Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
98 words
A self-routing exchange for switching fixed-length cells, which have control data for self-routing and transmission information, to prescribed outgoing paths, comprising: switch modules connected in multiple stages which include an intermediate stage, a stage preceding and a stage succeeding said intermediate stage, wherein said intermediate stage is a circuit switching module capable of changing over a connection relationship between incoming highways and outgoing highways, and each of said stages preceding and succeeding said intermediate stage includes self-routing switch modules; and a controller for setting the connection relationship between incoming highways and outgoing highways of said circuit switching module.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
98 words
A self-routing exchange for switching fixed-length cells, which have control data for self-routing and transmission information, to prescribed outgoing paths, comprising: switch modules connected in multiple stages which include an intermediate stage, a stage preceding and a stage succeeding said intermediate stage, wherein said intermediate stage is a circuit switching module capable of changing over a connection relationship between incoming highways and outgoing highways, and each of said stages preceding and succeeding said intermediate stage includes self-routing switch modules; and a controller for setting the connection relationship between incoming highways and outgoing highways of said circuit switching module.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
71 words
The exchange according to claim 1, further comprising: a first interface, which is provided between a self-routing module of said preceding stage and said circuit switching module, for converting a cell stream into a frame having a predetermined format; and a second interface, which is provided between said circuit switching module and a self-routing module of said succeeding stage, for converting a frame having a predetermined format into a cell stream.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The exchange according to claim 1, wherein said circuit switching module comprises space switches.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
133 words
The exchange according to claim 3, wherein said circuit switching module has M space switches, where M is equal to or greater than m and m represents the number of self-routing switch modules, each having n inputs and n outputs, provided in each of said preceding and succeeding stages; all n outgoing highways from each of said m self-routing switch modules in said preceding stage are connected to each of the M space switches; and in accordance with a command from said controller, each of m space switches connects n/m incoming highways, from each of said m self-routing switching modules, for a total of n incoming highways, to prescribed outgoing highways, and n outgoing highways of each of said m space switches are connected to a self-routing switch module in said succeeding stage.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
122 words
The exchange according to claim 2, wherein each self-routing switch module in said preceding stage includes: a plurality of line interfaces each of which is connected to a user network interface (UNI) or network node interface (NNI), wherein a plurality of line interfaces are divided into n groups; n multiplexers each of which is connected to a group of line interfaces for multiplexing cells outputted by said group of line interfaces; an n×n self-routing switch connected to said n multiplexers; and n demultiplexers each of which is connected to n outgoing highways of said self-routing switch, for demultiplexing a multiplexed cell stream inputted from a respective outgoing highway; wherein the cell stream demultipexed by each demultiplexer is inputted to said first interface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
107 words
The exchange according to claim 5, wherein each self-routing switch module in said succeeding stage includes: n multiplexers each of which is connected to a plurality of output terminals of said second interface, for multiplexing cell streams outputted by said second interface; an n×n self-routing switch connected to said n multiplexers; n demultiplexers each of which is connected to n outgoing highways of said self-routing switch, for demultiplexing a multiplexed cell stream inputted from a respective outgoing highway; and a plurality of line interfaces for converting the cell stream, which has been demultiplexed by each demultiplexer, into a frame of a prescribed format and outputting the frame.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
173 words
A self-routing exchange for joining a self-routing network and a Synchronous Transfer Mode (STM) network so that switching may be performed between the two networks, the self-routing exchange comprising: switch modules connected in multiple stages which include an intermediate stage, a stage preceding and a stage succeeding said intermediate stage, wherein said intermediate stage is a circuit switching module, and each of said stages preceding and succeeding said intermediate stage includes self-routing switch modules; a controller for controlling changeover of the connection relationship between incoming highways and outgoing highways of said circuit switching module; a cell constructing module for forming a signal that has entered from the STM network into cells, converting the cells to a frame having a prescribed format and inputting the frame to said circuit switching module; and a cell deconstructing module for converting a frame having a prescribed format, which has entered from a prescribed self-routing switch module via said circuit switching module, into a cell stream, subsequently deconstructing the cells and inputting the results to the STM network.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
173 words
A self-routing exchange for joining a self-routing network and a Synchronous Transfer Mode (STM) network so that switching may be performed between the two networks, the self-routing exchange comprising: switch modules connected in multiple stages which include an intermediate stage, a stage preceding and a stage succeeding said intermediate stage, wherein said intermediate stage is a circuit switching module, and each of said stages preceding and succeeding said intermediate stage includes self-routing switch modules; a controller for controlling changeover of the connection relationship between incoming highways and outgoing highways of said circuit switching module; a cell constructing module for forming a signal that has entered from the STM network into cells, converting the cells to a frame having a prescribed format and inputting the frame to said circuit switching module; and a cell deconstructing module for converting a frame having a prescribed format, which has entered from a prescribed self-routing switch module via said circuit switching module, into a cell stream, subsequently deconstructing the cells and inputting the results to the STM network.