Reconfigurable, intelligent signal multiplexer and network design and maintenance system therefor

• US 6,539,027 B1
• Filed: 01/19/1999
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CoastCom, Inc. (Astound Broadband LLC)
• Original Assignee: CoastCom, Inc. (Astound Broadband LLC)
• Inventors: Cambron, G. Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pizarro, Ricardo M.
• Application Number:
  US09/232,611
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 370/441, 370/442, 370/423, 370/463, 370/250, 370/360, 370/437, 370/535, 370/539, 370/541, 370/227, 370/228, 370/408, 709/221, 709/223, 709/233, 709/278, 714/7
• US Class Current: 370/442
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/04 Distributors combined with modulators or demodulators pulse distributors in general H03K5/15; pulse counters H03K21/00 - H03K29/06; for telegraphy H04L5/22, H04L13/00 - H04L23/00, H04L25/45; for telephony H04Q11/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13099 Loop multiplexer
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile

Abstract

A modular, reconfigurable, intelligent signal multiplexer for telecommunications purposes includes a rack or shelf adapted to support a plurality of printed circuit cards. The cards include feature cards and line cards, and at least one central controller card. All of the cards includes backplane connectors to connect to customer premises equipment and to telecommunications lines, and midplane connectors to interconnect all of the circuit cards for data exchange under program control. Each feature card contains an embedded microprocessor with associated embedded operating system, as well as RAM memory and flash RAM. The signal multiplexer processes digital inputs from a wide range of user equipment for transmission over digital facilities, including T1 and T3 lines. The system employs an Advanced Intelligent Multiplexer Network software package to perform network configuration and SNMP to obtain performance reports, statistics collection and alarm monitoring. SNMP is accessed through a software package having an intuitive graphical interface for network planning and design, routing and inventory-management support. The functions of the signal multiplexers are controlled by a mapping scheme. A map change alters the circuit-to-time slot assignments. A large number of maps may be stored by the system, and may be set to start running in response to user-specified times, a predetermined event, an alarm, or a manual keyboard command. The graphical interface also presents screen displays that enable network design, node configuration, and alteration of an existing network.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable, intelligent multiplexer for telecommunications, including:

a shelf structure defining a plurality of slots in adjacent array, said slots each adapted to removably receive a printed circuit card;

a plurality of feature cards, each comprising a printed circuit card having predefined signal processing functions;

a plurality of line cards, each comprising a printed circuit card having predefined telecommunications span-connecting functions;

said shelf structure including backplane connectors associated with each of said plurality of slots, said backplane connectors joined to external telecommunications circuits;

said shelf structure including midplane connectors associated with each of said plurality of slots, said midplane connectors joined to an internal bus circuit;

said pluralities of feature cards and line cards each including backplane connectors adapted to mate with the backplane connectors of said shelf structure and establish connections with external telecommunications equipment;

said pluralities of feature cards and line cards each including midplane connectors adapted to mate with the midplane connectors of said shelf structure and establish interconnections on said internal bus circuit.

10. The reconfigurable, intelligent multiplexer of claim 1, wherein each of said feature cards and line cards includes a microprocessor and associated RAM memory and flash RAM memory, and an embedded operating system stored in said RAM memory.

11. The reconfigurable, intelligent multiplexer of claim 10, wherein said feature cards and line cards may be selectively placed in any of said slots of said shelf structure in any combination to configure the multiplexer to have selected signal processing functions and telecommunications span-connecting functions.

12. The reconfigurable, intelligent multiplexer of claim 11, wherein at least one of said feature cards comprises a central controller card having means for controlling digital data communications among said feature cards and line cards on said internal bus circuit.

13. The reconfigurable, intelligent multiplexer of claim 11, further including mapping means for directing the signal processing functions of said feature cards and the telecommunications span-connecting functions of said line cards.

