Dynamic mixing TDM data with data packets

• US 7,333,512 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RMI Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Chandrasekaran Nageswara, Woo, Thomas Yat Chung, Mukherjee, Debaditya, Kumar, Addepalli Sateesh, Shah, Tushar Ramanlal, Agrawal, Jai Prakash, Seikh, Khalid
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, BRENDA H
• Application Number:
  US10/023,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20020075542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,255 Days
• Field of Search: 370/468, 370/470, 370352-358, 370/389, 370/392, 370/391, 370/395.5, 370/380, 370/442, 370/395.42, 370/458, 370/535, 370/474, 370/476, 370/487, 370/490, 370493-495, 370/471, 370/473
• US Class Current: 370/473
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6402 Hybrid switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0066 Provisions for optical burst or packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0071 Provisions for the electrical-optical layer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0033 using time division switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0084 Quality of service aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth

Abstract

To more fully utilize the available bandwidth of a network link, network nodes in accordance with the present invention allow TDM data to be combined with packet data. A Packet/TDM cross connect switch, having both a TDM switch and a packet switch, is used in these embodiments. Data packets are transformed into TDM packet columns. The TDM packet columns are combined with standard TDM data columns in the payload of a TDM data frame. Data packets may be sorted based on a priority scheme, in which high priority data packets are given precedence over lower priority data. However, both high priority and low priority may be combined in a TDM packet column.

Claims

1. A method of combining TDM data and data packets comprising:

receiving a plurality of TDM data columns;

receiving a plurality of data packets,

transforming a first subset of the data packets into one or more TDM packet colunms;

and combining the TDM packet columns with a first subset of the TDM data columns to form a data payload of an outgoing TDM data frame;

wherein a TDM packet column includes a high priority data packet and a low priority data packet; and

wherein the receiving a plurality of TDM data columns further comprises receiving an incoming TDM data frame containing a second subset of TDM data columns.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a plurality of TDM data columns further comprises receiving a third subset of TDM data columns from a TDM user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising separating the second subset of TDM data columns into a plurality of DROP TDM data columns and a plurality of THROUGH TDM data columns.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising sending a DROP TDM data columns to a TDM user interface.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the outgoing TDM data frame contains the through TDM data columns.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the outgoing TDM data frame contains a third subset of TDM data columns from the TDM user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the TDM packet columns and the TDM data columns are interleaved within the payload.

8. A method of combining TDM data and data packets comprising:

receiving a plurality of TDM data columns;

receiving a plurality of data packets,

transforming a first subset of the data packets into one or more TDM packet columns;

and combining the TDM packet columns with a first subset of the TDM data columns to form a data payload of an outgoing TDM data frame;

wherein a TDM packet column includes a high priority data packet and a low priority data packet; and

wherein the receiving a plurality of data packets further comprises receiving an incoming TDM data frame containing a second subset of data packets.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving a plurality of data packets further comprises receiving a third subset of data packets from a packet user interface.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising separating the second subset of data packets as DROP data packets and THROUGH data packets.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the DROP data packets are sent to a packet user interface.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the outgoing TDM data frame contains the THROUGH data packets.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the outgoing TDM data frame contains a third subset of data packets from a packet user interface.

14. A method of combining TDM data and data packets comprising:

receiving a first plurality of TDM data columns;

receiving a first plurality of data packets;

transforming a first subset of the first plurality of data packets into a first group of TDM packet columns;

combining the first group of TDM packet columns with a first subset of the first plurality of TDM data columns to form a first data payload of a first TDM data frame;

receiving a second plurality of TDM data columns;

receiving a second plurality of data packets;

transforming a first subset of the second plurality of data packets into a second group of TDM packet columns; and

combining the second group of TDM packet columns with a first subset of the second plurality of TDM data columns to form a second data payload of a second TDM data frame; and

wherein the first data payload is larger than the second data payload.

15. A method of combining TDM data and data packets comprising:

receiving a first plurality of TDM data columns;

receiving a first plurality of data packets,

transforming a first subset of the first plurality of data packets into a first group of TDM packet columns;

combining the first group of TDM packet columns with a first subset of the first plurality of TDM data columns to form a first data payload of a first TDM data frame;

receiving a second plurality of TDM data columns;

receiving a second plurality of data packets;

transforming a first subset of the second plurality of data packets into a second group of TDM packet columns; and

combining the second group of TDM packet columns with a first subset of the second plurality of TDM data columns to form a second data payload of a second TDM data frame; and

wherein the first subset of the first plurality of TDM data columns is larger than the first subset of the second plurality of TDM data columns.

16. A method of combining TDM data and data packets comprising:

receiving a first plurality of TDM data columns;

receiving a first plurality of data packets,

transforming a first subset of the first plurality of data packets into a first group of TDM packet columns;

combining the first group of TDM packet columns with a first subset of the first plurality of TDM data columns to form a first data payload of a first TDM data frame;

receiving a second plurality of TDM data columns;

receiving a second plurality of data packets;

transforming a first subset of the second plurality of data packets into a second group of TDM packet columns; and

combining the second group of TDM packet columns with a first subset of the second plurality of TDM data columns to form a second data payload of a second TDM data frame; and

wherein the first group of TDM packet columns is larger than the second group of TDM packet columns.

17. A method of combining TDM data and data packets comprising:

receiving a first plurality of TDM data columns;

receiving a first plurality of data packets,

transforming a first subset of the first plurality of data packets into a first group of TDM packet columns;

combining the first group of TDM packet columns with a first subset of the first plurality of TDM data columns to form a first data payload of a first TDM data frame;

receiving a second plurality of TDM data columns;

receiving a second plurality of data packets;

transforming a first subset of the second plurality of data packets into a second group of TDM packet columns; and

combining the second group of TDM packet columns with a first subset of the second plurality of TDM data columns to form a second data payload of a second TDM data frame; and

wherein a TDM packet column includes a high priority data packet and a low priority data packet.

18. A system for combining TDM data and data packets comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of TDM data columns;

means for receiving a plurality of data packets,

means for transforming a first subset of the data packets into one or more TDM packet columns; and

means for combining the TDM packet columns with a first subset of the TDM data columns to form a data payload of an outgoing TDM data frame;

wherein a TDM packet column includes a high priority data packet and a low priority data packet; and

wherein the means for receiving a plurality of TDM data columns further comprises means for receiving an incoming TDM data frame containing a second subset of TDM data columns.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for receiving a plurality of TDM data columns further comprises means for receiving a third subset of TDM data columns from a TDM user interface.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for separating the second subset of TDM data columns into a plurality of DROP TDM data columns and a plurality of THROUGH TDM data columns.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for sending the plurality of DROP TDM data columns to the TDM user interface.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the outgoing TDM data frame contains the through TDM data columns.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the outgoing TDM data frame contains a third subset of TDM data columns from the TDM user interface.

24. A system for combining TDM data and data packets comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of TDM data columns;

means for receiving a plurality of data packets,

means for transforming a first subset of the data packets into one or more TDM packet columns; and

means for combining the TDM packet columns with a first subset of the TDM data columns to form a data payload of an outgoing TDM data frame;

wherein a TDM packet column includes a high priority data packet and a low priority data packet; and

wherein the means for receiving a plurality of data packets further comprises means for receiving an incoming TDM data frame containing a second subset of data packets.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for receiving a plurality of data packets further comprises means for receiving a third subset of data packets from a packet user interface.