Branch exchange methods and apparatuses for switching telecommunication signals
First Claim
1. A branch exchange, comprising:
- at least one interface module coupled to a plurality of telecommunication connections including a first telecommunication connection and a second telecommunication connection;
a network interface controller (NIC) that processes at least one time division multiplexed (TDM) data stream within the branch exchange;
a converter coupled to the at least one interface module and the NIC, the converter configured to communicate the TDM data stream along with control information pertaining to the TDM data stream in a combined serial data stream prior to transmission to the NIC, between the converter and the at least one interface module, the converter further configured to packetize data from one of the telecommunication connections into a first plurality of data packets transmitted to the NIC by the converter; and
a branch exchange manager configured to receive the data from the NIC and cause the data to be transmitted over the second telecommunication connection.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A branch exchange comprises at least one interface module coupled to a plurality of telecommunication connections including a first telecommunication connection and a second telecommunication connection. A converter is coupled to the at least one interface module and a network interface controller (NIC). The converter is configured to communicate at least one time division multiplexed (TDM) data stream between the converter and the at least one interface module. The converter is further configured to packetize data from one of the telecommunication connections into a first plurality of data packets transmitted to the NIC by the converter. A branch exchange manager is configured to receive the data from the NIC and cause the data to be transmitted over the second telecommunication connection.
13 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A branch exchange, comprising:
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at least one interface module coupled to a plurality of telecommunication connections including a first telecommunication connection and a second telecommunication connection; a network interface controller (NIC) that processes at least one time division multiplexed (TDM) data stream within the branch exchange; a converter coupled to the at least one interface module and the NIC, the converter configured to communicate the TDM data stream along with control information pertaining to the TDM data stream in a combined serial data stream prior to transmission to the NIC, between the converter and the at least one interface module, the converter further configured to packetize data from one of the telecommunication connections into a first plurality of data packets transmitted to the NIC by the converter; and a branch exchange manager configured to receive the data from the NIC and cause the data to be transmitted over the second telecommunication connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for use in a branch exchange that is coupled to a first telecommunication connection and a second telecommunication connection, comprising:
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step for receiving data from the first telecommunication connection; step for transmitting the data via a time division multiplexed (TDM) data stream; step for transmitting control information pertaining to the TDM data stream; step for converting the TDM data stream along with the control information pertaining to the TDM data stream in a combined serial data stream, into a first plurality of data packets transmitted, in parallel, to a network interface controller (NIC), where the data packets include dummy information in a header of the data packet that allows the NIC to accept the data packet that would otherwise be discarded due to a bad frame check sequence of the data packet; step for depacketizing, via the NIC, the first plurality of data packets thereby recovering the received data; and step for causing the data to be communicated over the second communication connection. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A branch exchange that is coupled to a first telecommunication connection and a second telecommunication connection, comprising:
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means for receiving data from the first telecommunication connection and for transmitting the data via a time division multiplexed (TDM) data stream; means for receiving control information pertaining to the TDM data stream; means for converting the data TDM stream along with the control information pertaining to the TDM data stream in a combined serial data stream into a first plurality of data packets; a network interface controller (NIC) that processes the TDM data stream within the branch exchange, the NIC coupled to the converting means, the NIC configured to receive, in parallel, the first plurality of data packets from the converting means, the NIC configured to depacketize the first plurality of data packets thereby recovering the received data; and means for transmitting the TDM data stream from the NIC over a personal computer interface (PCI) bus to the second communication connection.
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Specification