Method and System for Monitoring a Telecommunications Signal Transmission Link

• US 20070094415A1
• Filed: 11/27/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Geoffrey Lloyd
• Inventors: Lloyd, Geoffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,917,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0604 using filtering, e.g. reduction of information by using priority, element types, position or time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/064 involving time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A method and system for monitoring a telecommunications signal transmission link. The system'"'"'s event monitors monitor at least one transmission link. Each event monitor receives transmission link addresses from an address sequencer and transmits related event data to a centralized storage register. The address sequencer also transmits the addresses to the storage register. The event monitor compares new event data for each address with old event data stored by the event monitor. If a difference is detected, the event monitor sends a strobe signal to the storage register, which stores the event data reflecting the difference and the related address data. The strobe signal is also sent to a signaling device, which sends an interrupt signal to cause a microprocessor to read the event and address data from the storage register. In one embodiment, the signaling device does not send an interrupt signal until a threshold number of strobe signals have been received. In another embodiment, the microprocessor reads subsequent messages from the storage register before returning to its primary task without the need for a subsequent interrupt signal. In another embodiment, the strobe signal is sent from the event monitor to a delay circuit having a timer, rather than to the signaling device. The delay circuit sends a trigger signal to cause the signaling device to send an interrupt signal to the microprocessor only after expiration of the timer. The microprocessor is used to reset the timer when event and address data are read from the register.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method for monitoring a signal-carrying transmission link for occurrence of an event, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a transmission link address;

(b) receiving data for the address;

(c) comparing previously stored data to the data received in step (b);

(d) storing an event data portion of the data received in step (b) and related address data identifying the address selected in step (a) in a storage register if a difference is detected between the previously stored data and data received in step (b); and

(e) reading the event data and related address data from the storage register.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the storage register comprises first and second storage fields, each of said storage fields having a first storage location for storing event data, a second storage location for storing address data, and a third storage location for storing status data, the status data being initially set to a default value for each storage field which is not presently storing event and address data, the method further comprising the steps of:

(f) changing the status data in the third storage location of a respective storage field from the default value to a flag value when both event data and address data are stored in the respective storage field; and

(g) reading the third storage location of the second storage field concurrently with reading the event data and address data from the first storage field.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the storage register comprises a first-in first-out storage register.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

(h) transmitting the event data and address data from a first storage field to a control system;

(i) clearing the third storage location of the first storage field;

(j) if the status data in the third storage location of the second storage field is equal to the flag value, reading the event data and address data from the second storage field, and, if the status data in the third storage location of the second storage field is equal to the default value, not reading the event data and address data from the second storage field.

16-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method for monitoring a system using a storage register comprising first and second storage fields, each of said storage fields having a data storage location and a status data storage location, the status data being initially set to a default value for each storage field which is not presently storing event and address data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing data in the data storage location of the first storage field of the storage register;

(b) changing the status data in the status data storage location of the first storage field from the default value to a flag value when data is stored in the first storage field'"'"'s data storage location;

(c) reading the status data storage location of the second storage field concurrently with reading the data from data storage location of the first storage field; and

(d) changing the status data in the status data storage location of the first storage field to the default value concurrently with step (c).

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

(e) reading the data from the data storage location of the second storage field if the status data in the status data storage location of the second storage field is set to the flag value.