Multiplex communications – Communication techniques for information carried in plural... – Combining or distributing information via time channels
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-12
2001-09-04
Chin, Wellington (Department: 2664)
Multiplex communications
Communication techniques for information carried in plural...
Combining or distributing information via time channels
C370S217000, C370S386000, C370S508000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06285687
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Telecommunication systems are operable to connect two or more telecommunications ports through a variety of data transmission media. For example, a first telecommunications port may be coupled to a microwave data transmission medium, which may in turn be coupled to a copper conductor data transmission medium, then to a fiber optic data transmission medium, and subsequently to a second telecommunications port. In this example, telecommunications data is transmitted through a telecommunications channel between the first telecommunications port and the second telecommunications port via the microwave data transmission medium, the copper conductor data transmission medium, and the fiber optic data transmission medium.
Modern telecommunication systems are typically comprised of a large number of telecommunications ports connected to a large number of data transmission media. These media may utilize large signal frequency bandwidths, such that two or more telecommunications channels may be combined for transmission over the data transmission media by multiplexing. In order to connect any given port to any other given port, it is necessary to utilize specialized telecommunication switches, which are used to connect the data transmission media. Such telecommunication switches are capable of connecting any of a large number (M) of input ports to any of a large number (N) of output ports, with a different data transmission medium connected to each input and output port. Furthermore, these switches may be capable of demultiplexing the signal carried over a given media in order to provide switching capability for multiplexed telecommunications channels.
A digital cross-connect system is a specialized telecommunications switch that provides improved flexibility in switching services. An example of a modern digital cross-connect system is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,890 to Read et al entitled “Integrated Multi-rate Cross-Connect System,” assigned to DSC Communications Corporation, issued Jul. 25, 1995 (hereinafter “Read”). In addition to a telecommunications switch operable to connect any of M input ports to any of N output ports, the digital cross-connect system taught in Read contains redundant parallel planes of all components, such that the digital cross-connect system can experience a number of failures in the components that comprise both planes without loss of network traffic.
Despite the additional flexibility inherent in digital cross-connect systems, connection of data transmission media to the digital cross-connect system input ports and output ports must be coordinated in order to optimize telecommunications traffic flow. For example, it may be desirable to transmit telecommunications traffic from an input port of a first digital cross-connect system to an output port of a second digital cross-connect system. While this connection may be accomplished by providing connections between an output port of the first digital cross-connect system and an input port of the second digital cross-connect system, such connections consume digital cross-connect system resources, i.e., input ports and output ports.
Furthermore, if two or more separate and discrete digital cross-connect systems are being used to route telecommunications traffic, a significant amount of digital cross-connect system resources must be used to interconnect the digital cross-connect systems. In many cases, it is desirable to use two or more physically separated digital cross connects, such as when a small number of telephony circuits are connected to network interfaces, but to later increase the number of digital cross connects and, subsequently, the number of connections between digital cross connects, such as when the number of telephony circuits connected to network interfaces has increased. Presently available digital cross connect systems do not readily accommodate such increases in the number of network interfaces, and require network interfaces to be remapped in order to decrease the number of connections which must be made between digital cross connect systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore a need has arisen for a system and method for connecting a digital cross-connect system to network interfaces that readily accommodates increases in the number of network interfaces.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a data transfer system and method for a distributed digital cross-connect systems that allows data communications to be transmitted from an input port of a first network interface island to an output port of a second network interface island through a distributed services node.
One aspect of the present invention is a method for transmitting digitally-encoded data. The method includes receiving digitally-encoded telecommunications data at a first frequency and transmitting the digitally-encoded telecommunications data at a second frequency. The second frequency is greater than the first frequency. Control and timing data is then transmitted after the digitally-encoded telecommunications data at the second frequency.
The present invention provides several technical advantages. One important technical advantage of the present invention is that data may be transmitted between two or more discrete digital cross-connect system components that are interconnected in a manner that allows any input port of a network interface island of the distributed digital cross-connect system to be switched to any output port of a second network interface island.
Another important technical advantage of the present invention is that switching, timing, and control commands may be included with the data transmitted between two network interface islands in addition to the telecommunications data being transmitted between the two network interface islands.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4301534 (1981-11-01), Genter
patent: 4355384 (1982-10-01), Genter et al.
patent: 4581737 (1986-04-01), Sparrell
patent: 4701907 (1987-10-01), Collins
patent: 4736393 (1988-04-01), Grimes et al.
patent: 4771420 (1988-09-01), Deschaine et al.
patent: 4797589 (1989-01-01), Collins
patent: 4825433 (1989-04-01), Deschaine
patent: 4901308 (1990-02-01), Deschaine
patent: 5027375 (1991-06-01), Ernst
patent: 5185736 (1993-02-01), Tyrrell et al.
patent: 5189410 (1993-02-01), Kosugi et al.
patent: 5280532 (1994-01-01), Shenoi et al.
patent: 5297147 (1994-03-01), Shimokasa
patent: 5365524 (1994-11-01), Hiller et al.
patent: 5422915 (1995-06-01), Byers et al.
patent: 5436890 (1995-07-01), Read et al.
patent: 5513173 (1996-04-01), Machemer et al.
patent: 5515403 (1996-05-01), Sloan et al.
patent: 5526359 (1996-06-01), Read et al.
patent: 5528579 (1996-06-01), Wadman et al.
patent: 5757793 (1998-05-01), Read et al.
patent: 5901136 (1999-05-01), Lovelace et al.
patent: 9534130 (1995-12-01), None
Jette Michael H.
Lovelace Gregory S.
Noe Amanda G.
Read Edgar L.
Sensel Steven D.
Alcatel USA Sourcing L.P.
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Chin Wellington
Duong Frank
LandOfFree
Timing system and method for distributing a timing signal does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Timing system and method for distributing a timing signal, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Timing system and method for distributing a timing signal will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2440082