA, a flow connection within the user system
100
signifies a logical connection between stream and network flow endpoints using the distributed communication control means
150
. For physical connections as shown in the left-hand part of
FIG. 49
, the distributed communication control means is not used. Thus, TINA prescribes nothing as to physical connections (i.e., outside the scope of provisions). User components for performing physical connections are vaguely defined as UAP (User Application) or CPE-CP (Customer Premise Equipment Connection Performer), but what TINA defines is only interfacing with other user components or other network components. Also, for the stream flow endpoint and the network flow endpoint, there is a general provision as to what information is retained thereby, but conversion with respect to actual systems, etc. are not defined because of diversity of system types and for other reasons.
As stated above, in conventional user systems adopted in TINA, the physical point represented by a stream flow endpoint and the physical point represented by a network flow endpoint are incorporated in the user system having the distributed communication control means provided therein. Accordingly, in a section of the user system except the distributed communication control means, connections between physical points alone are performed.
Conventionally, therefore, a user system which is not provided with the distributed communication control means, for example, a private branch exchange, is associated with a problem that it cannot be directly connected as a user system to a distributed network. Specifically, in order to incorporate a private branch exchange in a distributed network as a part of a user systems, it is necessary that a system having the distributed communication control means should be connected to the private branch exchange, and that a request from the private branch exchange (line) or from the distributed network should be converted by the system into a request to the distributed network or to the private branch exchange (line).
Further, conventional private branch exchanges and the like operate on specialized OS and cannot be provided with the distributed communication control means, and therefore, a private branch exchange is unable to function as a user system by itself and thus cannot be directly connected to a distributed network.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a user system for a distributed network whereby a user system which is not provided with a distributed application platform can be connected to a distributed network.
To achieve the above object, there is provided a user system for a distributed network in which flow connection is expressed by a logical link between a stream flow endpoint and a network flow endpoint, and physical points represented by the stream and network flow endpoints, respectively, are linked in a flow-dependent manner. The user system comprises a user signaling unit, a user information unit incorporating therein physical points corresponding to stream and network flow endpoints, respectively, a flow endpoint control channel connecting the user signaling unit and the user information unit, distributed communication control means provided in the user signaling unit, distributed network service control means provided in the user signaling unit, information unit control means, provided in the user signaling unit, for controlling the user information unit by means of a flow endpoint control signal, physical point linking means provided in the user information unit, and flow endpoint control signal processing means provided in the user information unit and cooperating with the user signaling unit by means of the flow endpoint control signal.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention by way of example.
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patent: 6292555 (2001-09-01),
Matsumoto Shin-ichi
Nishihara Keiki
Takeshita Ken-ichi
Yamamura Shinya
Fujitsu Limited
Jaroenchonwanit Bunjob
Katten Muchin Zavis & Rosenman
Rinehart Mark H.
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