Composite frame reconfiguration in integrated services networks

Abstract

Method and apparatus for information communication during call connections between subscribers adapted to transmit and receive multimedia information at a pair of endpoint nodes of a fast packet switched network, the endpoint nodes being connected by a network path including at least one transit node traversed by links of the path. The multimedia information is conveyed as traffic consisting of a plurality of component types from among voice, video and data traffic component types each associated with a different subscriber at one of the endpoint nodes. A succession of composite frames conveying information is launched from each of the endpoint nodes to the other of the pair on the network path, with each of the frames configured to contain a plurality of fixed size channels representing bandwidth allocations for each of the traffic component types. Each channel is assigned to a subscriber of the respective traffic component type at the endpoint node from which the composite frame wa launched for the duration of that subscriber's respective call connection. The composite frames are dynamically reconfigured by releasing and reassigning channels at each of the endpoint nodes when necessary to accommodate changes in traffic flow in the network.