IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,146,556
Granted Patent B2
US 7,146,556 · App. 10/286,336 · Granted Dec 5, 2006

Structured data communication with backwards compatibility

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,146,556
App. No.
10/286,336
Granted
Dec 5, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems are presented for communicating structured data in a system utilizing devices having different data processing capabilities. The methods, apparatus, and systems involve transmitting a unit of data from a first device, wherein the unit of data comprises at least a version-specific portion and a version identifier associated with the version-specific portion, receiving the unit of data at a second device distinct from the first device, processing the version-specific portion at the second device if the second device recognizes the associated version identifier, and disregarding the version-specific portion at the second device if the second device does not recognize the associated version identifier. Disregarding the version-specific portion may comprise examining a data length field in the data unit associated with the version-specific portion to determine a length value and skipping an amount of data corresponding to the length value.

Claims (37)

1. A method for communicating structured data in a system utilizing devices having different data processing capabilities comprising:

transmitting a unit of data from a first device, said unit of data comprising at least a version-specific portion and a version identifier associated with said version-specific portion;

receiving said unit of data at a second device distinct from said first device;

processing said version-specific portion at said second device if said second device recognizes said associated version identifier; and

disregarding said version-specific portion at said second device if said second device does not recognize said associated version identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step for processing said version-specific portion comprises reading at least one data field from a known location within said version-specific portion.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said version-specific portion comprises at least one data field.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said version-specific portion comprises at least one data element containing at least one data field.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said version-specific portion comprises at least one message containing at least one information element, said information element containing at least one data field.

6. A method for communicating structured data in a system utilizing devices having different data processing capabilities comprising:

transmitting a unit of data from a first device, said unit of data comprising at least a version-specific portion and a version identifier associated with said version-specific portion;

receiving said unit of data at a second device distinct from said first device;

processing said version-specific portion at said second device if said second device recognizes said associated version identifier; and

disregarding said version-specific portion at said second device if said second device does not recognize said associated version identifier, wherein said step for disregarding said version-specific portion comprises examining a data length field in said data unit associated with said version-specific portion to determine a length value and skipping an amount of data corresponding to said length value.

7. A method for communicating structured data in a system utilizing devices having different data processing capabilities comprising:

transmitting a unit of data from a first device, said unit of data comprising at least a version-specific portion and a version identifier associated with said version-specific portion;

receiving said unit of data at a second device distinct from said first device;

processing said version-specific portion at said second device if said second device recognizes said associated version identifier; and

disregarding said version-specific portion at said second device if said second device does not recognize said associated-version identifier, wherein said step for disregarding said version-specific portion comprises skipping a predetermined amount of data.

8. A system for communicating structured data utilizing devices having different data processing capabilities comprising:

a first device adapted to send a unit of data comprising at least a version-specific portion and a version identifier associated with said version-specific portion; and

a second device distinct from said first device and adapted to receive said unit of data, said second device further adapted to process said version-specific portion if said second device recognizes said associated version identifier or disregard said version-specific portion if said second device does not recognize said associated version identifier.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said second device is adapted to process said version-specific portion by reading at least one data field from a known location within said version-specific portion.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein said version-specific portion comprises at least one data field.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein said version-specific portion comprises at least one data element containing at least one data field.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein said version-specific portion comprises at least one message containing at least one information element, said information element containing at least one data field.

13. A system for communicating structured data utilizing devices having different data processing capabilities comprising:

a first device adapted to send a unit of data comprising at least a version-specific portion and a version identifier associated with said version-specific portion; and

a second device distinct from said first device and adapted to receive said unit of data, said second device further adapted to process said version-specific portion if said second device recognizes said associated version identifier or disregard said version-specific portion if said second device does not recognize said associated version identifier, wherein said second device is adapted to disregard said version-specific portion by examining a data length field in said data unit associated with said version-specific portion to determine a length value and skipping an amount of data corresponding to said length value.

14. A system for communicating structured data utilizing devices having different data processing capabilities comprising:

a first device adapted to send a unit of data comprising at least a version-specific portion and a version identifier associated with said version-specific portion; and

a second device distinct from said first device and adapted to receive said unit of data, said second device further adapted to process said version-specific portion if said second device recognizes said associated version identifier or disregard said version-specific portion if said second device does not recognize said associated version identifier, wherein said second device is adapted to disregard said version-specific portion by skipping a predetermined amount of data.

15. A system for communicating structured data in a system utilizing devices having different data processing capabilities comprising:

means for transmitting a unit of data from a first device, said unit of data comprising at least a version-specific portion and a version identifier associated with said version-specific portion;

means for receiving said unit of data at a second device distinct from said first device;

means for processing said version-specific portion at said second device if said second device recognizes said associated version identifier; and

means for disregarding said version-specific portion at said second device if said second device does not recognize said associated version identifier.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 24, 2024
From: CITIZENS BANK, N.A.
To: RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS OPERATING COMPANY, INC. (F/K/A GENBAND US LLC AND SONUS NETWORKS, INC.)
Reel/Frame 067822/0433 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF FIRST SUPPLEMENT OT PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT AT R/F 049035/0939 Recorded Dec 6, 2021
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS OPERATING COMPANY, INC. (F/K/A GENBAND US LLC AND SONUS NETWORKS, INC.)
Reel/Frame 058740/0265 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2020
From: RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS OPERATING COMPANY, INC.
To: CITIZENS BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 052076/0905 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SCHEDULE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 049035 FRAME 0939. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE FIRST SUPPLEMENT TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Aug 22, 2019
From: GENBAND US LLC; RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS OPERATING COMPANY, INC., FORMERLY KNOWN AS SONUS NETWORKS, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 050705/0001 →
FIRST SUPPLEMENT TO SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 30, 2019
From: GENBAND US LLC; RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS OPERATING COMPANY, INC., FORMERLY KNOWN AS SONUS NETWORKS, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 049035/0939 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 16, 2019
From: SONUS NETWORKS, INC.
To: RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS OPERATING COMPANY, INC.
Reel/Frame 048078/0036 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2017
From: NETWORK EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SONUS NETWORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 044904/0829 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 24, 2017
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: SONUS NETWORKS, INC.; SONUS FEDERAL, INC.; NETWORK EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGIES, INCORPORATED; SONUS INTERNATIONAL, INC.; TAQUA, INC.
Reel/Frame 044283/0361 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2014
From: SONUS NETWORKS, INC.; SONUS FEDERAL, INC.; NETWORK EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGIES, INCORPORATED; SONUS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 033728/0409 →