Establishing telecommunications call paths in broadband communication networks
First Claim
1. A telecommunications network comprising:
- a plurality of access switches;
a signal transmission network;
ones of said access switches being interconnected by said signal transmission network;
said access switches comprising means for converting a plurality of synchronous pulse code modulation (PCM) signals to a plurality of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) signals;
wherein each of said plurality of ATM signals comprise composite cells for periodically transmitting PCM data for a plurality of telecommunications calls on a plurality of PCM signal streams over a common virtual circuit connecting two access switches;
said signal transmission network comprising a plurality of common broadband platform (CBP) ATM crossconnect switches for interconnecting links, said links for transmitting ATM signals to access switches and to other CBP switches.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with the principles of this invention, Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) signal streams are converted into Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) cells for switching and transmission across a telecommunications network. Each cell carries one PCM sample of up to 48 different voice connections, the voice connections selected from the PCM data streams because they have a common destination. The cells are transmitted over ATM virtual circuits, each circuit transmitting one cell every 125 μs. Advantageously, ATM transmission systems interface with PCM systems without adding appreciable delay and without requiring additional buffering. Advantageously, new voice paths can be established most of the time by using available slots in the cells of existing virtual paths.
382 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A telecommunications network comprising:
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a plurality of access switches; a signal transmission network; ones of said access switches being interconnected by said signal transmission network; said access switches comprising means for converting a plurality of synchronous pulse code modulation (PCM) signals to a plurality of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) signals; wherein each of said plurality of ATM signals comprise composite cells for periodically transmitting PCM data for a plurality of telecommunications calls on a plurality of PCM signal streams over a common virtual circuit connecting two access switches; said signal transmission network comprising a plurality of common broadband platform (CBP) ATM crossconnect switches for interconnecting links, said links for transmitting ATM signals to access switches and to other CBP switches. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In a switching system of a telecommunications network comprising a plurality of interconnected switching systems, apparatus comprising:
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means for converting from a plurality of synchronous pulse code modulated (PCM) signals, each signal for carrying a plurality of PCM channels, to a plurality of first output signals, each comprising a plurality of composite packets transmitted periodically and each composite packet comprising bytes of said PCM signals for a plurality of PCM channels from a plurality of said plurality of synchronous PCM signals; means, connected to said means for converting, for switching each packet of said first output signals to one of a plurality of second output signals, said second output signals comprising packets, each packet for transmission over said network to a destination switching system; said network comprising means for switching individual packets of said second output signals to one of a plurality of destination switching systems. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A telecommunications network comprising:
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a plurality of access switches; and a plurality of common broadband platform (CBP) Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) crossconnect switches; wherein each access switch comprises means for converting a plurality of pulse code modulated (PCM) multiplexed input signals into ATM signals; wherein ones of said CBP switches are connected to ones of said access switches; wherein said ATM signals converted from said PCM signals and being switched in said access switches and in said CBP switches comprise periodically transmitted composite cells, each composite cell for transmitting a plurality of PCM channels from a plurality of said PCM signals, said composite cells being transmitted on constant bit rate (CBR) permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) interconnecting two access switches, said composite cells being transmitted at a repetition rate whose period is a multiple of a basic PCM sampling rate. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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35. A telecommunications network comprising:
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a plurality of access switches; wherein each access switch comprises means for converting a plurality of pulse code modulated (PCM) multiplexed input signals into ATM signals; wherein ATM signals being switched in said access switches comprise periodically transmitted composite cells each of which carries a plurality of PCM channels from a plurality of said PCM signals, said composite cells being transmitted on constant bit rate (CBR) permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) interconnecting two access switches, said composite cells being transmitted at a repetition rate whose period is a multiple of a basic PCM sampling rate. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. A telecommunications network comprising:
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a plurality of access switches; and a plurality of common broadband platform (CBP) Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) crossconnect switches; wherein each access switch comprises means for converting a plurality of pulse code modulated (PCM) multiplexed input signals into ATM signals; wherein ones of said CBP switches are connected to ones of said access switches; wherein ATM signals being switched in said access switches and in said CBP switches comprise periodically transmitted composite cells each composite cell for transmitting a plurality of PCM channels from a plurality of said PCM signals, said composite cells being transmitted on constant bit rate (CBR) permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) interconnecting two access switches, said composite cells being transmitted at a repetition rate whose period is a multiple of a basic PCM sampling rate. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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Specification