Facility for transporting TDM streams over an asynchronous ethernet network using internet protocol
First Claim
1. An apparatus for transporting a plurality of Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) streams over an asynchronous Ethernet network, comprising:
- an ingress buffer for storing TDM data before encapsulation into Ethernet frames;
an egress buffer for storing TDM data after received Ethernet frames are segmented;
encapsulation means for retrieving TDM data from said ingress buffer, assembling Ethernet frames therefrom, inserting therein a first timestamp related to said TDM data and forwarding said assembled Ethernet frames to an Ethernet interface;
segmentation means for receiving Ethernet frames from said Ethernet interface, extracting TDM data and a second timestamp therefrom and storing said TDM data in said egress buffer; and
a processor comprising means for;
receiving TDM data from a plurality of TDM ports;
storing received TDM data in a queue within said ingress buffer wherein all TDM data to be encapsulated within an Ethernet frame is stored together; and
retrieving TDM data from said egress buffer and generating a plurality of synchronous TDM data streams therefrom.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A transport facility adapted to transport TDM bit streams using IP packets over an asynchronous Ethernet network. TDM bit streams such as E1, T1, E3, T3, OC-3, OC-12, STM-1, STM-4, etc. are received, buffered and encapsulated into Ethernet frames. The Circuit Emulation Device (CED) receives, buffers and assembles in real-time ingress data from TDM ports into Ethernet Frames and forwards them to an Ethernet interface. The TDM data is encapsulated within RTP, UDP and IP packets before being encapsulated within an Ethernet frame. In the egress direction, Ethernet frames enter the encapsulation/segmentation processor from the Ethernet port and the IP, UDP and RTP packets are extracted from the frame. TDM data is extracted and the bit streams are re-generated and forwarded to the TDM ports for transmission over legacy TDM facilities.
190 Citations
47 Claims
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1. An apparatus for transporting a plurality of Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) streams over an asynchronous Ethernet network, comprising:
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an ingress buffer for storing TDM data before encapsulation into Ethernet frames; an egress buffer for storing TDM data after received Ethernet frames are segmented; encapsulation means for retrieving TDM data from said ingress buffer, assembling Ethernet frames therefrom, inserting therein a first timestamp related to said TDM data and forwarding said assembled Ethernet frames to an Ethernet interface; segmentation means for receiving Ethernet frames from said Ethernet interface, extracting TDM data and a second timestamp therefrom and storing said TDM data in said egress buffer; and a processor comprising means for; receiving TDM data from a plurality of TDM ports; storing received TDM data in a queue within said ingress buffer wherein all TDM data to be encapsulated within an Ethernet frame is stored together; and retrieving TDM data from said egress buffer and generating a plurality of synchronous TDM data streams therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for transporting TDM streams over an Ethernet network, comprising;
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a plurality of TDM port interfaces coupled to a plurality of TDM ports, each TDM port for receiving a constant synchronous serial or parallel TDM stream; at least one Ethernet interface coupled to said Ethernet network; encapsulation means for retrieving TDM data from an ingress buffer, assembling Ethernet frames therefrom, inserting therein a first timestamp related to said TDM data and forwarding said assembled Ethernet frames to said Ethernet interface; segmentation means for receiving Ethernet frames from said Ethernet interface, extracting TDM data and a second timestamp therefrom and storing said TDM data in an egress buffer; and a processor comprising means for; receiving TDM data from a plurality of TDM ports; storing received TDM data in a queue within said ingress buffer wherein all TDM data to be assembled within a single Ethernet frame is stored together; and retrieving TDM data from said egress buffer and generating a plurality of TDM data streams therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of transporting a plurality of Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) streams over an Ethernet network, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving TDM stream data from a plurality of TDM ports; storing received TDM stream data in a queue within an ingress buffer wherein all TDM data to be assembled into a single Ethernet frame is stored together; assembling Ethernet frames from received TDM stream data retrieved from said queue and inserting therein a first timestamp related to said IM stream data; forwarding said assembled Ethernet frames to said Ethernet network via an Ethernet interface connected thereto; receiving Ethernet frames from said Ethernet network; extracting TDM data and a second timestamp from said received Ethernet frames and generating TDM streams therefrom; and forwarding said generated TDM streams to an appropriate TDM port in a synchronous manner. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification