Method and system for upgrading a terminal to terminal link in a telecommunication system

• US 6,707,830 B1
• Filed: 11/20/1998
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Gallant, Martin, Noble, Scott W., Brown, Mike A., Doll, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): George, Keith M.
• Application Number:
  US09/197,217
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/410, 370/475, 370/522, 370/465, 370/466, 370/524, 375/222, 379/22.01, 379/22.02, 379/27.01, 379/27.02, 379/27.03
• US Class Current: 370/524
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/045 Selection or connection testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13174 Data transmission, file transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13396 Signaling in general, in-band signalling

Abstract

In accordance with the method and system of the present invention, a first link protocol utilizing a set mode command is sent from one or more transmit terminals to establish a link with one or more receive terminals. The set mode command comprises a frame format including an identifying byte field in accordance with International Telecommunication Union'"'"'s Q.921 Annex E protocol specification. The one or more transmit terminals wait a predetermined T200 time interval to receive a response from the one or more receive terminals to determine if the link is established. If a response is not received from the one or more receive terminals, the one or more transmit terminals resends the set mode command a predetermined N200 times. If the link is still not established within the predetermined N200 times, a second link protocol utilizing a set asynchronous balanced mode extended command having a different identifying byte field in accordance with International Telecommunication Union'"'"'s Q.921 protocol specification is sent to the one or more receive terminals to establish the link.

Claims

1. A method for upgrading a terminal to terminal link within a telecommunication system, comprising the steps of:

(a) sending a first link command frame generated via a first communication protocol from one or more transmit terminals to one or more receive terminals to try to establish a link, said first link command frame including an identifying byte field, wherein said one or more transmit terminals are capable of transmitting multiple link command frames associated with multiple communication protocols including said first link command frame and a second link command frame generated via a second communication protocol and said one or more receive terminals are capable of receiving different link command frames including said first link command frame and said second link command frame;

(b1) determining if said link is established within a predetermined time interval;

(b2) when said link is established, decoding a set mode command at said one or more receive terminals in accordance with International Telecommunication Union'"'"'s Q.921 protocol specification;

(c) responsive to said link not being established within said predetermined time interval, repeating steps through (b2) a predetermined number of times; and

(d) responsive to said link not being established within said predetermined number of times, sending said second link command frame including a different byte field, wherein said determining step and said decoding step are repeated with said second link command frame, wherein further an attempt to establish said link utilizing said second link command frame is repeated up to said predetermined number of times or until said link is established.

2. The method for upgrading a terminal to terminal link within a telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein said set mode command includes a plurality of bytes and wherein further the step of decoding said set mode command further comprises:

decoding byte four of said plurality of bytes within said set mode command.

3. The method for upgrading a terminal to terminal link within a telecommunication system according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of bytes includes a plurality of byte fields comprised of one or more bytes and wherein further the step of decoding said set mode command further comprises:

decoding one or more byte fields from among a format identifier, group identifier, group length, mode of operation and modulus of operation.

4. The method for upgrading a terminal to terminal link within a telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining if said link is established further comprises:

waiting one second.

5. The method for upgrading a terminal to terminal link within a telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending a frame to try to establish said link a predetermined number of times further comprises:

retrying three times.

6. The method for upgrading a terminal to terminal link within a telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein said set mode command includes a plurality of bytes and wherein further the step of decoding said set mode command further comprises:

decoding byte four of said plurality of bytes within said set mode command.

7. An information handling system, comprising:

means for sending a first link command frame generated via a first communication protocol to establish a link, said first link command frame including an identifying byte field;

means for determining if said link is established;

means, when said link is established for decoding a set mode command in accordance with International Telecommunication Union'"'"'s Q.921 protocol specification; and

means, when said link is not established by said first link command frame, for sending a second link command frame generated via a second communication protocol including a different identifying byte field.

8. An information handling system according to claim 7, wherein said means for establishing the link includes means for decoding byte four within said set mode command.

9. An information handling system according to claim 8, wherein said means for establishing the link includes means for decoding one or more byte fields including a format identifier, group identifier, group length, mode of operation and modulus of operation within said set mode command.

10. An information handling system according to claim 7, wherein said means for determining if said link is established includes means for waiting a predetermined time interval.

11. An information handling system according to claim 7, wherein said means for determining if said link is established includes waiting one second.

12. An information handling system according to claim 7, wherein said means for determining if said link is established includes means for trying to establish said link a predetermined number of times.

13. An information handling system according to claim 7, wherein said means for determining if said link is established includes means for retrying to establish said link with said first link command frame three times.

14. An information handling system according to claim 7, wherein said means for sending the second link command frame including a different byte includes means for decoding a set asynchronous balanced mode extended command in accordance with International Telecommunication Union'"'"'s Q.921 protocol specification.

15. A telecommunication system, comprising:

a first link command frame generated via a first communication protocol utilizing a set mode command including an identifying byte field in accordance with International Telecommunication Union'"'"'s Q.921 Annex E protocol specification, said first frame sent from one or more transmit terminals to establish a link with one or more receive terminals;

said one or more transmit terminals waiting a predetermined time interval to determine if said link is established, wherein if said link is not established trying to establish said link a predetermined number of times; and

if said link is not established within said predetermined number of times sending a second link command frame generated via a second communication protocol utilizing a set asynchronous balanced mode extended command having a different identifying byte field in accordance with International Telecommunication Union'"'"'s Q.921 protocol specification, said second frame sent to said one or more receive terminals to establish said link.

16. The telecommunications system of claim 15, further comprising means for decoding a set mode command in accordance with International Telecommunication Union'"'"'s Q.921 Annex E protocol specification.

17. A computer program product residing on a computer usable medium for upgrading a terminal to terminal link within an information handling system, said program product comprising:

instruction means for establishing a link by sending a first link command frame generated via a first communication protocol, said first link command frame including an identifying byte field;

instruction means for determining if said link is established;

instruction means for decoding a set mode command in accordance with International Telecommunication Union'"'"'s Q.921 Annex E protocol specification when said link is established; and

instruction means for sending a second link command frame including a different identifying byte field if said link is not established by said first link command frame.