Time-division channel arrangement

• US 6,005,867 A
• Filed: 05/11/1995
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kato, Takao, Kuwahara, Hiroshi, Gohara, Shinobu, Sakurai, Yoshito, Tanabe, Shirou, Suzuki, Taihei, Ohtsuki, Kenichi, Amada, Eiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US08/438,959
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 370/60, 370/60.1, 370/58.1, 370/58.2, 370/58.3, 370/94.1, 370/94.2, 370/68.1, 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/389, 370/392, 370/409 , 370/230, 370/468, 370/395, 370/396, 370/397, 370/399
• US Class Current: 370/409
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6402 Hybrid switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5632 Bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5652 Cell construction, e.g. including header, packetisation, depacketisation, assembly, reassembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5671 Support of voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5672 Multiplexing, e.g. coding, scrambling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/568 Load balancing, smoothing or shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/101 using crossbar or matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/106 using space switching, e.g. crossbar or matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/1507 Distribute and route fabrics, e.g. sorting-routing or Batcher-Banyan
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/1553 Interconnection of ATM switching modules, e.g. ATM switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/1584 Full Mesh, e.g. knockout
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/254 Centralised controller, i.e. arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/255 Control mechanisms for ATM switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/256 Routing or path finding in ATM switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 : ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/309 : Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0407 : using a stored programme control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0421 : Circuit arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13104 : Central control, computer control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 : Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 : Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 : Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 : ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 : Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 : Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13292 : Time division multiplexing, TDM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 : Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13352 : Self-routing networks, real-time routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13399 : Virtual channel/circuits

Abstract

In a packet switching system made up of a single or a plurality of switching nodes or local units each including a label conversion unit for accommodating a plurality of packet circuits and performing conversion into output port information of a switch on the basis of a logic channel on a packet circuit, a self-routing switch for performing switching on the basis of the output port information, and a control unit for terminating a control packet and performing the call processing function, and a switching node or tandem unit including a single or a plurality of self-routing switches for interconnecting the local units, there are provided a device for setting, between the tandem unit and a destination-side local unit, the same logic channel as that between an originating, side local unit operative for information transfer and the tandem unit in respect of a call destined for a local unit other than this local unit and a device, operable in the originating-side local unit for information transfer, for inserting output port information of the self-routing switch inside the tandem unit into a packet destined for the local unit other than this local unit, whereby in the tandem unit, setting of logic channel conversion information is not required to be done and even when any control signal packet from the originating-side local unit arrives at the tandem unit, the packet is transferred to the destination-side local unit without undergoing termination of packet and concomitant call processing control.

Claims

1. A distributed type switching system, comprising:

a plurality of local units, each being connected to a plurality of external circuits, for transmitting and receiving packets on said external circuits, each of said packets including a header and an information field, each of said local units including at least one first self routing switch for self routing packets to and from said external circuits connected to local unit based on output port information; and

a tandem unit including at least one second self-routing switch for interconnecting said local units by self-routing packets to and from said local units based on output port information;

each of said local units further including a plurality of header converters each for adding said output port information for said first self routing switch of the local unit and said second self routing switch of said tandem unit, to the header of a packet received from one of said external circuits connected to the local unit and means for storing a bandwidth allotment state of outgoing routes of the local unit to permit a call originating local unit to determine whether a call is permissible on an outgoing route of the local unit.

2. A distributed type switching system according to claim 1 wherein when said call is determined not to be permissible on said outgoing route of said local unit, said call originating local unit selects a local unit having an outgoing route on which said call is permissible.

3. A method in a distributed type switching system having a plurality of local units, each being connected to a plurality of external circuits, for transmitting and receiving packets to and from said external circuits, each packet includes a header and an information field, and a tandem unit for interconnecting said local units, said method comprising the steps of:

adding routing information to a header of a packet received from one of said external circuits by one of said local units to indicate a destination of said packet within said switching system;

self routing said packet by said local unit and said tandem unit to reach said destination based on said routing information; and

storing a bandwidth allotment state of outgoing routes of said local unit to permit a call originating local unit to determine whether a call is permissible on an outgoing route of said local unit.