Layer one switching in a packet, cell, or frame-based network
First Claim
1. A method for switching information through one or more of network elements, comprising the steps of:
- associating a synchronization component with each of said one or more of network elements;
synchronizing said synchronization component in each of said one or more of network elements;
establishing a reservation schedule in each of said one or more of network elements;
opening in each of said one or more of network elements a layer one connection at a predicted time in accordance with said reservation schedule;
transmitting information from a source network element to a destination network element through said layer one connection in each of said one or more of network elements in accordance with said reservation schedule; and
closing said layer one connection in each of said one or more of network elements.
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Abstract
A system and method are described for synchronizing store-and-forward networks and for scheduling and transmitting continuous, periodic, predictable, time-sensitive, or urgent information such as real-time and high-priority messages over those networks. This enables packet-, cell-, and/or frame-based networks to thereby efficiently switch voice, video, streaming, and other real-time or high-priority data at the layer one or physical level, thus ensuring that the delivery of selected information can be made fast, on-time, immediate, non-blocked, non-congested, loss-less, jitter-free, and have guaranteed delivery, and guaranteed quality of service.
236 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method for switching information through one or more of network elements, comprising the steps of:
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associating a synchronization component with each of said one or more of network elements;
synchronizing said synchronization component in each of said one or more of network elements;
establishing a reservation schedule in each of said one or more of network elements;
opening in each of said one or more of network elements a layer one connection at a predicted time in accordance with said reservation schedule;
transmitting information from a source network element to a destination network element through said layer one connection in each of said one or more of network elements in accordance with said reservation schedule; and
closing said layer one connection in each of said one or more of network elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A network element for routing of data comprising:
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a store-and-forward switching component for transmission of store-and-forward data;
bypass switching circuitry for transmission of data;
a clock;
a scheduler for scheduling transmissions of data at previously known times in conjunction with said bypass switching circuitry; and
a controller for monitoring said clock and said scheduler, said controller adapted to activate said bypass switching circuitry in accordance with said scheduler and said clock. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A device for switching comprising:
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layer one switching circuitry;
a clock;
a scheduler for scheduling previously derived times for layer one switching circuitry; and
a controller for monitoring said clock and said scheduler, said controller adapted to activate said layer one switching circuitry in accordance with said scheduler and said clock. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for switching information through a one or more of network elements, comprising the steps of:
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associating a synchronization component with each of said one or more of network elements;
synchronizing said synchronization component in each of said one or more of network elements;
establishing a reservation schedule in each of said one or more of network elements, wherein said step of establishing a reservation schedule further comprises the steps of;
transmitting a request for a time-oriented reservation from a first network element to a second network element;
receiving said request for a time-oriented reservation in said second network element from said first network element; and
not scheduling requested time-oriented reservation in said second network element in accordance with said reservation schedule due to unavailable requested times.
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30. A method for switching information through a one or more of network elements, comprising the steps of:
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associating a synchronization component with each of said one or more of network elements;
synchronizing said synchronization component in each of said one or more of network elements;
establishing a reservation schedule in each of said one or more of network elements;
opening in each of said one or more of network elements a layer one connection at a time in accordance with said reservation schedule;
transmitting information from a source network element to a destination network element through said layer one connection in each of said one or more of network elements in accordance with said reservation schedule;
closing said layer one connection in each of said one or more of network elements;
transmitting a request from a first network element to terminate a time-oriented reservation;
receiving said request in a second network element to terminate said time-oriented reservation; and
de-scheduling said time-oriented reservation in said reservation schedule in said second network element in accordance with said request to terminate said time-oriented reservation, such that said time-oriented reservation times in said second network element become available for future time-oriented reservations.
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31. A device for switching comprising:
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layer one switching circuitry;
a clock;
a scheduler for scheduling layer one switching circuitry wherein said scheduler comprises a layer one event schedule wherein said layer one event schedule is a schedule comprising;
one or more layer one event times for each scheduled layer one event;
the identity of at least one input associated with said scheduled layer one event;
the identity of at least one output associated with said scheduled layer one event; and
an availability status for each scheduled layer one event, such that a layer one event may be scheduled at said one or more layer one event times, from said at least one input to said at least one output, with said availability status, and;
a controller for monitoring said clock and said scheduler, said controller adapted to activate said layer one switching circuitry in accordance with said scheduler and said clock.
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Specification