At&t Bell Laboratories

American Telephone & Telegraph Co., At&t Bell Laboratories

Ralph A Wilson, Iii

Thomas L Hiller

Meyer J Zola

David A Pierce

Robert C Fairfield

James M Johnson, Jr

Christopher G McHarg

Thomas J Starr

Paul D Hunter

Benjamin C Widrevitz

Phillip C Chao

Joel D Peshkin

Bong S Choe

Robert W King

A synchronous protocol data formatter handles all 24-32 channels of a so-called primary rate version of a digital multiplexed interface or ISDN Primary Rates Interface for a communication system. The formatter relieves the host computer of the local area network of some highly specialized tasks, and, at the same time, provides the following augmented capabilities, which exceed those required by the C.C.I.T.T. standard, I.431:

Synchronous protocol data formatter

A switching system including a number of switching modules each having a plurality of access ports. Incoming and outgoing packet channels are extended between each switching module and an inter-module packet switch. Each switching module includes a packet switching unit that transmits user information packets, received from the access ports, via the incoming packet channel to the inter-module packet switch, and switches user information packets, received via the outgoing packet channel from the inter-module packet switch, to the access ports for inter-module packet-switched communication. The intermodule packet switch concurrently packet switches user information packets, received on a number of the incoming packet channels, via multiple independent paths to a number of the outgoing packet channels.

Distributed packet switching sytem

Growing community of inventors

Wheaton, IL, United States of America

Ralph A Wilson, Iii