Network controller billing system and method of operation
First Claim
1. A controller for controlling connections through two or more cross-connect networks, with at least one of said networks serving a plurality of different customers, each customer having one or more lines associated therewith and connected to said one network, said one network having a plurality of links for interconnecting said cross-connect network with another cross-connect network, said cross-connect networks each operable for establishing connections under control of said controller, for periods of time, from selected lines associated with selected ones of said customers to certain of said inter-network links;
- said controller comprising;
means for receiving instructions from any of said customers;
means for monitoring the scheduled use of said inter-network links;
means controlled jointly by received instructions from one of said customers and by said monitoring means for reserving certain of said inter-work links for selected lines of said one customer for fixed determined periods of time;
means controlled by said reserving means for establishing through said cross-connect network connections from said one customer'"'"'s selected lines to said reserved links at said designated period of time; and
means for proving data pertaining to the length of time that any of said inter-network links are reserved by any particular customer.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
There is disclosed a system and method for controlling the cross connect field of a multi-locational switched network from a single location under control of instructions from the end users. The different crossconnect fields of the entire switched network are controlled in response to instructions received by the controller from each end user. The instructions specify the period of time when the end user desires to establish certain connections through the network and also specify the band-width required during that period of time. The controller preassigns certain channels of the internetwork links and at the designated time period the connections are established. The system is designed to provide cost accounting and auditing information pertaining to the reserved time for each end user on a link by link basis as well as for the time during which the links were actually used for communication.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A controller for controlling connections through two or more cross-connect networks, with at least one of said networks serving a plurality of different customers, each customer having one or more lines associated therewith and connected to said one network, said one network having a plurality of links for interconnecting said cross-connect network with another cross-connect network, said cross-connect networks each operable for establishing connections under control of said controller, for periods of time, from selected lines associated with selected ones of said customers to certain of said inter-network links;
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said controller comprising; means for receiving instructions from any of said customers; means for monitoring the scheduled use of said inter-network links; means controlled jointly by received instructions from one of said customers and by said monitoring means for reserving certain of said inter-work links for selected lines of said one customer for fixed determined periods of time; means controlled by said reserving means for establishing through said cross-connect network connections from said one customer'"'"'s selected lines to said reserved links at said designated period of time; and means for proving data pertaining to the length of time that any of said inter-network links are reserved by any particular customer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A network controller for use in a switched network having a plurality of nodes, each node having at least one remotely programmable cross-connect field, said nodes having communication links between them and at least some of said nodes having end user facilities connected to them, each said link containing one or more channels and wherein said end users can communicate over said links to and from a plurality of communication facilities connected to various ones of said nodes, and wherein each said cross-connect field is programmable to establish communication paths from selected facilities to selected channels of said links and from selected end users to selected channels of said links, said network controller comprising:
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means for receiving instructions from said end users pertaining to facilities or other end users at certain of said nodes which are desired to be in a communicating relationship therewith during certain defined time periods, said instructions including the desired bandwidth capacity of each of said relationships; means for preassigning channels of said links between the proper nodes for each said end user instruction on a first instruction received first preassigned basis, all for connection at said certain end users'"'"' defined period of time; and means for providing cost accounting data pertaining to said preassigned channels, said data including the time of the preassignment and said end users'"'"' defined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A switched network having a plurality of nodes, each node having at least one remotely programmable cross-connect field, said nodes having communication links between them and at least some of said nodes having end user facilities connected to them, each said link containing one or more channels and wherein said end users can communicate over said links to and from a plurality of communication facilities connected to various ones of said nodes, and wherein each said cross connect field is programmable to establish communication paths from selected facilities to selected channels of said links and from selected end users to selected channels of said links, said network comprising:
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means for receiving instructions from said end users pertaining to facilities or other end users at certain of said nodes which are desired to be in a communicating relationship therewith during certain defined time periods, said instructions including the desired bandwidth capacity of each of said relationships; means for preassigning channels of said links between the proper nodes for each said end user instruction on a first instruction received first preassigned basis, all for connection at said certain end user defined period of time; and means for providing cost accounting data on an individual end user basis for each said preassigned channel. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of billing for communication connections through a switched inter-nodal network, where the nodes have thereat a cross connect network for connecting end users to the inter-nodal communication links, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving instructions from each user of the network as to a desired communication bandwidth, desired destination points, and desired time period for the establishment of a communication connection through said switched network with respect to said end user; storing the prospective information concerning which actual path will be established during said time period for said end user; and providing billing information for each end user cross connection on a connection by connection basis, said billing information including the time of the received instruction, the time of the actual availability of the connection through the network and the time of the disconnect of the cross connection. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A method of providing cost accounting in a controller for controlling connections through two or more cross-connect networks, with at least one of said networks serving a plurality of different customers, each customer having one or more lines associated therewith and connected to said one network, said one network having a plurality of links for interconnecting said cross-connect network with another cross-connect network, said cross-connect networks each operable for establishing connections under control of said controller, for periods of time, from selected lines associated with selected ones of said customers to certain of said inter-network links, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving instructions from any of said customers; monitoring the scheduled use of said inter-network links; reserving certain of said inter-network links for selected lines of said one customer for fixed determined periods of time, said reserving step controlled jointly by received instructions from one of said customers and by said monitoring step; establishing through said cross-connect network connections from said one customer'"'"'s selected lines to said reserved links at said designated period of time, said establishing step controlled by said reserving step; and providing said cost account data pertaining to the length of time that any of said inter-network links are reserved by any particular customer. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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Specification