14. The reconfigurable, intelligent multiplexer of claim 13, wherein said feature cards and said line cards each include a respective onboard SNMP Sub-Agent, and further including means for selectively connecting an SNMP Manager to the respective SNMP Sub-Agent of any of said line cards and feature cards.

15. The reconfigurable, intelligent multiplexer of claims 14, wherein said mapping means includes at least one map of connections between and among said feature cards, said map stored in a database connectable to said feature cards.

16. The reconfigurable, intelligent multiplexer of claim 15, further including a computer program for network design and reconfiguration, said computer program including a graphical user interface having screen displays corresponding to said shelf structure and said plurality of slots thereof.

17. The reconfigurable, intelligent multiplexer of claim 16, wherein said graphical user interface includes further screen displays for enabling a user to design and draw telecommunications links and spans to said multiplexer, and for indicating placement of feature cards and line cards in said slots to carry out the signal processing function and telecommunications functions of said multiplexer.

18. The reconfigurable, intelligent multiplexer of claim 17, wherein said computer program includes means for eliciting network design data from the user inputs to said further screen displays and for compiling said network design data into said map of connections between and among said feature cards and line cards.

19. The reconfigurable, intelligent multiplexer of claim 18, wherein said computer program further includes means for transmitting said map to central controller, and to transmit said map to said feature cards and line cards of said multiplexer.

2. A telecommunications network comprised of a plurality of nodes and links interconnecting the nodes, including:

a plurality of intelligent multiplexer devices, each comprising one of the nodes of said network;

each of said intelligent multiplexer devices including a plurality of removable circuit cards, said circuit cards including feature cards adapted to perform signal processing functions and line cards adapted to perform telecommunications span-connecting functions;

means for designing a plurality of configurations of each of said intelligent multiplexer devices, each of said configurations comprising selected feature cards and line cards sufficient to provide the signal processing functions and telecommunications span-connecting functions planned for each of said intelligent multiplexers at each node;

said feature cards and line cards each including a microprocessor and associated RAM memory and flash RAM memory, and an embedded operating system stored in said RAM memory.

20. The telecommunications network of claim 2, wherein each of said intelligent multiplexer devices includes backplane connector means for connecting said selected feature cards and line cards to external telecommunications circuits and devices.

21. The telecommunications network of claim 20, wherein each of said intelligent multiplexer devices includes midplane connector means for interconnecting said selected feature cards and line cards on an internal data bus circuit.

22. The telecommunications network of claim 21, wherein at least one of said selected feature cards comprises a central controller card, and means on said central controller card for managing communications between and among said selected feature cards and said line cards on said internal data bus circuit.

23. The telecommunications network of claim 2, wherein said means for designing said plurality of configurations of each intelligent multiplexer device includes mapping means for generating a map to direct the signal processing functions of said selected feature cards and the telecommunications span-connecting functions of said selected line cards in each of said intelligent signal multiplexes at each node.

24. The telecommunications network of claim 23, wherein said feature cards and said line cards each include a respective onboard SNMP Sub-Agent, and said means for designing includes an external SNMP Manager, and means for selectively connecting an SNMP Manager to the respective SNMP Sub-Agent of any of said line cards and feature cards.

25. The telecommunications network of claim 24, wherein said mapping means includes at least one map of connections between and among said feature cards of all of the nodes, said map stored in a database connectable to said central controller.

3. A telecommunications network comprised of a plurality of nodes and links interconnecting the nodes, including:

a plurality of intelligent multiplexer devices, each comprising one of the nodes of said network;

said nodes transmitting telecommunications traffic across interconnecting spans;

each of said intelligent multiplexer devices including a plurality of removable circuit cards, said circuit cards including feature cards adapted to perform signal processing functions and line cards adapted to perform telecommunications span-connecting functions;

fault tolerant means for maintaining telecommunications traffic in the event of failure of a portion of the telecommunications network;

each of said nodes routing a respective plurality of communications channels on respective spans, said plurality of channels being labeled with a traffic priority value corresponding to the importance of the communications traffic carried on each channel.

