Ronald E Gebhardt

US Patent:

6963911, Nov 8, 2005

Filed:

Jul 19, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/909220

Inventors:

Ronald L. Gebhardt Jr. - Delran NJ, US
Mark M. Morehouse - Doylestown PA, US
Marlin McGregor - Berwyn PA, US
Daniel C. Fiorella III - Blue Bell PA, US

Assignee:

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

International Classification:

G06F015/173

US Classification:

709223, 709202, 709224, 709250

Abstract:

A network of managed elements, in which code necessary for the integration of the elements into the network is contained in the elements themselves. A network proxy polls the elements to determine the presence of a new element or a revision to the code of an existing element. When found, code is copied from the element to the proxy, which serves as an interface between the elements and a network management system.

US Patent:

20020170050, Nov 14, 2002

Filed:

Mar 14, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/808370

Inventors:

Daniel Fiorella - Blue Bell PA, US
Ronald Gebhardt - Delran NJ, US
Marlin McGregor - Berwyn PA, US

Assignee:

General instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

International Classification:

G06F009/44

US Classification:

717/168000

Abstract:

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for upgrading firmware in an embedded system, without impacting the system. More specifically, the present invention enables an embedded system to be upgraded without any system downtime, by providing two application areas in non-volatile programmable read only memory. A processor can boot up and run from either application area. A fixed vector table is provided, which, in cooperation with a software vector table, enables the processor to maintain proper interrupt vector addresses while being able to run from either application area. Upgraded firmware can be loaded into one application area while the system is running from the other application area. Resetting the processor allows the system to run the upgraded version of firmware.

US Patent:

20030147354, Aug 7, 2003

Filed:

Feb 4, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/067026

Inventors:

Ronald Gebhardt - Delran NJ, US
Craig Martin - Chalfont PA, US
Mark Morehouse - Doylestown PA, US

Assignee:

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

International Classification:

H04L012/28

US Classification:

370/254000, 370/476000

Abstract:

A method of expandable network slot addressing to provide topological information for a network. The method includes providing a platform having addressable slots for data communication. A first tier device is located in one of the slots in the platform. At least one second tier device is connected to the first tier device. An extendable address is assigned to each of the first and second tier devices, with each address including a slot address segment which indicates which slot each of the devices resides in or is connected to at the modular platform, a depth segment which indicates a layer in the topology at which the device is located and a number of address bytes that are present, and an address byte segment which indicates where in the topology the device is located and provides each of the devices with a unique address so that each of the devices attached to the platform can be addressed and its topological position can be inferred from the address.

US Patent:

20060015606, Jan 19, 2006

Filed:

Sep 23, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/233791

Inventors:

Ronald Gebhardt - Delran NJ, US
Mark Morehouse - Doylestown PA, US
Marlin McGregor - Berwyn PA, US
Daniel Fiorella - Blue Bell PA, US

International Classification:

G06F 15/173

US Classification:

709223000

Abstract:

A network of managed elements, in which code necessary for the integration of the elements into the network is contained in the elements themselves. A network proxy polls the elements to determine the presence of a new element or a revision to the code of an existing element. When found, code is copied from the element to the proxy, which serves as an interface between the elements and a network management system.