1. A apparatus for testing a network, comprising:
first and second memory banks configured to alternate between being active and inactive in a complementary manner;
a traffic receiver configured to:
receive traffic comprising a plurality of packets from the network,
accumulate traffic statistics,
store accumulated traffic statistics in the active memory bank of the first and second memory banks, and
copy contents of the first memory bank, when inactive, to a third memory bank, and copy contents of the second memory bank, when inactive, to a fourth memory bank; and
a port processor configured to aggregate at least selected traffic statistics stored in the third memory bank and the fourth memory bank.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the first and second memory banks switch between being active and inactive in a complementary manner at the start of each of a series of sequential time intervals.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein durations of the sequential time intervals are equal and predetermined.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the first and second memory banks switch between being active and inactive in a complementary manner in response to an operator request.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the traffic receiver includes a statistics engine configured to accumulate test statistics by
extracting a packet group identifier from each received packet,
retrieving test data associated with the packet group identifier from the active memory bank of the first and second memory banks,
updating the retrieved test data inconsideration of the received packet, and
storing the updated test data in the active memory bank.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein
the first and second memory banks and the statistics engine are contained in a common circuit device.
7. A method for testing a network, comprising:
receiving traffic comprising a plurality of packets from the network,
accumulate traffic statistics representative of the received traffic,
storing accumulated traffic statistics in an active memory bank of a first memory bank and a second memory bank, the first and second memory banks alternating between being active and inactive in a complementary manner;
copying contents of the first memory bank, when inactive, to a third memory bank, and copying contents of the second memory bank, when inactive, to a fourth memory bank; and
aggregating at least selected traffic statistics stored in the third memory bank and the fourth memory bank.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein
the first and second memory banks switch between being active and inactive in a complementary manner at the start of each of a series of sequential time intervals.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein durations of the sequential time intervals are equal and predetermined.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein
the first and second memory banks switch between being active and inactive in a complementary manner in response to an operator request.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein accumulating traffic statistics further comprises:
extracting a packet group identifier from each received packet,
retrieving test data associated with the packet group identifier from the active memory bank of the first and second memory banks,
updating the retrieved test data inconsideration of the received packet, and
storing the updated test data in the active memory bank.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein
accumulating traffic statistics and aggregating traffic statistics are performed simultaneously.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A detection and alarm system comprising:
(a) at least one sensor configured to produce a first signal when a critical state is detected; and
(b) a monitoring unit positioned at a remote location from the at least one sensor, the monitoring unit including a receiver for receiving the first signal from the sensor, and means for producing an alarm when the receiver receives the first signal.
2. The detection and alarm system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor is selected from a group consisting of a water sensor, a smoke alarm, a fire alarm, a carbon monoxide detector, a radon detector, a sensor for detecting the breaking of glass, a motion detector, a radiation detector, a vibration sensor, a seismic sensor, and a thermometer.
3. The detection and alarm system of claim 2 wherein the critical state is defined as:
(a) the presence of water when the sensor is a water sensor;
(b) the presence of smoke when the sensor is a smoke alarm;
(c) the presence of fire when the sensor is a fire alarm;
(d) the presence of a threshold level of carbon monoxide when the sensor is a carbon monoxide detector;
(e) the presence of a threshold level of radon when the sensor is a radon detector;
(f) glass being shattered when the sensor is for detecting the breaking of glass;
(g) the presence of motion when the sensor is a motion detector;
(h) the presence of a threshold level of radiation when the sensor is a radiation detector;
(i) the presence of a threshold level of vibration when the sensor is a vibration sensor;
(j) the presence of a threshold level of seismic activity when the sensor is a seismometer; and
(k) the presence of a threshold temperature level when the sensor is a thermometer.
4. The detection and alarm system of claim 1 including at least one shutoff valve having a valve and a receiver, the valve being plumbed with a supply line, and the receiver provided for receiving the first signal from the sensor, wherein the valve is closed when the receiver receives the first signal.
