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The extended messaging scheme adds additional packet formats to the prior art 6-byte Lucent Access Interface Unit (AIU) Message Format of Table 1. The extended messaging scheme supports multi-packet messaging over telecommunication system configurations not supported by the prior art AIU Message For

The extended messaging scheme adds additional packet formats to the prior art 6-byte Lucent Access Interface Unit (AIU) Message Format of Table 1. The extended messaging scheme supports multi-packet messaging over telecommunication system configurations not supported by the prior art AIU Message Format. In one implementation, the extended messaging scheme includes (1) a “first-of-many” packet format for the initial data packets of messages requiring more than one 6-byte data packet, (2) a “continuation” packet format for the one or more subsequent data packets corresponding to such multi-packet messages, and (3) a “first-and-only” packet format for messages requiring only a single data packet. The extended messaging scheme enables telecommunication systems to be configured with one or more (possibly non-co-located) client terminals in addition to a main remote terminal to provide telecommunication services to a large number of widely distributed customers.

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1. A component for a telecommunication system, comprising:(a) an input/output (I/O) port capable of receiving and transmitting data packets over a point-to-point communication link of the telecommunication system; and(b) a processor connected to the I/O port to process data packets received over the

1. A component for a telecommunication system, comprising:(a) an input/output (I/O) port capable of receiving and transmitting data packets over a point-to-point communication link of the telecommunication system; and(b) a processor connected to the I/O port to process data packets received over the communication link and to generate data packets for transmission over the communication link, wherein the processor supports data packets conforming to an AIU Message Format as well as one or more additional packet formats comprising:(1) a first-packet format corresponding to an initial packet of a single message, wherein the single message is transmitted over the point-to-point communication link as one or more data packets; and(2) a continuation-packet format corresponding to an other-than-initial packet of the single message for single messages transmitted over the point-to-point communication link as two or more data packets, wherein the definition of fields in the first-packet format is different from the definition of fields in the continuation-packet format, wherein:the first-packet format conforms to a format of Table 2 as follows:and the continuation-packet format conforms to a format of Table 3 as follows: 2. The component of claim 1, wherein each data packet conforming to one of the one or more additional packet formats has a maximum size of 6 bytes. 3. The component of claim 1, wherein:the first-packet format is a first-of-multiple-packets format corresponding to the initial packet of the single message; andthe one or more additional packet formats further comprise a first-and-only-packet format corresponding to a message consisting of only a single packet. 4. The component of claim 3, wherein:the first-and-only-packet format conforms to a format of Table 4 as follows: 5. The component of claim 1, wherein the component is a peripheral pack. 6. The component of claim 1, wherein the component is a server pack. 7. The component of claim 6, wherein the server pack is configured to be connected to two or more different client terminals. 8. The component of claim 1, wherein the component is a controller for a terminal further comprising one or more packs, wherein the one or more packs comprise zero, one, or more peripheral packs and zero, one, or more server packs. 9. The component of claim 1, wherein the one or more additional packet formats support routing information that enables the component to be configured in a telecommunication system that supports transmission of messages over two or more point-to-point communication links from a source component to a destination component via one or more intermediate components. 10. The component of claim 9, wherein the one or more intermediate components comprise at least one server pack. 11. The component of claim 10, wherein:in a downstream direction, the source component is a controller or a server pack, and the destination component is a controller, a server pack, or a peripheral pack, andin an upstream direction, the source component is a peripheral pack, a server pack, or a controller, and the destination component is a server pack or a controller. 12. The component of claim 10, wherein the one or more intermediate components further comprise at least one client controller. 13. A telecommunication system, comprising:(a) a remote terminal, comprising:(1) a remote terminal controller; and(2) one or more packs, each capable of communicating with the remote terminal controller via a point-to-point communication link, wherein the one or more packs comprise zero, one, or more peripheral packs and one or more server packs; and(b) at least one client terminal, each comprising: p 2 (1) a client terminal controller capable of communicating with a corresponding server pack of the remote terminal; and(2) one or more client packs, each capable of communicating with the client terminal controller via a point-to-point communication link, wherein the one or more client packs comprise zero, one, or more peripheral packs and zero, one, or more server packs, wherein:the remote terminal controller, the at least one client terminal controller, and the one or more server packs support data packets conforming to an AIU Message Format as well as one or more additional packet formats comprising:(1) a first-packet format corresponding to an initial packet of a single message, wherein the single message is transmitted over the point-to-point communication link as one or more data packets; and(2) a continuation-packet format corresponding to an other-than-initial packet of the single message for single messages transmitted over the point-to-point communication link as two or more data packets, wherein the definition of fields in the first-packet format is different from the definition of fields in the continuation-packet format, wherein:the first-packet format conforms to a format of Table 2 as follows:and the continuation-packet format conforms to a format of Table 3 as follows: 14. The system of claim 13, wherein each data packet conforming to one of the one or more additional packet formats has a maximum size of 6 bytes. 15. The system of claim 13, wherein:the first-packet format is a first-of-multiple-packets format corresponding to the initial packet of the single message; andthe one or more additional packet formats further comprise a first-and-only-packet format corresponding to a message consisting of only a single packet. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein:the first-and-only-packet format conforms to a format of Table 4 as follows: 17. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one server pack is configured to two or more different client terminals. 18. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more additional packet formats support routing information that enables the telecommunication system to support transmission of messages over two or more point-to-point communication links from a source component to a destination component via one or more intermediate components. 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more intermediate components comprise at least one server pack. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein:in a downstream direction, the source component is a controller or a server pack, and the destination component is a controller, a server pack, or a peripheral pack, andin an upstream direction, the source component is a peripheral pack, a server pack, or a controller, and the destination component is a server pack or a,controller. 21. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more intermediate components further comprise at least one client controller. 22. The component of claim 1, wherein:the first-packet format comprises:a format-identification field that identifies the format of the packet;a sequence-length field that identifies the number of data packets for the single message; anda first number of data fields that contain data from the single message; andthe continuation-packet format comprises:a format-identification field that identifies the format of the packet;a sequence-number field that identifies the sequence number of the packet; anda second number of data fields that contain data from the single message. 23. The component of claim 22, wherein the second number is greater than the first number. 24. The component of claim 1, wherein:the first-packet format comprises one or more fields that identify one or more of an element and an application group for the single message; andthe continuation-packet format does not comprise fields that identify either the element or the application group for the single message. 25. The component of claim 3, wherein the definition of fields in the first-and-only-packet format is different from the definition of fields in the continuation-packet format and the definition of fields in the first-of-multiple-packets format. 26. The component of claim 25, wherein:the first-of-multiple-packets format comprises:a format-identification field that identifies the forma t of the packet;a sequence-length field that identifies the number of data packets for the single message; anda first number of data fields that contain data from the single message;the continuation-packet format comprises:a format-identification field that identifies the format of the packet;a sequence-number field that identifies the sequence number of the packet; anda second number of data fields that contain data from the single message; andthe first-and-only-packet format comprises:a format-identification field that identifies the format of the packet; anda third number of data fields that contain data from the single message. 27. The component of claim 26, wherein the second and third numbers are equal to each other and greater than the first number. 28. The component of claim 25, wherein:each of the first-of-multiple-packets format and the first-and-only-packet format comprises one or more fields that identify one or more of an element and an application group for the single message; andthe continuation-packet format does not comprise fields that identify either the element or the application group for the single message. 29. The component of claim 1, wherein the AIU Message Format is defined by Table 1 as follows: 30. The system of claim 14, wherein the AIU Message Format is defined by Table 1 as follows: