Network availability status detection device and method

• US 20060227725A1
• Filed: 04/08/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huotari, Allen J., Brenes, Manrique, McRae, Matthew B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,411,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a device configured to send and receive messages over a first network and a second network includes a network status detector unit and a network disabling unit. The network status detector unit is configured to detect the availability of the first network and output a first network status signal indicating the availability or unavailability of the first network. The network disabling unit is configured to receive the first network status signal and disable the sending and receiving of messages on the second network when the first network status signal indicates the first network is unavailable.

Claims

1. A network device configured to send and receive messages over a first network and a second network, comprising:

a network status detector unit configured to detect the availability of the first network and output a first network status signal indicating one of availability and unavailability of the first network; and

a network disabling unit configured to receive the first network status signal and disable the second network when the first network status signal indicates the first network is unavailable.

2. The network device of claim 1 wherein the second network is a wireless network, the network device further comprising:

a wireless transmitter configured to send messages on the second network, the second network being disabled by turning off the wireless transmitter when the first network is not available.

3. The network device of claim 1 wherein the second network is a wireless network, the network device further comprising:

a wireless transmitter configured to send messages on the second network, the wireless transmitter being configured to selectively broadcast a service set identifier (SSID) message, the second network being disabled by turning off the broadcast of the SSID message when the first network is not available.

4. A network device configured to send and receive messages over a first network and a second network, comprising:

means for determining the availability status of the first network and for producing a first network status; and

means for preventing the sending and receiving of messages on the second network when the first network status indicates the first network is not available.

5. In a network device configured to send and receive messages over a first network and a second network, a method comprising:

detecting the availability status of the first network; and

disabling the second network when the first network is not available.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second network is a wireless network and wherein the network device includes a wireless transmitter configured to send messages on the second network, wherein disabling the second network when the first network is not available further comprises:

turning off the wireless transmitter.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second network is a wireless network and wherein the network device includes a wireless transmitter configured to broadcast a service set identifier (SSID) message for use in granting access to the second network, wherein disabling the second network when the first network is not available further comprises:

disabling the wireless transmitter broadcast of the SSID.

8. A network device configured to send and receive messages over a first network and a second network, comprising:

a network status detector unit configured to detect the availability of the first network to sustain additional use and to output a first network status signal indicating one of availability and unavailability of the first network; and

a status message broadcasting unit configured to receive the first network status signal and broadcast a first network status message to the second network, the first network status message indicating one of the availability and unavailability of the first network.

9. A network device configured to send and receive messages over a second network, comprising:

a status message receiving unit configured to receive a status message indicating the availability status of a first network, the network device being configured to only send messages on the second network when the received status message indicates the first network is available.

10. The system of claim 9, the network device further comprising:

a status indicator configured to portray one of the availability and unavailability status of the second network based on the availability status of the first network.

11. A network device configured to send and receive messages over a first network and a second network, comprising:

means for detecting one of the availability and unavailability status of the first network; and

means for broadcasting a first network status message to the second network indicating one of the availability and unavailability of the first network.

12. In a network device configured to send and receive messages over a first network and a second network, a method comprising:

detecting one of the availability and unavailability status of the first network; and

broadcasting a network unavailability message on the second network when the first network is not available.

13. A first network device, comprising:

a message sending and receiving unit configured to send a status request message to a target network device, the message sending and receiving unit being configured to receive a status reply message from the target network device having received the status request message, the first network device being disposed at a predetermined first location in a hierarchical network comprising a plurality of interconnected network segments, the target network device being disposed at a predetermined second location in the hierarchical network that is different from the first location along a first network path; and

a timer unit configured to determine an elapsed time between the sending of the status request message and the receiving of the status reply message along the first network path, the timer unit being configured to output a first network path status signal indicating one of the availability and unavailability of the first network path based on the elapsed time.

14. The first network device of claim 13, wherein the first network path includes at least two predetermined network segments for sending and receiving network messages being disposed between the first network device and the target network device.

15. The first network device of claim 13, wherein the status request message is sent at a predetermined periodic interval.

16. The first network device of claim 13, wherein the first network path status signal indicates availability when the elapsed time is less than a predetermined timer limit value.

17. The first network device of claim 13, wherein the first network path includes at least one essential network comprising the only possible interconnecting network segment between the first network device and the target network device.

18. The first network device of claim 13, further comprising:

a status indicator configured to portray the availability of the first network path based on the first network path status signal.

19. In a first network device configured to send and receive messages over a first network, a method comprising:

sending a status request message to a target network device, the first network device being disposed at a predetermined first location in a hierarchical network comprising a plurality of interconnected network segments, the target network device being disposed at a predetermined second location in the hierarchical network that is different from the first location along a first network path;

initializing a timer count value to a first timer count value; and

repeating a second method until a first network path status signal is asserted as one of available or unavailable, the second method comprising;

comparing the timer count value to a timer limit value;

asserting a first network path status signal as unavailable when the timer count value is greater than the timer limit value;

detecting the receipt of a status reply message from the target network device;

asserting a first network path status signal as available when the timer count value is less than the timer limit value and the status reply message is received from the target network device; and

advancing the timer count value.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the sending of a status request message occurs at a predetermined periodic interval.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first network path includes at least two predetermined network segments for sending and receiving network messages disposed between the first network device and the target network device.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

asserting a status indicator configured to portray the availability status of the first network path when the first network path status signal indicates availability of the first network path.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the first network path includes at least one essential network segment comprising the only possible interconnecting network segment between the network device and the target device.