Multiplex communications – Communication techniques for information carried in plural... – Adaptive
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-08
2001-11-27
Ngo, Ricky (Department: 2735)
Multiplex communications
Communication techniques for information carried in plural...
Adaptive
C370S400000, C370S395430
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324185
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to digital loop carrier (DLC) technology and in particular to techniques for cross-connecting ATM and TDM networks having subscriber terminations and network terminations. More particularly, the invention relates to ATM/TDM cross-connection techniques in a particular class of networks employing a plurality of multi-service digital local loop switching systems, such as B-32 switches manufactured by Fibex Systems of Petaluma, Calif.
Time division Multiplex (TDM) traffic can be carried in Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) in certain portions of a standard transport network. Heretofore, routing such traffic has required that the TDM traffic datagrams be routed at each switching node within the ATM network. Further, it was required that a virtual path identifier/virtual circuit identifier pair for an ATM circuit (VPI/VCI) for each ATM cell be provided for each path at the time of attempted cross connect. As a result of the above, establishing cross-connections between ATM and TDM networks is usually a slow and resource-intensive process. It is desirable to reduce the amount of switching and delay in a network with multiple intermediate nodes.
Thus, there is a need for a system and method which provides a better and efficient mechanism for establishing a digital cross-connection between ATM networks and TDM networks, and which reduces the processing and time overhead associated with switching ATM and TDM traffic in the cross-connection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a system and method are disclosed for cross-connecting ATM and TDM networks by provisioning a network connection between a network terminal and a subscriber terminal in a digital loop carrier network comprising a plurality of digital loop carrier switching systems (DLCSSs). The DLCSSs may be configured such that the TDM traffic encapsulated in ATM cells may be transported from the network termination to the subscriber termination without having to perform TDM switching at the intermediate DLCSSs.
According to another aspect of the present invention, to facilitate bandwidth management for the network, the DLCSSs maintain bandwidth maps for each of their links. The bandwidth maps define the bandwidth and switching characteristics for the DLCSS links. The bandwidth maps enable switching of ATM cells carrying the TDM payload without having to perform TDM switching at the intermediate DLCSSs.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, ATM cells for carrying TDM traffic are allocated according to information stored in the bandwidth maps. All the DS-0s in an ATM cell are allocated to the same destination which obviates the need to perform TDM switching at the intermediate network nodes.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a network managing station is provided to facilitate provisioning of the ATM/TDM cross connection. The network managing station may be configured to determine the network route between the network termination and the subscriber termination to provision the DLCSSs and links in the network route.
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Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Cisco Technology Inc.
Ngo Ricky
Tran Phuc
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