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:
Apr. 11, 1989
Filed:
Sep. 05, 1986
Dennis L DeBruler, Downers Grove, IL (US);
Edward H Hafer, Winfield, IL (US);
Thomas L Hiller, Both of Glen Ellyn, IL (US);
James M Johnson, Jr, Both of Glen Ellyn, IL (US);
Douglas A Kimber, St. Charles, IL (US);
Christopher G McHarg, Arlington Heights, IL (US);
Scott W Pector, Hinsdale, IL (US);
David A Pierce, Wheaton, IL (US);
American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
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 of the switching modules includes both a packet switching unit and a circuit switching unit for switching information to and from the access ports. Each switching module further includes a control unit that controls the switching units and that generates inter-module control packets, and a communication interface that transmits inter-module control packets generated by the control unit on the incoming packet channel to the inter-module packet switch. The communication interface also transmits inter-module control packets received on the outgoing packet channel from the inter-module packet switch to the control unit. The inter-module packet switch concurrently packet switches inter-module control packets received on a number of the incoming packet channels, via mutltiple independent paths to a number of the outgoing packet channels.