Large combined broadband and narrowband switch

• US 6,600,741 B1
• Filed: 03/25/1999
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Dombkowski, Kevin Eugene, Chrin, Christopher James, Zola, Meyer Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAND, ROBERTA A
• Application Number:
  US09/276,188
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/401, 370/372, 370/375, 370/376, 370/386, 370/388, 370/352, 370/389
• US Class Current: 370/375
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/64 Hybrid switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5652 Cell construction, e.g. including header, packetisation, depacketisation, assembly, reassembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/106 using space switching, e.g. crossbar or matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/1515 Non-blocking multistage, e.g. Clos
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/205 Quality of Service based
• 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 49/50 Overload detection or protection within a single switching element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/55 Prevention, detection or correction of errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/602 Multilayer or multiprotocol switching, e.g. IP switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/606 Hybrid ATM switches, e.g. ATM&STM, ATM&Frame Relay or ATM&IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

Apparatus, and a method for switching digital signals of different protocols in a large switching network. Signals and different protocols are encapsulated in a common protocol by a set of input modules. The signals in the common protocol are then switched by a large central stage to a plurality of output modules, which then generate signals in the correct protocol. Narrow-band signals are converted into broadband signals, so that the central stage switches only broadband signals. This simplifies the design of the central stage, while still making it possible to have a very large and economical central stage switch. Advantageously, this arrangement allows a single large switch to switch large quantities of traffic in a plurality of protocols.

Claims

1. A telecommunications switching network, comprising:

a plurality of modules for accepting input signals having different protocols, and for generating output signals encapsulated in a specified protocol;

a central stage switch for switching signals in said specified protocol from input ports of said central stage switch to output ports of said central stage switch; and

said plurality of modules for converting signals of said output ports in said specified protocol to any of said plurality of protocols of said input signals;

characterized in that;

said central state switch comprises apparatus for switching only broadband signals, and comprises apparatus for converting narrowband signals transmitted to said central stage switch into broadband signals, one broadband signal for each narrowband signal;

network further comprising;

apparatus for adding an indicator to all signals converted from narrowband signals into broadband signals at said central stage switch to differentiate between broadband signals and narrowband signals.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein said indicator is an extra bit.

3. The network of claim 1, wherein said central stage switch comprises apparatus for adding fill bits to received narrowband signals.

4. The network of claim 1, wherein said central stage is a time-slot interchange switch.

5. The network of claim 1, wherein said central stage is a time multi-plexed switch.

6. The network of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one additional one of said telecommunication switching networks;

wherein, the central stage switch of each said telecommunication switching network is connected to at least one separate communication module for interconnection with other central stage switches.

7. The network of claim 6, wherein one of said separate communication modules is a time multiplexed switch.

8. The network of claim 6, wherein one of said separate communication modules is a time-slot interchange switch.

9. The network of claim 6, wherein said input signals comprise narrowband and broadband signals, and wherein one of said separate communication modules is for switching broadband signals.

10. The network of claim 1, wherein said input signals comprise multiplexed signals from analog POTS, (Plain Old Telephone Service) lines.

11. The network of claim 1, wherein said input signals comprise ATM, Asynchronous Transfer Mode, signals.

12. The network of claim 1, wherein said input signals comprise IP, Internet Protocol, signals.

13. The network of claim 1, wherein said input signals comprise frame relay signals.

14. The network of claim 1, wherein said input signals comprise pulse code modulation, PCM, signals.

15. The network of claim 1, wherein ones of said input modules receive inputs from analog narrowband telephone lines and Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber, ADSL, lines.