Methods and apparatus for handling information regarding an alarm for a communication network

• US 20030174162A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Wu, Deh-Min Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,091,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A system, method, apparatus, means, and computer program code that may help reduce and possibly minimizes the burden on a network, components of the network, etc. when one or more alarms are created involving the network or one or more of its components. A state driven architecture guiding communication between a first device or application, such as a network management system (NMS), and a second device or application, such as a serving mobile location center (SMLC), may be used to handle communications or information regarding one or more alarms that may be generated by the second device or application as a result of problems involving the network or one or more of its components.

Claims

1. A method for handling information regarding an alarm, comprising:

determining a state change event associated with an alarm;

providing a notification regarding said first state change event;

receiving a request for an updated active alarm list after providing said notification; and

providing said updated active alarm list after receiving said request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a state change event associated with an alarm includes generating an alarm that causes said state change event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a state change event associated with an alarm includes clearing an alarm that causes said state change event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving a request for an updated active alarm list includes receiving a request for information regarding at least one uncleared alarm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing said updated active alarm list includes providing said active alarm list in an Extensible Mark-up Language (XML) compatible format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing said updated active alarm list includes providing said active alarm list to a network management system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating an alarm that causes said state change event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said first state change event includes changing state from a first state to a second state and said second state is based on an alarm severity level associated with said second state.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

operating in one of a plurality of states.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of said plurality of states is associated with a different alarm severity level.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said operating in one of said plurality of states includes operating in the one of said plurality of states associated with a currently uncleared alarm having a level of severity higher than levels of severity associated with other currently uncleared alarms.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a serving mobile location center conducts said determining a state change event, said providing a notification regarding said first state change event, said receiving a request for an updated active alarm list, and said providing said updated active alarm list after receiving said request.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a network management system receives said notification from said serving mobile location center, sends said request to said serving mobile location center, and receives said updated active alarm list from said serving mobile location center.

14. A method for handling information regarding an alarm, comprising:

receiving a notification regarding a first state change event;

providing a request for an updated active alarm list after receiving said notification; and

receiving said updated active alarm list.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said receiving a notification regarding a first state change event includes receiving information regarding an occurrence of an alarm that triggered said first state change event.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said receiving a notification regarding a first state change event includes receiving information regarding a clearance of an alarm that triggered said first state change event.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said receiving a notification regarding a first state change event includes receiving said notification from a serving mobile location center.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said providing a request for an updated active alarm list includes providing said request to a serving mobile location center.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said receiving said updated active alarm list includes receiving said active alarm list in an Extensible Mark-Up Language (XML) compatible format.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said receiving said updated active alarm list includes receiving said active alarm list from an SMLC.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying at least a portion of said active alarm list.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining when to provide said request to said first device for an updated active alarm list.

23. A system for handling information regarding an alarm, comprising:

a memory;

a communication port; and

a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to;

determine a state change event associated with an alarm;

provide a notification regarding said first state change event;

receive a request for an updated active alarm list after providing said notification; and

provide said updated active alarm list after receiving said request.

24. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for handling information regarding an alarm, comprising:

first instructions for identifying a state change event associated with an alarm;

second instructions for sending a notification regarding said first state change event;

third instructions for obtaining a request for an updated active alarm list after providing said notification; and

fourth instructions for sending said updated active alarm list after receiving said request.

25. A system for handling information regarding an alarm, comprising:

a memory;

a communication port; and

a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to;

receive a notification regarding a first state change event;

provide a request for an updated active alarm list after receipt of said notification; and

receive said updated active alarm list.

26. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for handling information regarding an alarm, comprising:

first instructions for obtaining a notification regarding a first state change event;

second instructions for sending a request for an updated active alarm list after obtaining said notification; and

third instructions for obtaining said updated active alarm list.