Device and method for managing fault detection and fault isolation in voice and data networks
First Claim
1. An intelligent data concentrator, comprising:
- a housing having a first surface and a second surface and configured to be mounted substantially within a cavity in a wall in such a way that the first surface is internal to the wall and the second surface is external the cavity and substantially planar with the wall, said housing further comprising;
a first interface at the first surface operable to physically couple to a dedicated drop of network cabling terminating within the wall and to communicating couple said intelligent data concentrator to said network, said network having a head end at an opposite end of the network cabling, wherein said head end is a central control site at operable to remotely access said intelligent data concentrator over said network;
a second interface at the second surface comprising a plurality of communication ports for communicatively coupling said intelligent data concentrator to a plurality of client devices at said plurality of communication ports such that said client devices are communicatively coupled to said network;
means for processing and interpreting data internal to the housing and coupled to said first interface; and
fault detection means internal to the housing and coupled to said means for processing and interpreting data, said fault detection means operable to identify, based on a physical location of the housing and communications from the head end, a physical location of a fault in the network.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a device and method for managing fault detection and isolation in voice and data networks. Specifically, the present invention is a device and method for fault detection and fault isolation that can be used to validate connectivity of a central site to a number of connected client devices. The present invention operates stage by stage, working from the central site back to a connected client device. The present invention can be controlled from a central maintenance station and as such does not require direct user enabling. In one embodiment, the present invention provides an intelligent device (e.g., an intelligent data concentrator) for coupling an electronic device to a network comprising a first interface for communicatively coupling the intelligent device to the network and a second interface for communicatively coupling the intelligent device to a plurality of client devices such that the client devices are communicatively coupled to the network. The intelligent device also comprises means for processing and interpreting data coupled to the first interface, and fault detection means coupled to the means for processing and interpreting data, wherein the fault detection means performs fault detection in the network. In one embodiment, the intelligent device operates in conjunction with a central control site in performing fault detection.
184 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An intelligent data concentrator, comprising:
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a housing having a first surface and a second surface and configured to be mounted substantially within a cavity in a wall in such a way that the first surface is internal to the wall and the second surface is external the cavity and substantially planar with the wall, said housing further comprising; a first interface at the first surface operable to physically couple to a dedicated drop of network cabling terminating within the wall and to communicating couple said intelligent data concentrator to said network, said network having a head end at an opposite end of the network cabling, wherein said head end is a central control site at operable to remotely access said intelligent data concentrator over said network; a second interface at the second surface comprising a plurality of communication ports for communicatively coupling said intelligent data concentrator to a plurality of client devices at said plurality of communication ports such that said client devices are communicatively coupled to said network; means for processing and interpreting data internal to the housing and coupled to said first interface; and fault detection means internal to the housing and coupled to said means for processing and interpreting data, said fault detection means operable to identify, based on a physical location of the housing and communications from the head end, a physical location of a fault in the network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for fault detection in a network, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) providing an intelligent data concentrator coupled to a network, said intelligent data concentrator comprising a housing having a first surface and a second surface and configured to be mounted substantially within a cavity in a wall in such a way that the first surface is internal to the wall and the second surface is external the cavity and substantially planar with the wall, said housing further comprising; a first interface at the first surface operable to physically couple to a dedicated drop of network cabling terminating within the wall and to communicatively couple said intelligent data concentrator to said network, said network having a head end, wherein said head end is a central control site at operable to remotely access said intelligent data concentrator over said network; a second interface at the second surface comprising a plurality of communication ports for communicatively coupling said intelligent data concentrator to a plurality of client devices at said plurality of communication ports such that said client devices are communicatively coupled to said network; means for processing and interpreting data internal to the housing and coupled to said first interface; and fault detection means internal to the housing and coupled to said means for processing and interpreting data, said fault detection means operable to identify, based on a physical location of the housing and communications from the head end, a physical location of a fault in the network; b) monitoring said network for a fault by said intelligent data concentrator and said head end, such that said intelligent data concentrator and said head end operate in conjunction to identify a physical location of the fault. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification