Method and apparatus for monitoring, controlling, and configuring remote communication devices

• US 6,330,597 B2
• Filed: 11/17/1998
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Conexant Systems Incorporated (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tamir, Tal, Collin, Zeev
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Hieu C.
• Application Number:
  US09/193,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20010039573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/228-229, 709/300-301, 710/15, 710/8, 714/717, 714/25, 371/22, 371/15.1, 379/93.09
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• 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: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/022 by sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors

Abstract

A communication system for monitoring and/or controlling communication parameters of a remote communication device. The communication system monitors a communication channel that is created between the remote communication device and controls the communication device by adjusting internal settings of the communication device that represent communication parameters. The communication device is communicatively coupled to a communication channel to carry out ongoing communications between the communication device and the communication channel. Further, a software module is associated with the communication device, and the software module accesses the internal settings of the communication device from a remote location via the communication channel and performs diagnostics such as monitoring, controlling, and configuring the communication device using the internal settings of the communication device.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a communication device;

an operating system having a communication driver for communication with said communication device; and

a diagnostics software including;

a diagnostics driver;

a diagnostics dynamic link library; and

a diagnostics application programming interface;

wherein said communication device is capable of communicating with a remote device via a communication line, and wherein said diagnostics software is capable of transmitting diagnostics information relating to said communication device to said remote device via said communication line and receiving control information from said remote device based on said diagnostics information for optimizing performance of said communication device over said communication line.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said communication device is a communication software.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said communication software is a software modem.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said communication device is a hardware modem.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said communication device multiplexes said diagnostics information with data being transmitted to said remote device.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein said communication device includes a datapump, and wherein said datapump multiplexes said diagnostics information with said data being transmitted to said remote device.

7. The computer system of claim 5, wherein said communication device multiplexes said diagnostics information with said data being transmitted to said remote device, as part of a data protocol.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said data protocol is a V.42 protocol.

9. The computer system of claim 5, wherein said diagnostics information includes one or more internal parameters of said communication device.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said communication device demultiplexes said control information from data being received from said remote device.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein said control information includes one or more control commands from said remote device.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said one or more control commands modify one or more internal parameters of said communication device.

13. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said communication line includes a first communication channel and a second communication channel, and wherein data is communicated via said first channel and said diagnostics information is communicated via said second channel.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein said second channel is a control channel.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein said control channel is a V.34 control channel.

16. A diagnostics software for use in a computer system including a communication device and an operating system having a communication driver for communication with said communication device, said diagnostics software comprising:

a diagnostics driver;

a diagnostics dynamic link library; and

a diagnostics application programming interface;

wherein said communication device is capable of communicating with a remote device via a communication line, and wherein said diagnostics software is capable of transmitting diagnostics information relating to said communication device to said remote device via said communication line and receiving control information from said remote device based on said diagnostics information for optimizing performance of said communication device over said communication line.

17. The diagnostics software of claim 16, wherein said communication device is a communication software.

18. The diagnostics software of claim 17, wherein said communication software is a software modem.

19. The diagnostics software of claim 16, wherein said communication device is a hardware modem.

20. The diagnostics software of claim 16, wherein said communication device multiplexes said diagnostics information with data being transmitted to said remote device.

21. The diagnostics software of claim 20, wherein said communication device includes a datapump, and wherein said datapump multiplexes said diagnostics information with said data being transmitted to said remote device.

22. The diagnostics software of claims 20, wherein said communication device multiplexes said diagnostics information with said data being transmitted to said remote device, as part of a data protocol.

23. The diagnostics software of claim 22, wherein said data protocol is a V.42 protocol.

24. The diagnostics software of claim 20, wherein said diagnostics information includes one or more internal parameters of said communication device.

25. The diagnostics software of claim 16, wherein said communication device demultiplexes said control information from data being received from said remote device.

26. The diagnostics software of claim 25, wherein said control information includes one or more control commands from said remote device.

27. The diagnostics software of claim 26, wherein said one or more control commands modify one or more internal parameters of said communication device.

28. The diagnostics software of claim 16, wherein said communication line includes a first communication channel and a second communication channel, and wherein data is communicated via said first channel and said diagnostics information is communicated via said second channel.

29. The diagnostics software of claim 28, wherein said second channel is a control channel.

30. The diagnostics software of claim 29, wherein said control channel is a V.34 control channel.

31. A communication software for use in a computer system including an operating system having a communication driver for communication with said communication software, said communication software comprising:

a port driver for communication with said communication driver;

a controller module;

a datapump module;

a hardware interface for interfacing with a communication line; and

a diagnostics module;

wherein said communication software is capable of communicating with a remote device via said communication line, and wherein said diagnostics module is capable of transmitting diagnostics information relating to said communication device to said remote device via said communication line and receiving control information from said remote device based on said diagnostics information for optimizing performance of said communication device over said communication line.

32. The communication software of claim 31, wherein said communication software is a software modem.

33. The communication software of claim 31, wherein said communication software multiplexes said diagnostics information with data being transmitted to said remote device.

34. The communication software of claim 33, wherein said datapump module multiplexes said diagnostics information with said data being transmitted to said remote device.

35. The communication software of claim 33, wherein said controller module multiplexes said diagnostics information with said data being transmitted to said remote device, as part of a data protocol.

36. The communication software of claim 35, wherein said data protocol is a V.42 protocol.

37. The communication software of claim 33, wherein said diagnostics information includes one or more internal parameters of said communication software.

38. The communication software of claim 37, wherein said diagnostics information includes one or more internal parameters of said datapump module.

39. The communication software of claim 31, wherein said communication software demultiplexes said control information from data being received from said remote device.

40. The communication software of claim 39, wherein said control information includes one or more control commands from said remote device.

41. The communication software of claim 40, wherein said one or more control commands modify one or more internal parameters of said communication software.

42. The communication software of claim 41, wherein said one or more control commands modify one or more internal parameters of said datapump module.

43. The communication software of claim 31, wherein said communication line includes a first communication channel and a second communication channel, and wherein data is communicated via said first channel and said diagnostics information is communicated via said second channel.

44. The communication software of claim 43, wherein said second channel is a control channel.

45. The communication software of claim 44, wherein said control channel is a V.34 control channel.

46. A communication method using a computer system having a local communication device, a communication driver and a diagnostics software, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection between said local communication device and a remote communication device;

controlling said local communication device using a communication application software in communication with said communication driver;

monitoring said communication device using said diagnostics software to obtain diagnostics information;

transmitting said diagnostics information to said remote communication device, via said connection, using said diagnostics software; and

receiving control information from said remote communication device based on said diagnostics information for optimizing performance of said local communication device over said connection.

47. The communication method of claim 46, wherein said local communication device includes one or more communication parameters, and wherein said transmitting step includes transmitting at least one of said communication parameters.

48. The communication method of claim 46, wherein at least a part of said connection is established via a telephone line.

49. The communication method of claim 46, wherein at least a part of said connection is established via a peer-to-peer network.

50. The communication method of claim 46, wherein at least a part of said connection is established via the Internet.

51. The communication method of claim 46, wherein said communication device is a modem.

52. The communication method of claim 51, wherein said modem is a software modem.