Patent ID: 6255945
Filing Date: 2001-07-03
Classification: G08B,H04M

Abstract:
A method of communication path integrity supervision for a network system of automatic alarm data communication, comprising the steps of:providing a network of communication paths;providing a plurality of automatic alarm data communicators for dispatching alarm messages and linking the communicators onto the network;providing at least one receiver on the network for receiving the message traffic of the communicators; and,providing any communicator participating in said method with a process for self-empowering the communicator to periodically test its ability to establish a link to the receiver by:generating a message of a next-appointed ""check-in;""dispatching such message of a next-appointed ""check-in"" over the network; and,before the expiration of the ""next-appointed check-in, returning to the above step of generating a message, hence generating a succeeding message of a successor ""next-appointed check-in;""providing the receiver with a process for organizing the ""check-in"" message traffic from the communicators in an appointment schedule by:for each received unscheduled ""check-in"" message, establishing an appointment record for the dispatching communicator in the appointment schedule and scheduling that communicator for a next-appointed ""check-in"" corresponding to that received ""check-in"" message;for each timely-received scheduled ""check-in"" message, update the appointment record for that particular communicator in the appointment schedule and reschedule it for a succeeding next-appointed ""check-in"" corresponding to that particular received ""check-in"" message; andmonitoring the appointment schedule for any unmet appointment, and if so then generating an ""alert;""whereby such an ""alert"" signifies that a certain communicator failed to communicate a timely ""check-in"" message, which presumptively indicates that such certain communicator would likely have problems communicating alarm messages as well and requires further attention.