Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer protocol implementing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-31
2002-09-24
Follansbee, John A. (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer protocol implementing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06457056
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a network interface card controller and method of controlling thereof. Particularly, the present invention relates to a network interface card controller and method of controlling thereof, capable of supporting several types of protocols by providing an interface which is standardized with an upper application layer in a main process card(hereinafter, referring to MPC).
2. Background
The conventional network interface system has a trunk interface unit and a protocol process unit, physically. Therefore, interface cards comprising the system are different according to each protocol. These interface cards are 4 types according to functions. There are a digital highway switching card, a channel association signaling(CAS) protocol process card, a common channel signaling(CCS) protocol process card, a trunk interface card, and etc. In addition, the system for providing an actual service by using the network interface needs a voice process card of providing voice services(for example, voice message service, Internet phone service, and etc.), and a main process card having an application program for controlling the cards and providing the connection and release of the call. Particularly, the main process card controls each card through a system bus, respectively. And each card is connected to each other through a PCM(pulse code modulation) digital highway. And the trunk interface card may connect at least one trunk lines, which is E
1
type, or T
1
type.
The conventional network system comprises several cards(
30
,
30
′,
40
,
40
′,
60
,
60
′) for charging the network interface, in which the several cards are divided respectively. The application program of a central processing unit(CPU)(a main process card
10
in
FIG. 1
) controls each card directly in order to provide service by connecting to the network. In other words, each application program connects the call in case that the system uses the CAS protocol process type and the CCS protocol process type by controlling the respective network interface cards(NICs) for connecting single call. Now it will be briefly explained a procedure for generating the call by commanding to the respective NIC in each application program.
First, it is assumed that the system uses the CAS protocol process type. The application program commands a line occupation to trunk interface cards
60
,
60
′ through a system bus
80
. And the application program connects a digital highway
70
between the seized line and the CAS protocol process cards
40
,
40
′ by controlling the digital highway switching card
50
. And then the application program commands a call number transmission to the CAS protocol process cards
40
,
40
′. After completing the call number transmission, the CAS protocol process cards
40
,
40
′ reports to the application program that each call is answered from a relative network
90
, in case the each call is answered from the relative network
90
. The application program connects the digital highway
70
between the voice process cards
20
,
20
′ which are providing the answered line and services by commanding to the digital highway switching card
50
. The voice service is finally accomplished by connecting the relative network
90
and the voice process cards
20
,
20
′ through the digital highway
70
.
Next, it is assumed that the system uses the CCS protocol process type. First of all, the application program of the main process card
10
connects the digital highway
70
between the trunk signal channel and the CCS protocol process cards
30
,
30
′ by controlling the digital highway switching card
50
. And the application program transmits a setup message to the CCS protocol process cards
30
,
30
′. And then the CCS protocol process cards
30
,
30
′ transmits the answering signal of the network to the application program in the main process card
10
.
In case of answering about the call in the network, the CCS protocol process cards
30
,
30
′ transmits whether the cards
30
,
30
′ answers or not, to the application program and the application program connects the digital highway
70
between the voice process cards
20
,
20
′ which provides the answered line and the services by commanding to the digital highway switching card
50
.
FIG. 2
is an exemplary signal flow chart of a call setting procedure which is carried out about R
2
signal in case of the CAS protocol process type and about the ISDN protocol in case of the CCS protocol process type in a conventional NIC. Referring to
FIG. 2
, a forward tone indicates an information which is generated from a calling party to a received party and a backward tone indicates an information which is generated from the received party to the calling party. And additional I-X, II-X are a Group I and a second Group II of transmitting each subscriber address. And AX, BX . . . indicates an Group A and Group B for transmitting an exchange information(for example, a subscriber grade or a charging format required from the exchange). Accordingly, the forward tones(
1
-x) indicate the subscriber address which is generated from the calling party to the received party. And a backward tone(A
1
) indicates the Acknowledge of the received party.
The conventional network system comprises other call process procedures according to each protocol, respectively and the application program in the main process card, cares for an overall call connection procedure.
Accordingly, in case that the application program directly controls various types of protocol, the application program should support functions of each protocol. Therefore, the application program structure becomes complicated, and an internal register is frequently changed according to the function of each protocol whenever the application program carries out the network connection function. As a result, the system extension is more difficult when large numbers of the cards related to the network interface exist.
SUMMARY
Accordingly, in order to solve the problems in the prior art it is an object of the present invention to provide an integrated hardware card which supports an interface of several protocols. Thereby, the structure becomes simple and the cost may be reduced.
To accomplish the object of one embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a network interface card(hereinafter, referring to NIC) controller, which is controlled by a central processing unit(CPU) in which a network interface function and a protocol process function are connected to a network, comprising plurality of protocol process means of respectively providing a several types of protocol for offering any service required from the CPU through a system bus, plurality of network interface means of performing a desired network interface by switching a digital highway according to service types required from the CPU through the system bus, and of performing a digital relay which occupies an empty trunk line, in which the plurality of network interface means are connected to several trunk lines of a physical layer, and call control means of controlling the plurality of protocol means and the plurality of network interface means regardless of protocol types, by exchanging information with an upper application layer, by using a standard interface indicating whether the process succeeds or not about a protocol process request and the requested protocol process result.
To accomplish the object of one embodiment, the present invention further comprises system interface means of interfacing a NIC initialization command interface which is from the upper application layer in a main process card(MPC) and a command which is from the upper application layer of the MPC to the NIC according to a NIC preparing state between the upper application layer and the call control means, and system initialization means of initiating the plurality of the protocol process means, the network interface means and the cal
Follansbee John A.
LG Electronics Inc.
McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
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