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US5629925A
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Method of operating a switching network, as well as switching network and exchange therefor
Assignee: Alcatel Lucent Deutschland AG
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Filing: 1995-04-27
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Granted: 1997-05-13
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Expires: 2015-04-27
Abstract
Abstract A method of operating a switching network, a switching network, and an exchange with such a switching network are described. The switching network consists of several switching modules and an interconnect network between these switching modules. The interconnect network includes a switch unit and interconnects the switching modules in accordance with a logic interconnection structure. The switch unit is simple and can be implemented by all-optical means. By means of the switch unit the logic interconnection structure can be reconfigured. This makes it possible to reconfigure the switching network in the event of a failure of a switching module or according to the load characteristic (video, voice, computer-computer communication). Further, a uniform switch unit can be used to meet different requirements ("flexible hardware").
Inventors
- 👤 Bodo Pfeiffer
- 👤 Stefan Wahl
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 07:24
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L49/00; H04L49/55; H04L49/25; H04L49/253; H04L49/254
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of operating a switching network formed by a number of switching modules (SM11 to SM34) and an interconnect network between the switching modules (SM11 to SM34), characterized in that the interconnect network includes a switch unit (SE) and interconnects the switching modules (SM11 to SM34) in accordance with a changeable logic interconnection structure, and that said changeable logic interconnection structure is reconfigured by means of the switch unit (SE) as required.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of operating a switching network formed by a number of switching modules (SM11 to SM34) and an interconnect network between the switching modules (SM11 to SM34), characterized in that the interconnect network includes a switch unit (SE) and interconnects the switching modules (SM11 to SM34) in accordance with a changeable logic interconnection structure, and that said changeable logic interconnection structure is reconfigured by means of the switch unit (SE) as required.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the changeable logic interconnection structure is reconfigured on the basis of data on the status of switching modules (SM11 to SM34).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the changeable logic interconnection structure is reconfigured on the basis of data from an input device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
131 words
A switching network comprising a number of switching modules (SM11 to SM34) and an interconnect network between the switching modules (SM11 to SM34), characterized in that the interconnect network includes a switch unit (SE) for connecting input links (IN1, . . . , IN128) to output links (OUT1, . . . , OUT128), at least part of the switching modules (SM11 to SM34) are interconnected via the switch unit (SE) in accordance with a changeable logic interconnection structure, with each of said switching modules (SM11 to SM34) connected either to said input links (IN1, . . . , IN128) or to said output links (OUT1, . . . , OUT128) of the switch unit (SE), and the switch unit (SE) is adapted to reconfigure the changeable logic interconnection structure as required.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
131 words
A switching network comprising a number of switching modules (SM11 to SM34) and an interconnect network between the switching modules (SM11 to SM34), characterized in that the interconnect network includes a switch unit (SE) for connecting input links (IN1, . . . , IN128) to output links (OUT1, . . . , OUT128), at least part of the switching modules (SM11 to SM34) are interconnected via the switch unit (SE) in accordance with a changeable logic interconnection structure, with each of said switching modules (SM11 to SM34) connected either to said input links (IN1, . . . , IN128) or to said output links (OUT1, . . . , OUT128) of the switch unit (SE), and the switch unit (SE) is adapted to reconfigure the changeable logic interconnection structure as required.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A switching network as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the switch unit (SE) consists of two or more separate units (SEP1, SEP2).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
A switching network as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the switch unit (SE) contains optical switches for connecting said input links (IN1, . . . , IN128) to output links (OUT1, . . . , OUT128).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
137 words
An exchange comprising a switching network which is provided with a number of switching modules (SM11 to SM34) and an interconnect network between the switching modules (SM11 to SM34), characterized in that the interconnect network includes a switch unit (SE) for connecting input links (IN1, . . . , IN128) to output links (OUT1, . . . , OUT128), at least part of the switching modules (SM11 to SM34) are interconnected via the switch unit (SE) in accordance with a changeable logic interconnection structure, with each of said switching modules (SM11 to SM34) connected either to said input links (IN1, . . . , IN128) or to said output links (OUT1, . . . , OUT128) of the switch unit (SE), and the switch unit (SE) is adapted to reconfigure the changeable logic interconnection structure as required.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
137 words
An exchange comprising a switching network which is provided with a number of switching modules (SM11 to SM34) and an interconnect network between the switching modules (SM11 to SM34), characterized in that the interconnect network includes a switch unit (SE) for connecting input links (IN1, . . . , IN128) to output links (OUT1, . . . , OUT128), at least part of the switching modules (SM11 to SM34) are interconnected via the switch unit (SE) in accordance with a changeable logic interconnection structure, with each of said switching modules (SM11 to SM34) connected either to said input links (IN1, . . . , IN128) or to said output links (OUT1, . . . , OUT128) of the switch unit (SE), and the switch unit (SE) is adapted to reconfigure the changeable logic interconnection structure as required.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-05-12 | 2000-11-11 | 2001-05-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-05-12 | 2004-11-11 | 2005-05-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-05-12 | 2008-11-11 | 2009-05-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |