Communications switching architecture
First Claim
1. A method of media data switching, comprising:
- receiving a plurality of media data units at an ingress port of a packet switch, wherein said ingress port of the packet switch is capable of supporting a combination of traffic types including packet type traffic and Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) type traffic;
determining a corresponding egress port of the packet switch for each of said plurality of media data units based on the routing information corresponding to each of said plurality of media data units;
at the ingress port, directing each said plurality of media data units toward said corresponding egress port, wherein said directing includes reformatting media data units of multiple TDM circuits destined for the same egress port of the packet switch into a fixed size data unit (FSDU), adding a header to the FSDU to create an encapsulated packet, and directing each said encapsulated packet toward said corresponding egress port;
at each said egress port, receiving and reformatting said encapsulated packets into a second plurality of media data units; and
transmitting said second plurality of media data units to complete said media data switching.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Presently described is a system and method for switching multimedia data communications, including but not limited to Voice over IP (VoIP) telephony, cable TV, digital audio and video. The system utilizes a single, integrated device to provide all PacketCable-compliant functionality, including enhanced user privacy, compliance with CALEA, E911 and other mandated services not available in conventional distributed PacketCable systems. High speed and efficient, low cost operation are provided by means of an optimized data unit encapsulation scheme for internal switching and routing. A proprietary fiber optic backplane and removable optical connectors are used to enable lightspeed internal communications hot-swapping of components. Furthermore, the present system is extensible to all forms of digital data switching and is secure, resistant to Denial of Service attacks, and fault-resilient.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of media data switching, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of media data units at an ingress port of a packet switch, wherein said ingress port of the packet switch is capable of supporting a combination of traffic types including packet type traffic and Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) type traffic; determining a corresponding egress port of the packet switch for each of said plurality of media data units based on the routing information corresponding to each of said plurality of media data units; at the ingress port, directing each said plurality of media data units toward said corresponding egress port, wherein said directing includes reformatting media data units of multiple TDM circuits destined for the same egress port of the packet switch into a fixed size data unit (FSDU), adding a header to the FSDU to create an encapsulated packet, and directing each said encapsulated packet toward said corresponding egress port; at each said egress port, receiving and reformatting said encapsulated packets into a second plurality of media data units; and transmitting said second plurality of media data units to complete said media data switching. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for integrated media switching comprising:
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a plurality of ingress ports of a packet switch each receiving a plurality of media data units; a processor coupled to the ingress ports, comprising means for determining a corresponding egress port of the packet switch for each of said plurality of media data units based on the routing information corresponding to each of said media data units; means for directing each said plurality of media data units toward said corresponding egress port, wherein directing includes reformatting media data units of multiple TDM circuits destined for the same egress port of the packet switch into a fixed size data unit (FSDU), adding a header to the FSDU to create an encapsulated packet, and means for directing each said encapsulated packet toward said corresponding egress port; a plurality of egress ports, comprising means for receiving and reformatting said encapsulated packets into a second plurality of media data units, wherein at least one of said ingress ports of the packet switch is capable of supporting a combination of traffic types including packet type traffic and TDM type traffic; and means for transmitting said second plurality of media data units to complete said media switching. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification