Data-driven interface control circuit

• US 7,460,551 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: North South Holdings Incorporated (Spherix Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuliner, Mitel, Rostron, Andy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo; John
• Application Number:
  US10/183,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20040001504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,349 Days
• Field of Search: 370/294, 370/337, 370/347, 370/442, 370/419, 370/463, 370/252, 370/254, 370/386, 370/320, 370/321, 370/336, 709/231, 709/318, 709/321, 709/250, 709/223, 709220-222, 719/326, 710/1, 710/8, 710/10, 707/227, 707/1
• US Class Current: 370/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881

Abstract

A method and apparatus for an improvement of a computer network by bringing commonality down to the device driver level. The computer network having at least one processor node having a circuit control module and a plurality of dedicated combinations of device driver and device object. Each of the dedicated combinations is capable of exchanging data between a circuit control module and one device type of a plurality of device types. The dedicated combinations of the device driver and the device object are replaced by a generic device driver and generic device agent capable of exchanging data between the circuit control module and any one of the plurality of device types.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor node having a circuit control module;

a generic device driver;

a generic device agent; and

at least one device type among a plurality of different device types, wherein said generic device driver and said generic device agent are configured such that if data is available then data is exchanged between said circuit control module and any of said plurality of device types;

wherein said generic device agent is operationally connected to a shared relational database.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said computer system comprises a communication system.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said generic device agent is a common agent.

4. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said plurality of device types comprises SONET, T1, E1, ATM, modem.

5. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said data comprises one or more of performance monitoring data, initialization data, fault detection data, and operational reporting data.

6. The computer system of claim 1, comprising plural generic device agents;

wherein ones of said generic device agents are operationally connected to one of a plurality of relational databases.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said generic device agent is configured such that if data is available the data is exchanged between said circuit control module and any one of said plurality of device types.

8. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said communications system is a point-to-multipoint communication system.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein said communications system operates in the millimeter wave frequency spectrum.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said communications system is a time division multiple access system.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein said communications system is a time-division duplex system.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein said communications system is an adaptive time division duplex system.

15. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said data is transferred to a persistent storage.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the persistent storage is a flash file system.

17. The computer system of claim 1, wherein circuit control module is a software object.

18. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said circuit control module is hardware device.

11. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor node having a circuit control module;

a generic device driver;

a generic device agent; and

at least one device type among a plurality of different device types, wherein said generic device driver and said generic device agent are configured such that if data is avalilable then data is exchanged between said circuit control module and any of said plurality of device types;

wherein said computer system comprises a point-to-multipoint communication system;

wherein said communications system operates in the millimeter wave frequency spectrum;

wherein said communications system is a time division multiple access system; and

,

wherein the data density within each frame is dynamically variable.

14. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor node having a circuit control module;

a generic device driver;

a generic device agent; and

at least one device type among a plurality of different device types, wherein said generic device driver and said generic device agent are configured such that if data is avalilable then data is exchanged between said circuit control module and any of said plurality of device types;

wherein said computer system comprises a point-to-multipoint communication system;

wherein said communications system operates in the millimeter wave frequency spectrum;

wherein said communications system is a time division multiple access system;

wherein said communications system is an adaptive time division duplex system; and

,

wherein the forward/reverse ratio is dynamically configurable.

19. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of processor nodes;

a plurality of control agents operationally connected to each of said plurality of processor nodes;

a generic device driver;

a generic device agent; and

at least one device type among a plurality of different device types, wherein the generic device driver and the generic device agent are configured such that if data is avaliable then data is exchanged between said control agent and any one of said plurality of device types;

wherein said computer system comprises a point-to-multipoint communication system;

wherein said communications system operates in the millimeter wave frequency spectrum;

wherein said communications system is a time division multiple access system; and

,

wherein the data density within each frame is dynamically variable.

20. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of processor nodes;

a plurality of control agents operationally connected to each of said plurality of processor nodes;

a generic device driver;

a generic device agent; and

at least one device type among a plurality of different device types, wherein the generic device driver and the generic device agent are configured such that if data is avaliable then data is exchanged between said control agent and any one of said plurality of device types;

wherein said computer system comprises a point-to-multipoint communication system;

wherein said communications system operates in the millimeter wave frequency spectrum;

wherein said communications system is a time division multiple access system;

wherein said communications system is an adaptive time division duplex system; and

,

wherein the forward/reverse ratio is dynamically configurable.

21. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of processor nodes;

a plurality of control agents operationally connected to each of said plurality of processor nodes;

a generic device driver;

a generic device agent; and

at least one device type among a plurality of different device types, wherein the generic device driver and the generic device agent are configured such that if data is available then data is exchanged between said control agent and any one of said plurality of device types;

wherein said generic device agent is operationally connected to a shared relational database.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said computer system is a communications system.

23. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said circuit control module is a circuit state machine.

24. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said control agent and said device agent are common agents.

25. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said plurality of device types comprises SONET, T1, E1, ATM, modem.

26. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said data comprises one or more of performance monitoring data, initialization data, fault detection data, and operational reporting data.

27. The computer system of claim 21, comprising plural generic device agents;

wherein ones of said generic device agents are operationally connected to one of a plurality of relational databases.

28. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said generic device agent is configured such that if data is available the data is exchanged between said control agent and any one of said plurality of device types.

29. The computer system of claim 22, wherein said communications system is a point-to-multipoint communication system.

30. The computer system of claim 29, wherein said communications system operates in the millimeter wave frequency spectrum.

31. The computer system of claim 30, wherein said communications system is a time division multiple access system.

32. The computer system of claim 31, wherein said communications system is a time division duplex system.

33. The computer system of claim 32, wherein said communications system is an adaptive time division duplex system.

34. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said data is transferred to a persistent storage.

35. The computer system of claim 34, wherein the persistent storage is a flash file system.