41. The telecommunications network of claim 3, wherein said plurality of nodes are connected in a ring configuration by paired spans connected between each node, and, in the event of failure of the paired span between any two nodes, said fault tolerant means includes means for reconfiguring said remaining paired spans in a closed loop to maintain communications traffic among all said plurality of nodes.

4. A telecommunications network comprised of a plurality of nodes and links interconnecting the nodes, including:

a plurality of intelligent multiplexer devices, each comprising one of the nodes of said network;

said nodes transmitting telecommunications traffic across interconnecting spans;

each of said intelligent multiplexer devices including a plurality of removable circuit cards, said circuit cards including feature cards adapted to perform signal processing functions and line cards adapted to perform telecommunications span-connecting functions;

fault tolerant means for maintaining telecommunications traffic in the event of failure of a portion of the telecommunications network;

said plurality of circuit cards in at least one of said intelligent multiplexer devices including a primary central controller card having means for storing and implementing the mapping of the routing of all channels passing through the respective intelligent multiplexer device.

40. The telecommunications network of claim 4, wherein said fault tolerant means includes a backup central controller card installed in each of said intelligent multiplexer devices, said backup central controller having means for storing and implementing the mapping of the routing of all channels passing through the respective intelligent multiplexer device, and further including means for switching operational control to said backup central controller card in the event of failure of said primary central controller card.

5. A telecommunications network comprised of a plurality of nodes and links interconnecting the nodes, including:

a plurality of intelligent multiplexer devices, each comprising one of the nodes of said network;

said nodes transmitting telecommunications traffic across interconnecting spans;

each of said intelligent multiplexer devices including a plurality of removable circuit cards, said circuit cards including feature cards adapted to perform signal processing functions and line cards adapted to perform telecommunications span-connecting functions;

fault tolerant means for maintaining telecommunications traffic in the event of failure of a portion of the telecommunications network;

said plurality of circuit cards in at least one of said intelligent multiplexer devices including a primary line interface unit and a backup line interface unit, and said fault to tolerant means includes means for switching line interface operation from said primary line interface unit to said backup line interface unit in the event of failure of said primary line interface unit.

6. A telecommunications network comprised of a plurality of nodes and links interconnecting, the nodes including:

a plurality of intelligent multiplexer device, each comprising one of the nodes of said network;

said nodes transmitting telecommunications trffic across interconnecting spans;

each of said intelligent multiplexer devices including means to perform telecommunications span-connecting functions;

each of said intelligent multiplexer devices including means to perform telecommunications span-connecting functions;

fault tolerant means for maintaining telecommunications traffic in the event of failure of a portion of the telecommunications network;

said plurality of nodes being connected in a ring configuration by paired spans connected between each node, and, in the event of failure of the paired span between any two nodes, said fault tolerant means includes means for reconfiguring said remaining paired spans in a closed loop to maintain communications traffic among all said plurality of nodes.

7. A telecommunications network comprised of a plurality of nodes and links interconnecting the nodes, including:

a plurality of intelligent multiplexer devices, each comprising one of the nodes of said network;

each of said intelligent multiplexer devices including a plurality of removable circuit cards, said circuit cards including feature cards adapted to perform signal processing functions and line cards adapted to perform telecommunications span-connecting functions;

means for designing a plurality of configurations of each of said intelligent multiplexer devices, each of said configurations comprising selected feature cards and line cards sufficient to provide the signal processing functions and telecommunications span-connecting functions planned for each intelligent multiplexer at each node;

said means for designing said plurality of configurations of each intelligent multiplexer device including a computer program for network design and reconfiguration, said computer program including a graphical user interface having screen displays corresponding to each network node and the spans therebetween.

26. The telecommunications network of claim 7, wherein said graphical user interface includes screen displays for enabling a user to design and draw telecommunications links and spans to said multiplexes at said network nodes, and for indicating placement of feature cards and line cards in each intelligent multiplexer device sufficient to carry out the signal processing functions of each respective network node and the span-connecting telecommunications functions drawn between the network nodes.

27. The telecommunications network of claim 26, wherein said computer program includes means for eliciting network design data from the user inputs to said screen displays and for compiling said network design data into a map of internode and intranode connections between and among said feature cards and line cards.

28. The telecommunications network of claim 27, wherein said feature cards each include a respective onboard SNMP Sub-Agent, and further including an external SNMP Manager, and means for selectively connecting said SNMP Manager to the respective SNMP Sub-Agent of any of said feature cards.

29. The telecommunications network of claim 28, wherein said means for eliciting and compiling network design data compiles the intranode and internode connections scheme into a map stored on said central controller.

30. The telecommunications network of claim 29, wherein said map is stored as a SNMP MIB in a database connected to said SNMP Manager.

31. The telecommunications network of claim 30, wherein said computer program further includes means for communicating with the intelligent multiplexer devices of nodes of an existing telecommunications network, and for presenting screen displays to elicit selected changes in signal processing functions at each node and prompt the user with suggested feature card changes for each node.

32. The telecommunications network of claim 31, wherein said computer program further includes screen displays to elicit selected changes in span-connecting functions between nodes, and to prompt the user with suggested line card changes in response to the selected changes in node connections.

33. The telecommunications network of claim 32, wherein said computer program further includes means for compiling said selected changes in signal processing functions at each node and span-connecting functions between nodes into a modified map of internode and intranode connections between and among the selected feature cards and line cards.

34. The telecommunications network of claim 33, wherein said computer program includes means to transmit said modified map of internode and intranode connections to each of said intelligent multiplexer devices and each network node, and to implement said modified map.

35. The telecommunications network of claim 34, wherein at least one of said feature cards of each intelligent multiplexer device comprises a central controller circuit card.

36. The telecommunications network of claim 35, wherein said central controller circuit card includes an onboard web server, and further including a web browser to communicate with said web server of said central controller card.

37. The telecommunications network of claim 35, wherein said central controller card includes a LAN port for direct connection to said SNMP Manager.

38. The telecommunications network of claim 35, wherein said central controller card includes a craft port for direct connection to a control terminal.

39. The telecommunications network of claim 34, wherein said fault tolerant means includes means for rerouting said plurality of communications channels in the event of a span failure, said means for rerouting establishing new communications routes on remaining spans, wherein channels of higher traffic priority are routed first before channels of lower traffic priority.

8. A telecommunications network comprised of a plurality of nodes and links interconnecting the nodes, including:

a plurality of intelligent multiplexer devices, each comprising one of the nodes of said network;

said nodes transmitting telecommunications traffic across interconnecting spans;

each of said intelligent multiplexer devices including means to perform telecommunications span-connecting functions;

fault tolerant means for maintaining telecommunications traffic in the event of failure of a portion of the telecommunications network;

each of said nodes routing a respective plurality of communications channels on respective spans, said plurality of channels being labeled with a traffic priority value;

said fault tolerant means including means for rerouting said plurality of communications channels in the event of a span failure, said means for rerouting establishing new communications routes on remaining spans, wherein channels of higher traffic priority are routed first before channels of lower traffic priority.

9. A telecommunications network comprised of a plurality of nodes and links interconnecting the nodes, including:

a plurality of intelligent multiplexer devices, each comprising one of the nodes of said network;

said nodes transmitting telecommunications traffic across interconnecting spans;

each of said intelligent multiplexer devices including means to perform telecommunications span-connecting functions;

fault tolerant means for maintaining telecommunications traffic in the event of failure of a portion of the telecommunications network;

said plurality of nodes being connected in a ring configuration by paired spans connected between each node, and said fault tolerant means including means for operating in the event of failure of the paired span between any two nodes to reconfigure said remaining paired spans into a closed loop to maintain communications traffic among all said plurality of nodes.