5. The detection and alarm system of claim 2 including at least one shutoff valve having a valve and a receiver, the valve being plumbed with a supply line, and the receiver provided for receiving the first signal from the sensor, wherein the valve is closed when the receiver receives the first signal.
6. A detection and alarm system comprising:
(a) at least one sensor configured to produce a first signal when a critical state is detected;
(b) a monitoring unit including a receiver and a transmitter, the receiver configured to receive the first signal from the sensor, and the transmitter configured to transmit a second signal when the receiver has received the first signal; and
(c) at least one notification device configured to receive the second signal from the transmitter and produce an alarm to notify a user of the critical state.
7. The detection and alarm system of claim 6 wherein the at least one sensor is selected from a group consisting of a water sensor, a smoke alarm, a fire alarm, a carbon monoxide detector, a radon detector, a sensor for detecting the breaking of glass, a motion detector, a radiation detector, a vibration sensor, a seismic sensor, and a thermometer.
8. The detection and alarm system of claim 6 wherein the critical state is defined as:
(a) the presence of water when the sensor is a water sensor;
(b) the presence of smoke when the sensor is a smoke alarm;
(c) the presence of fire when the sensor is a fire alarm;
(d) the presence of a threshold level of carbon monoxide when the sensor is a carbon monoxide detector;
(e) the presence of a threshold level of radon when the sensor is a radon detector;
(f) glass being shattered when the sensor is for detecting the breaking of glass;
(g) the presence of motion when the sensor is a motion detector;
(h) the presence of a threshold level of radiation when the sensor is a radiation detector;
(i) the presence of a threshold level of vibration when the sensor is a vibration sensor;
(j) the presence of a threshold level of seismic activity when the sensor is a seismometer; and
(k) the presence of a threshold temperature level when the sensor is a thermometer.
9. The detection and alarm system of claim 6 including at least one shutoff valve having a valve and a receiver, the valve being plumbed with a supply line, and the receiver provided for receiving the first signal from the sensor, wherein the valve is closed when the receiver receives the first signal.
10. The detection and alarm system of claim 7 including at least one shutoff valve having a valve and a receiver, the valve being plumbed with a supply line, and the receiver provided for receiving the first signal from the sensor, wherein the valve is closed when the receiver receives the first signal.
11. The detection and alarm system of claim 6 wherein the at least one notification device is selected from a group consisting of a television, a mobile phone, a landline telephone, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a computing tablet, an e-book reader, and a portable music device.
12. The detection and alarm system of claim 7 wherein the at least one notification device is selected from a group consisting of a television, a mobile phone, a landline telephone, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a computing tablet, an e-book reader, and a portable music device.
13. The detection and alarm system of claim 9 wherein the at least one notification device is selected from a group consisting of a television, a mobile phone, a landline telephone, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a computing tablet, an e-book reader, and a portable music device.
14. The detection and alarm system of claim 10 wherein the at least one notification device is selected from a group consisting of a television, a mobile phone, a landline telephone, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a computing tablet, an e-book reader, and a portable music device.
15. The detection and alarm system of claim 6 wherein the notification device comprises a mobile phone and the monitoring device includes a modem for transmitting the second signal to the mobile phone.
16. The detection and alarm system of claim 6 wherein the notification device comprises a mobile phone operating an Internet-accessible software application, and the monitoring device is connected to the Internet, and whereby the second signal is transmitted from the monitoring device to the mobile phone via the Internet.
17. The detection and alarm system of claim 7 wherein the notification device comprises a mobile phone operating an Internet-accessible software application, and the monitoring device is connected to the Internet, and whereby the second signal is transmitted from the monitoring device to the mobile phone via the Internet.
18. The detection and alarm system of claim 9 wherein the notification device comprises a mobile phone operating an Internet-accessible software application, and the monitoring device is connected to the Internet, and whereby the second signal is transmitted from the monitoring device to the mobile phone via the Internet.