The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 18, 1986
Filed:
Apr. 06, 1984
Mikiel L Larson, St. Charles, IL (US);
Wing N Toy, Glen Ellyn, IL (US);
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
A packet switching network (100) comprises switching nodes (220-222, 230-232, 240-242, 250-252, 260-262, and 270-272) residing on circuit packs (101-104), that are interconnected by packet signal transmission links (110-119, 140-149, 150-159, and 180-189) carrying multiplexed pulse-width modulated signals (450) each representing three bits. A link (112) incoming to a pack (101) connects to an input port (2821) of a demultiplexer (282), whose output ports (2822-2824) are coupled to packet inputs (2401, 2411, 2421) of three nodes (240-242). The incoming signal stream is demultiplexed into three serial signal substreams. Each substream is transmitted to a node for switching. A link (122) outgoing from a pack (101) connects to an output port (2871) of a multiplexer (287) whose input ports (2872-2874) are coupled to the packet outputs (2703, 2713, 2723) of three nodes (270-272). The three incoming serial signal substreams are multiplexed into a signal stream that is transmitted on the link. For multiplexed signals representing the bits of a single packet, (FIGS. 2a-c), the acknowledgment output (2405) of one node (240) coupled to a demultiplexer (282) is connected to the incoming link (112) and the acknowledgment input (2707, 2717, 2727) of each node (270-272) coupled to a multiplexer (287) is connected directly to the outgoing link (122). For multiplexed signals representing the bits of three packets, (FIGS. 3a-c), acknowledgment outputs (2405, 2415, 2425) of the nodes (240-242) that are coupled to a demultiplexer (282) are coupled through a multiplexer (294) to the incoming link (112). Acknowledgment inputs (2707, 2717, 2727) of the nodes (270-272) that are coupled to a multiplexer (287) are coupled through a demultiplexer (291) to the outgoing link (122). Coupling of a packet and acknowledgment input and output pair to a demultiplexer and a multiplexer is made by a lock (246) which alternately makes one connection while it breaks the other connection. The locks that connect to a multiplexer and demultiplexer pair operate in unison.