Process for switching time-multiplexed signals transmitted on a carrier, including in particular an optical carrier, and a device embodying this process

Claim 1

A process for switching time-multiplexed signals transmitted on a carrier, including in particular a light wave, the signal from m sources to be time-multiplexed on the same transmission channel or input channel, comprising the steps of: before modulating the carrier with said signal and their time multiplexing, each of the samples of said signals being repeated n times in succession, n being a whole number greater than or equal to 2; the m groups of n times the same sample being time-multiplexed; the carrier being modulated in a conventional manner with the samples repeated and multiplexed in this manner; and said carrier modulated in this manner being applied to an input channel; in order to switch said input channel to another channel, or output channel, p successive samples being selected from the n successive identical samples of each group of n times the same sample and being transferred spatially to a time slot of said output channel, wherein said time slot occurs at the same time as at least some of said p samples out of the n samples, said slot containing all the data of at least one sample.

Claim 4

A device embodying a process for switching time-multiplexed signals transmitted on a carrier, including in particular a light wave, the signals from m sources to be time-multiplexed on the same transmission or input channel, wherein before modulating the carrier with said signals and their time multiplexing, each of the samples of the signals are repeated n times in succession, n being a whole number greater than or equal to 2, wherein the m groups of n times the same sample are time-multiplexed, wherein the carrier is modulated in a conventional manner with the samples repeated and multiplexed in this manner, and wherein this carrier is modulated in the same manner before being applied to the input channel, and wherein in order to switch said input channel to another channel, p successive samples are selected from the n successive identical samples of each group of n times the same sample and are transferred spatially to a time slot of said output channel, said time slot occurring at the same time as at least one of said p samples out of the n samples, said device comprising a switching array, wherein each array input is associated with a directional coupler device; a modulating signal detection device and a switching control and/or synchronization signal detection device; receiver means connected to said detection devices for separating the switching control signals and the synchronization signals, said receiver means being in turn connected to means for processing the output of said control and/or synchronization detection devices and generating orders for controlling said switching array.

Claim 5

A device embodying a process for switching time-multiplexed signals transmitted on a carrier, including in particular a light wave, the signals from m sources to be time-multiplexed on the same transmission or input channel, wherein before modulating the carrier with said signals and their time multiplexing, each of the samples of the signals are repeated n times in succession, n being a whole number greater than or equal to 2, wherein the m groups of n times the same sample are time-multiplexed, wherein the carrier is modulated in a conventional manner with the samples repeated and multiplexed in this manner, and wherein this carrier is modulated in the same manner before being applied to the input channel, and wherein in order to switch said input channel to another channel, p successive samples are selected from the n successive identical samples of each group of n times the same sample and are transferred spatially to a time slot of said output channel, said time slot occurring at the same time as at least one of said p samples out of the n samples, said device comprising a switching array, wherein each array input is associated with a directional coupler device; a modulating signal detection device and a switching control and/or synchronization signal detection device; receiver means connected to said detection devices for separating the switching control signals and the synchronization signals, said receiver means being in turn connected to means for processing the output of said control and/or synchronization detection devices and generating orders for controlling said switching array.