초록 ▼

An open, high speed, high bandwidth digital communication network for connecting multiple programmable telecommunications switches to form a large capacity, non-blocking switching system. Each network switching node includes circuitry for transmitting and receiving variable-length, packetized inform

An open, high speed, high bandwidth digital communication network for connecting multiple programmable telecommunications switches to form a large capacity, non-blocking switching system. Each network switching node includes circuitry for transmitting and receiving variable-length, packetized information over the network, thus enabling each node to receive information from or transmit information to all other nodes. The network may carry any type of information present in the system including voice, data, video, multimedia, control, configuration and maintenance, and the bandwidth of the network may be divided or shared across various information types. Devices such as voice processing resources may also interface with the network, thereby gaining direct access to all information passing through the network. Also provided are methods and packet structures for communicating information over the network. Multiple networks may be interconnected to provide even greater switching capacity or voice processing capacity.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:] [1.] A bridge for interconnecting and transferring information among a plurality of inter-nodal networks, said bridge comprising:a plurality of telecommunications switches at least equal in number to the p

[ What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:] [1.] A bridge for interconnecting and transferring information among a plurality of inter-nodal networks, said bridge comprising:a plurality of telecommunications switches at least equal in number to the plurality of inter-nodal networks which are to be interconnected through the bridge, each of said plurality of switches including:means for dynamically connecting and disconnecting communication paths with respect to various ones of a plurality of ports;means for time switching data corresponding to said ports; andmeans in communicating relationship with said time switching means for interfacing with a predetermined one of said inter-nodal networks and transmitting and receiving packetized information over said predetermined network; andmeans for providing bidirectional communications between said plurality of telecommunications switches, whereby information originating from any of said inter-nodal networks which is destined for another of said inter-nodal networks is initially received by the telecommunications switch interfaced with the originating inter-nodal network, then transmitted over said bidirectional communications means to the switch which is interfaced with the inter-nodal network to which the information is destined, and then transmitted to the destination inter-nodal network.