Patent Document ID: 6078946
Application ID: 08707949
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer-based system for management of a connection oriented network according to a user's pre-determined priorities, said network having a plurality of trails interconnecting a plurality of points, each trail of said plurality having a plurality of physical attributes (A, B, C,. .. ), the system comprising: means for assigning a plurality of attribute values (A1, A2, A3,. .. ) (B1, B2, B3,. .. ) (C1, C2, C3. .. ) for each physical attribute (A, B, C,. .. ); a memory means for receiving and storing a data model of each said trail, said data model including a set of attribute values {A1, B1, C1,. .. } for each said trail representative of said plurality of physical attributes; data entry means for entering an attribute weight {W.sub.A, W.sub.B, W.sub.C,. .. } for each physical attribute (A, B, C,. .. ) according to the user's priorities, wherein a higher priority of the user's priorities has a greater weight than a lower priority of the user's priorities; and a processing means for: (a) multiplying each attribute value of said set of attribute values by the corresponding attribute weight to provide a set of weighted attribute values {A1*W.sub.A, B1*W.sub.B, C1*W.sub.C,. .. } for each said trail; (b) summing said set of weighted attribute values for each said trail to generate an initial input value IN.sub.T for each said trail, (c) performing a transfer function on said initial input value according to a first equation OUT.sub.T =f(IN.sub.T) to determine a threshold for each said trail, (d) adjusting one of said attribute weights of the set of weighted attribute values {A1*W.sub.A, B1*W.sub.B, C1*W.sub.C,. .. } for each said trail according to the user's priorities to provide a set of adjusted weighted attribute values for each said trail, (e) summing said set of adjusted weighted attribute values to provide an adjusted input value IN.sub.T (adjusted) for each said trail, (f) performing said transfer function on said adjusted input value for each said trail to generate an adjusted output value for each said trail where OUT.sub.T (adjusted)=f(IN.sub.T (adjusted)-IN.sub.T), (g) comparing said adjusted output value OUT.sub.T (adjusted) for each said trail to said threshold for each said trail to identify a single adjusted output value that crosses its corresponding said threshold, and, if no said single adjusted output value is identified which crosses its corresponding said threshold, (h) repeating steps (d)-(g) until said single adjusted output value is identified; and (i) generating an output signal indicating an identity of said trail of said plurality of trails having said single adjusted output value that crosses its corresponding threshold.