Methods and systems for interprocess communication and inter-network data transfer

Claim 2

The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate data format header generated in step a) contains a packet sequence position number indicating the position the ATM-formatted frame with respect to other ATM-formatted frames transmitted in a corresponding sequence.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein the destination device is a gateway processing system linking a second network to the first network, the second network being operable to transmit ATM-formatted frames, and wherein steps e), f) and g) are performed by the gateway processing system.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, wherein the information in the intermediate format data header generated in step a) contains a source device network address, a virtual circuit identifier value for an established virtual circuit between the source and destination devices, and a packet sequence position number indicating a position of the ATM-formatted frame with respect to other data packets transmitted in a sequence.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating an Internet protocol packet header containing a network address of a destination Internet device and an Internet protocol type field indicating that the packet is an encapsulated ATM frame before the encapsulation step c); and wherein step c) further comprises appending the generated Internet protocol packet header to the intermediate format data packet.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1, wherein the ATM-formatted frame is an AAL frame.

Claim 7

The method of claim 6, wherein the AAL frame is an AAL5 frame.

Claim 9

The method of claim 8, wherein the intermediate format data header information generated in step a) contains a source device network address, a virtual circuit identifier value for an established virtual circuit between the source and destination devices, and a packet sequence position number indicating a position of the ATM-formatted frame with respect to other data packets transmitted in a sequence.

Claim 10

The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of generating an Internet protocol packet header containing a network address of a destination Internet device and an Internet protocol type field indicating that the packet is an encapsulated ATM frame before the encapsulation step c); and wherein step c) further comprises appending the generated Internet protocol packet header to the intermediate format data packet.

Claim 11

The method of claim 8, wherein the ATM-formatted frame is an AAL frame.

Claim 12

The method of claim 11, wherein the AAL frame is an AAL5 frame.

Claim 13

A processing system for transmitting ATM-formatted frames over a first network operable to transmit IP packets, the processing system comprising: a source device linked to the first network, the source device having at least one memory storage device operable to store a plurality of processing system instructions, and at least one processing unit for controlling the transmission data and executing at least one of said processing unit instructions from said memory storage device, said processing unit operable to generate an intermediate format data header containing source and destination information, append the generated intermediate data format header to an ATM-formatted frame to form an intermediate format data packet, and encapsulate the intermediate format data packet to form a data portion of an IP packet for transmission on the first network; and a first network destination device linked to the first network, the destination device having at least one memory storage device operable to store a plurality of processing system instructions, and at least one processing unit for controlling the reception of data and executing at least one of said processing unit instructions from said memory storage device, said processing unit operable to decapsulate the IP packet to retrieve the intermediate format data packet, obtain the ATM-formatted frame and intermediate data format header from the decapsulated intermediate format data packet, and route the retrieved ATM-formatted frame based on the information in the retrieved intermediate data format header.

Claim 14

The processing system of claim 13, further comprising: a second network connected to the first network destination device, the second network being operable to transmit ATM-formatted frames; and a second network destination device, wherein the first network destination device is a gateway device which is operable to route the ATM-formatted frame encapsulated in the IP packet to the second network destination device based on the information in the retrieved intermediate data format header.

Claim 15

The processing system of claim 13, wherein the intermediate format data header information header contains a source device network address, a virtual circuit identifier value for an established virtual circuit between the source and destination devices, and a packet sequence position number indicating a position of the ATM-formatted frame with respect to other ATM-formatted frames transmitted in a sequence.

Claim 16

The processing system of claim 13, wherein the source is further operable to: generate an Internet protocol packet header containing an Internet address of the first network destination device and an Internet protocol type field indicating that the packet is an encapsulated ATM formatted frame; and append the generated Internet protocol packet header to the intermediate format packet to generate the IP packet.

Claim 17

The processing system of claim 13, wherein the ATM-formatted frame is an AAL frame.

Claim 18

The processing system of claim 17, wherein the AAL frame is an AAL5 frame.

Claim 19

A processing system for transmitting ATM-formatted frames over a first network operable to transmit IP packets, the processing system comprising: a source device connected to the first network, the source device having an IP stack interface and an ATM protocol stack interface communicating with an encapsulator, the IP stack interface being connected to an IP interface connected to the first network; and a first network destination device connected to the first network, the first network destination device having an IP, and ATM protocol stack interfaces communicating with a decapsulator, the IP stack interface being connected to an IP network interface connected to the first network.

Claim 20

the processing system of claim 19, wherein the first network destination device further comprises: an ATM network interface connected to the ATM protocol stack interface; a second network connected to the ATM network interface, the second network being operable to transmit ATM formatted frames; and a second network destination device connected to the second network, wherein the ATM protocol stack interface of the first network destination device is operable to a route decapsulated ATM-formatted frame over the second network to the second network destination device, if the destination of the ATM-formatted frame transmitted by the source device is the second network destination device.

