Generic distributed protocol converter

• US 6,259,781 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1997
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Crouch, Richard W., Watson, Godfrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/907,225
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/232, 379/242, 379/243, 379/244, 379/245, 379/246, 379/229, 379/268, 379/269, 717/1, 717/2, 717/3, 717/4, 717/5
• US Class Current: 379/207.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system for isolating portions of a computer program in a telecommunication system that receives messages from a variety of hardware or software platforms. A generic protocol converter (50) receives the message and selects a set of tables (52, 54, 56, 58) based upon the platform of the source or destination of the message. A table within the table set is selected based on the direction of the message. Within each table is a listing of subroutines that are associated with a particular message. The protocol converter calls the appropriate subroutine within a main application program (70) to handle the message. Because the tables are grouped by protocol types, a change to the application program involving one protocol type does not require recompiling or retesting of application programs or subroutines associated with other protocols.

Claims

1. A telecommunication system for isolating code segments of a computer program that transmits and receives messages associated with a telephone call between a source and destination that operate according to one of a plurality of protocols, comprising:

one or more central processing units that are controlled by a computer program that comprises isolated code segments designed for each of the plurality of protocols; and

a generic protocol converter receives incoming messages comprising an indication of the source and destination of the telephone call, the generic protocol converter comprising a plurality of table sets, each table set being defined for one of the plurality of protocols, each table set comprising a mapping of a plurality of isolated code segments in the computer program to the message that is received in one of the plurality of protocols, each said isolated code segment implementing a different protocol and being separately changeable from other isolated code segments, wherein the isolated code segments associated with one of the plurality of protocols may be separately changed via compilation or other code change procedures without recompiling the isolated code segments associated with the other plurality of protocols; and

the generic protocol converter operating to select a table based on the protocol of the source or destination and to call an isolated code segment that is mapped to the message by the selected table.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the isolated code segments and table sets associated with a protocol are stored in separate files.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the telecommunication system comprises a telephone switch.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the telephone switch interfaces with a variety of telephone equipment that operate according to a plurality of protocols.

5. A telecommunication system that connects a variety of telephone equipment that operate in one of a plurality of protocols to a network, comprising:

a switch having a plurality of network cards each of which has one or more inputs that are connected to a type of telephone equipment and one or more outputs connected to the network; and

a processor in the switch that runs an application program to control the plurality of network cards, the application program including a protocol converter that receives messages including an indication of the source or destination associated with a telephone call, wherein the protocol converter selects a table that associates a separately changeable and isolated code segment for the message in the application program with the protocols of the source or destination of the telephone call wherein the isolated code segments associated with one of the plurality of protocols may be separately changed by compilation or other code change procedures without recompiling the isolated code segments associated with the other protocols.

6. The telecommunication system of claim 5, wherein the isolated code segment and table associated with each of the plurality of protocols are stored in separate files.