State machine to support concurrent message streams

• US 6,104,719 A
• Filed: 12/19/1997
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Govindirajan, Natarajan, Nagaraj, Kesavamurthy, Dash, Basudeb, Chang, Wei Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Application Number:
  US08/994,740
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 370/428, 370/230, 370/252, 370/257, 370/261, 370/264, 370/270, 370/360, 370/377, 370/379, 370/382, 370/384, 370/386, 370/410, 370/412, 370/413, 370/415, 370/417, 370/421 , 370/422, 370/432, 370/447, 370/461, 370/462, 370/229, 370/231, 370/235
• US Class Current: 370/428
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method for supporting concurrent message streams. The state machine is used for modeling a digital system having several states. The states represent messages in the digital system. Added to the state machine is a regressive state. The regressive state is connected to each of the states and all transitions between the states go through the regressive state. Also, queues are provided with the state machine to facilitate the concurrent message streams. A queue may be provided with each state so that if multiple message streams are at a single state, they may be stored in the queue provided with the state. Alternatively, a queue may be provided with each message stream so that each queue can keep track of the state at which the corresponding message stream is located.

Claims

1. A method for modeling a digital system having a plurality of states, comprising:

adding a regressive state to the plurality of states;

providing a transition between each one of the plurality states and the regressive state; and

providing a separate queue for each of the plurality of states;

wherein a message stream transitions between two of the plurality of states through the regressive state; and

wherein each of the queues is capable of storing multiple message streams.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of message streams may concurrently exist at each one of the states and wherein each of the queues includes a slot for each of the message streams.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein all transitions are to and from the regressive state.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital system is a switch network.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the plurality of states represent integrated services digital network user part ("ISUP") messages used by the switch network.

6. A method for modeling a digital system having a plurality of states, comprising:

adding a regressive state to the plurality of states;

providing a transition between each one of the plurality states and the regressive state; and

providing a queue for each of a plurality of message streams, each queue containing a slot for each of the plurality of states;

wherein a message stream transitions between two of the plurality of states through the regressive state.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein all transitions are to and from the regressive state.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the digital system is a switch network.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the plurality of states represent integrated services digital network user part ("ISUP") messages used by the switch network.

10. A digital system for concurrently supporting a plurality of message streams comprising:

a plurality of states representing messages in the digital system;

a separate queue for each of the plurality of message streams;

a regressive state connected to each of the plurality of states; and

a transition between each one of the plurality states and the regressive state;

wherein message streams transition between two of the plurality of states through the regressive state;

wherein each of the queues includes a slot for each of the plurality of states.

11. The digital system of claim 10 wherein all transitions are to and from the regressive state.

12. The digital system of claim 10 being a switch network and wherein the plurality of states represent integrated services digital network user part ("ISUP") messages used by the digital switch.

13. A digital system for concurrently supporting a plurality of message streams comprising;

a plurality of states representing messages in the digital system;

a separate queue for each of the plurality of states;

a regressive state connected to each of the plurality of states; and

a transition between each one of the plurality states and the regressive state;

wherein message streams transition between two of the plurality of states through the regressive state;

wherein each of the queues includes a slot for each of the plurality of message streams.

14. The digital system of claim 13 wherein all transitions are to and from the regressive state.

15. The digital system of claim 13 being a switch network and wherein the plurality of states represent integrated services digital network user part ("ISUP") messages used by the digital switch.

16. A state machine for modeling a digital system having a plurality of states and supporting a plurality of message streams, the state machine comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium;

a plurality of states recorded on the medium for representing messages in the digital system;

a queue recorded on the medium for supporting the message streams in the digital system;

a regressive state recorded on the medium, the regressive state being connected to each of the plurality of states;

transitions recorded on the medium, the transitions being between each one of the plurality states and the regressive state, wherein each one of the plurality of message streams transitions between two of the plurality of states through the regressive state.

17. A state machine for modeling a digital system having a plurality of states and supporting a plurality of message streams, the state machine comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium;

the plurality of states recorded on the medium for representing messages in digital system;

a separate queue for each of the message streams in the digital system recorded on the medium, each of the queues for supporting the respective message stream;

a regressive state recorded on the medium, the regressive state being connected to each of the plurality of states; and

transitions recorded on the medium, the transitions being between each one of the plurality states and the regressive state, wherein each one of the plurality of message streams transitions between two of the plurality of states through the regressive state;

wherein each of the queues provides a slot for each of the plurality of states.

18. A state machine for modeling a digital system having a plurality of states and supporting a plurality of message streams, the state machine comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium;

the plurality of states recorded on the medium for representing messages in the digital system;

a separate queue for each of the plurality of states recorded on the medium for supporting the message streams in the digital system;

a regressive state recorded on the medium, the regressive state being connected to each of the plurality of states; and

transitions recorded on the medium, the transitions being between each one of the plurality states and the regressive state, wherein each one of the plurality of message streams transitions between two of the plurality of states through the regressive state;

wherein each of the queues provides a slot for each of the plurality of message streams.