Claim 21

the processing system of claim 19, wherein the encapsulator is part of the IP stack interface of the source device.

Claim 22

the processing system of claim 19, wherein the decapsulator is part of the ATM protocol stack interface of the first network destination device.

Claim 24

The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of sending a reject connection message if upon receipt of a connection request, the connection is not acceptable.

Claim 25

The method of claim 23, wherein the connection manager sends a connection key value with the connection request to the server application program, and wherein the value is transmitted back to the connection manager when sending the accept connection message to ensure that a connection will be established with the proper server application program.

Claim 26

the method of claim 23, wherein the sending and receiving of messages to and from the connection manager are performed by a connection service routines library communicating with the server application program.

Claim 27

the method of claim 23, wherein the client routine resides in a processing system linked to the connectionless network by a link to a connection-oriented network that is linked to a gateway processing system linked to the connectionless network.

Claim 28

The method of claim 27, wherein the connection manager is a routine maintained on the gateway processing system.

Claim 29

The method of claim 27, wherein the connection-oriented network is an ATM network.

Claim 31

The method of claim 30, wherein the connection manager sends a connection key value with the connection request to the client application program, and wherein the connection key value corresponds to the virtual circuit identifier value and is passed to the protocol stack interface with the virtual circuit identifier value.

Claim 32

the method of claim 30, wherein the sending and receiving of messages to and from the connection manager are performed by a connection service routines library communicating with the client application program.

Claim 33

the method of claim 30, wherein the server routine resides in a processing system linked to the connectionless network by a link to a connection-oriented network that is linked to a gateway processing system linked to the connectionless network.

Claim 34

The method of claim 33, wherein the connection manager is a routine maintained on the gateway processing system.

Claim 35

The method of claim 33, wherein the connection-oriented network is an ATM network.

Claim 36

A processing system linked to a connectionless network for establishing a communications virtual circuit maintained by a connection manager between a server application program maintained on the processing system and a client routine, the client routines operating on a respective processing system linked to the connectionless network, the processing system comprising: at least one memory storage device operable to store a plurality of processing system instructions; and at least one processing unit for controlling the transmission and receipt of data between the server application program and the connectionless network and executing at least one of said processing unit instructions from said memory storage device, said processing unit operable to: send an available service message to a connection manager residing on a device linked to the connectionless network, wait for acknowledgment of registration of the available service from the connection manager, wait for a connection request from the connection manager, the connection manager sending the connection request upon receiving a request from the client routine for connection to the server application program, send an accept connection message to the connection manager, wait for receipt of a virtual circuit identifier value sent by the connection manager, and direct a protocol stack interface routine in the processing system to pass all data packets received from the network possessing the virtual circuit identifier value.

Claim 37

The processing system of claim 36, wherein the processing unit is further operable to send a reject connection message if upon receipt of a connection request the connection is not acceptable.

Claim 38

The processing system of claim 36, wherein the connection manager sends a connection key value with the connection request to the processing system, and wherein the processing system is operable to send the connection key value back to the connection manager when sending the accept connection message to ensure that a connection will be established with the proper server application program.

Claim 39

the processing system of claim 36, wherein the client routine resides in a device linked to the connectionless network by a link to a connection-oriented network that is linked to a gateway device linked to the connectionless network.

Claim 40

The processing system of claim 39, wherein the connection manager is a routine maintained on the gateway device.

Claim 41

The processing system of claim 39, wherein the connection-oriented network is an ATM network.

Claim 42

A processing system linked to a connectionless network for establishing a communications virtual circuit maintained by a connection manager between a client application program maintained on the processing system and a server routine, the server routine operating on a respective processing system linked to the connectionless network, the processing system comprising: at least one memory storage device operable to store a plurality of processing system instructions; and at least one processing unit for controlling the transmission and receipt of data between the client application program and the connectionless network and executing at least one of said processing unit instructions from said memory storage device, said processing unit operable to: send a message to the connection manager requesting connection to a particular server routine; wait for acknowledgment of request for server routine from the connection manager; wait for a connection established notification from the connection manager, the connection manager sending the connection established notification when the server routine accepts the connection requested by the connection manager, the connection manager further sending a virtual circuit identifier value corresponding to the connection with the connection established notification; and direct a protocol stack interface routine in the processing system to pass all data packets received from the network possessing the virtual circuit identifier value.

Claim 43

The processing system of claim 42, wherein the connection manager sends a connection key value with the connection request to the processing system, and wherein the connection key value corresponds to the virtual circuit identifier value and is passed to the protocol stack interface with the virtual circuit identifier value.

Claim 44

the processing system of claim 42, wherein the server routine resides in a processing device linked to the connectionless network by a link to a connection-oriented network that is linked to a gateway processing device linked to the connectionless network.

Claim 45

The processing system of claim 44, wherein the connection manager is a routine maintained on the gateway processing device.

Claim 46

The processing system of claim 44, wherein the connection-oriented network is an ATM network.