Switching system

Details Switching system Switching system

1997-05-05

2003-10-21

Patel, Ajit (Department: 2664)

Multiplex communications

Pathfinding or routing

Switching a message which includes an address header

C370S398000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06636513

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a communication service controlling exchange apparatus, and more particularly to a communication service controlling exchange apparatus of the type which accommodates a plurality of user terminals and can control conditions of communication services to be provided to the individual user terminals and which can provide a plurality of kinds of forms of communication services.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Normally, a communication service controlling exchange apparatus signifies a so-called exchange, and, for example, an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) exchange effects desired exchanging control for an ATM cell (packet data) having a header part having information of a destination of transfer and a data part in which actual data are held so that operation conditions of communication services to be provided to user terminals accommodated in the exchange may be controlled.
Here. communication services provided by the ATM exchange have two forms including a so-called point to point type and a point to multipoint type.
However, only one service form actually exists, and this is a point to point PVC (Permanent Virtual Channel) service by which, as shown in
FIG. 102
, user terminals
202
and
203
accommodated in an ATM exchange
201
via a private line perform bidirectional communication in a one to one relationship. It is to be noted that the PVC signifies a permanent virtual path-permanent virtual channel with which the other party is determined in advance and eliminates the necessity for interworking between an originating terminal and a terminating terminal upon communication.
Meanwhile, service forms which are expected in the current stage are a point to point SVC (Switched Virtual Channel) service by which, as shown in FIG.
103
(
a
), user terminals
202
and
203
accommodated in an ATM exchange
201
perform bidirectional communication in a one to one relationship via a public network and a point to multipoint service of the broadcast (Broadcast) type by which, as shown in FIG.
103
(
b
), a user terminal
202
perform communication (unidirectional communication) with a plurality of user terminals (
203
to
205
).
It is to be noted that the SVC requires interworking between an originating terminal and a terminating terminal when communication is to be effected in order to set a virtual path-virtual channel between the parties.
Meanwhile, for the point to multipoint service of the broadcast type shown in FIG.
103
(
b
), both of a PVC service which makes use of a private line and an SVC service which makes use of a public network or line are examined.
By the way, while, for the point to point service (one to one communication: bidirectional communication), two services including such a service (PVC service) by a private line as shown in FIG.
102
and such a service (SVC service) by a public network as shown in FIG.
103
(
a
) are examined in the current stage, for the point to multipoint service (one to multiple communication), only a broadcast type service (one to multiple service: unidirectional communication) is examined, and besides, in the service form of the broadcast type, operation services are limited only to unidirectional communication such as video-on-demand communication.
Accordingly, taking future user needs into consideration, the communication service of the point to multipoint type must be able to provide several forms of communication services including such a communication service of the composite type wherein unidirectional communication opposite in direction to that of the communication service form of the broadcast type (one to multiple communication: unidirectional communication) is performed as shown in FIG.
104
(
a
), such a communication service of the merge type wherein communication (one to multiple communication: unidirectional communication) is performed gathering a plurality of data from different user terminals
203
to
205
into one data as shown in FIG.
104
(
b
) and such a communication service of the multipoint type wherein communication (multiple to multiple communication: bidirectional communication) is performed between pluralities of user terminals (
206
to
211
) as shown in FIG.
104
(
c
).
It is to be noted that, also in this instance, the service forms shown in FIGS.
104
(
a
) to
104
(
c
) are examined for both of the PVC service and the SVC service.
Therefore, the ATM exchange
201
requires flexible software or hardware which is not aware of such service forms as shown in
FIGS. 102
to
104
and must allow operation on a private line (PVC service) or a public network (SVC serve) in accordance with each service form. Further, it is forecast that service forms can be varied readily in the future.
However, since point to multipoint control by the ATM exchange
201
examined in the current stage is aware only of such a service form of the broadcast type as shown in FIG.
103
(
b
), where applications to various service forms of various types such as the composite type, the merge type and the multipoint type as shown in FIGS.
104
(
a
) to
104
(
c
) are intended, new software or hardware must be prepared for each of the types, and there is a subject in that a very high cost is required.
Further, since, in the current stage, the ATM exchange
201
or any other existing exchange does not have a type changing control function from the broadcast type to the composite type or from the composite type to the merge type in the point to multipoint service form, if it is tried to effect such type changing, then it is required to delete all paths set already between user terminals once, register a different type newly and re-set all paths.
Furthermore, since the ATM exchange
201
or any other existing exchange does not have a changing function of the service form between the point to point service and the point to multipoint service, if it is tried to effect such form changing, then it is required, also in this instance, to delete all paths set already in the point to point service form or in the point to multipoint service form and then re-set all paths for a different service form.
Further, since the ATM exchange
201
or any other existing exchange neither have a changing function of the service form (line) between operation of a service by a private line (a PVC service) and operation of a service by a public network (an SVC service) in the current stage, if it is tried to effect changing between such service forms, then it still is required to delete all paths set already in the PVC service or in the SVC service and then re-set all paths for a different service form.
Accordingly, in any case, in order for a maintenance engineer to perform such procedures as stopping of services to all users, deletion of paths, type changing and re-setting of paths of a different form, services in operation for all users must be stopped for a fixed period of time. Thus, there is a subject in that this results in degradation of the service performance.
The present invention has been made in view of such subjects as described above, and it is an object of the present invention to allow a plurality of types of forms of communication services to be provided to a plurality of user terminals by means of a single communication service controlling exchange apparatus such as an ATM exchange.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
To this end, a communication service controlling exchange apparatus of the present invention which accommodates a plurality of user terminals and can effect desired exchanging control of packet data from any of the user terminals having a transfer destination information part and a data part to control a condition of a communication service to be provided to the user terminals is characterized in that it comprises means capable of providing communication services of a plurality of kinds of forms.
Accordingly, with the communication service controlling exchange apparatus of the present invention, a communication service of a desired form can be provided very readily and rapidly in response to a

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