TRANSMISSION SYSTEM WITH FLEXIBLE FRAME STRUCTURE

• US 20010015985A1
• Filed: 10/15/1997
• Published: 08/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: VAN GRINSVEN, PETRUS A.M., VAN DRIEL, CAREL J.L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,414,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/471
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1682 Allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users, e.g. concentrated multiplexers, statistical multiplexers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5638 Services, e.g. multimedia, GOS, QOS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/565 Sequence integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5652 Cell construction, e.g. including header, packetisation, depacketisation, assembly, reassembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64307 ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

In a transmission system a transmitter (2) comprises a frame assembler (8) for assembling frames with a header and a payload portion. The header (22-1) comprises a validity indicator (SSSSS) to indicate the validity of a sequence of ATM cells in the frame. By using values of the validity indicator (SSSSS) different from the value of the validity indicator for valid ATM cells, it becomes possible to transport data in a format different from a sequence of ATM cells.

Claims

1. Transmission system comprising a transmitter being coupled to at least one receiver via a transmission medium, the transmitter comprising frame assembling means for assembling frames comprising a control portion and a sequence of ATM cells, the transmitter further comprises validity indication inserting means for inserting an validity indication in the control portion regarding the validity of the sequence of ATM cells, the receiver comprising frame disassembling means for extracting the ATM cells from the frames if the validity indication indicates valid ATM cells, characterised in that the frame assembling means are also arranged for inserting data different from a sequence of ATM cells into the frame, in that the validity indication insertion means are arranged for introducing an identification of the data different from a sequence of ATM cells by a different value of the validity indicator, and in that the frame disassembling means are arranged for extracting the data different from a sequence of ATM cells from the frames, if the validity indicator indicates data different from a sequence of ATM cells.

2. Transmission system according to

claim 1

, characterised in that the data different from a sequence of ATM cells comprises packets with an identification portion indicating of at least one property of said packets.

3. Transmission system according to

claim 2

, characterised in that the at least one property comprises the length of the packet and in that the frame comprises a data portion indicating the position of the beginning of a new packet in the frame.

4. Transmission system according to

claim 3

, characterised in that the length of the packet is an integer multiple of an elementary data unit larger than one byte.

5. Transmitter comprising frame assembling means for assembling frames comprising a control portion and a sequence of ATM cells, the transmitter further comprises validity indication inserting means for inserting an validity indication in the control portion regarding the validity of the ATM cells, characterised in that the frame assembling means are also arranged for inserting data different from a sequence of ATM cells into the frame, in that the validity indication insertion means are arranged for introducing an identification of the data different from a sequence of ATM cells by a different value of the validity indicator.

6. Transmitter according to

claim 5

, characterised in that the data different from a sequence of ATM cells comprises packets with an identification portion indicating of at least one property of said packets.

7. Receiver for receiving frames comprising a control portion and a sequence of ATM cells, said control portion comprising a validity indication regarding the validity of the ATM cells, the receiver comprising frame disassembling means for extracting the ATM cells from the frames if the validity indication indicates valid ATM cells, characterised in that the frame can also carry data different from a sequence of ATM cells into the frame, in that the validity indicator comprises an identification of the data different from a sequence of ATM cells, and in that the frame disassembling means are arranged for extracting the data different from a sequence of ATM cells from the frames, if the validity indication indicates data different from a sequence of ATM cells.

8. Receiver according to

claim 7

, characterised in that the data different from a sequence of ATM cells comprises packets with an identification portion indicating of at least one property of said packets.

9. Transmission method comprising assembling frames with a control portion and a sequence of ATM cells, the control portion comprising a validity indication regarding the validity of the ATM cells, characterised in that the frame can also comprise data different from a sequence of ATM cells, and in that the validity indication comprises an identification of the data different from a of sequence of ATM cells.

10. Signal comprising frames with a control portion and a sequence of ATM cells, the control portion comprising a validity indication regarding the validity of the ATM cells, characterised in that the frame can also comprise data different from a sequence of ATM cells, and in that the validity indication comprises an identification of the data different from a sequence of ATM cells.