IP Device Failover Routing via Secondary Network
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing failover systems for communication networks are cost-prohibitive for small to mid-size customers, requiring additional hardware and expensive secondary networks to maintain full service capabilities when the primary network fails.
Innovation Solution
A system and method where a first communication device detects failures on a primary network and reroutes communications through a secondary network, allowing the secondary network to send messages back to the primary network via different channels, enabling users to access native features without needing additional hardware or expensive failover networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If network centric failover systems are implemented, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to additional hardware requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the failover functionality from traditional network gateways/controllers and relocates it to the IP communication devices themselves. Each IP device independently monitors primary network availability and autonomously routes communications through secondary networks when needed, eliminating the need for dedicated failover hardware while maintaining communication reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
IP communication devices perform self-service failover by autonomously detecting primary network failures and automatically routing communications through secondary networks without requiring external gateways or controllers. The devices manage their own failover logic, monitoring, and routing decisions, simplifying the overall system architecture.
2Reliability
If full service failover networks are deployed, then service capability is maintained, but cost increases due to expensive secondary networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes secondary networks multi-functional by enabling them to handle both simple peer-to-peer communications and routed communications from IP devices. The same secondary network infrastructure serves multiple purposes: direct device-to-device communication and failover routing for IP devices, maximizing resource utilization and reducing the need for dedicated expensive failover network capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses peer-to-peer communication networks as cost-effective copies or alternatives to expensive dedicated failover networks. Instead of provisioning costly redundant primary network infrastructure, the system leverages available secondary networks that can be accessed through standard routing protocols, achieving failover capability at lower cost.
3Device complexity
If peer-to-peer secondary networks are used, then hardware cost is reduced, but service capability is limited compared to primary network features
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces IP communication devices as intermediaries between the primary and secondary networks. These devices receive communications from the primary network, detect failures, and automatically route them through secondary networks to destination devices. This intermediary function enables seamless failover while preserving access to primary network services and features through the routing mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a routing dimension to peer-to-peer secondary networks by enabling them to carry routed communications from IP devices in addition to direct peer-to-peer traffic. This transforms the secondary network from a simple direct-communication-only medium into a multi-dimensional communication path that supports both direct and routed traffic, expanding service capability without requiring expensive infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A first communication device detects a failure on a communication channel of a primary network. Based on the failure, the first communication device sends communications directed to a second communication device to a secondary network. A secondary network domain controller sends the communications to the primary network via a different communication channel. This can be done by looking at an identifier such as an IP address. This can also happen based on being able to communicate between the secondary network and the primary network via the different communication channel. The primary network then sends the communication to the second communication device. In addition, communications from the second communication device are routed in a similar manner to the first communication device. Sending the communications back into the primary network allows users to have access to features not provided by the secondary network.