US6477166B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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System, method and switch for an MPLS network and an ATM network
Assignee: Ericsson AB
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Filing: 2000-06-30
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Granted: 2002-11-05
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Expires: 2020-06-30
Abstract
Abstract A communication system. The system includes an MPLS network. The system includes a modified ATM network connected to the MPLS network on which MPLS packets can travel. A switch for switching MPLS packets and ATM cells in a network. The switch includes input ports for receiving MPLS packets and ATM cells from the network. Each MPLS packet has a first label for directing the packet to a desired switch and a second label for directing the packet in the switch to a desired outport in the switch. The system includes output ports for sending MPLS packets and ATM cells to the network. The system includes a mechanism for reviewing the second label of the packet while maintaining the first label with the packet. The reviewing mechanism is connected to the input ports and the output ports. A method for transmitting packets in a communications network. The method includes the steps of sending an MPLS packet on an MPLS network to a first switch connected to a modified ATM network and the MPLS network. Then there is the step of transferring the MPLS packet to a second switch of the ATM network with the first switch through the ATM network.
Inventors
- 👤 Rich Sanzi
- 👤 Walt Wimer
- 👤 Curt Bujosa
- 👤 Ronald P. Bianchini, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 01:21
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L49/00; H04L49/60; H04L49/606; H04L49/30; H04L49/3081; H04Q; H04Q11/00; H04Q11/04; H04Q11/0428; H04Q11/0478; H04L12/00; H04L12/54; H04L12/56; H04L12/5601; H04L2012/5638; H04L2012/5665
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
A communication system comprising: a multiprotocol label switching network, and a modified ATM network connected to the multiprotocol label switching network on which multiprotocol label switching packets can travel, wherein the ATM network has at least one switch and wherein each multiprotocol label switching packet has a first label for directing the multiprotocol label switching packet to a desired switch and a second label for directing the multiprotocol label switching packet in the one switch to a desired output port in the one switch, wherein the one switch has a mechanism for reviewing the second label of the packet while maintaining the first label with the MPLS packet.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
108 words
A communication system comprising: a multiprotocol label switching network, and a modified ATM network connected to the multiprotocol label switching network on which multiprotocol label switching packets can travel, wherein the ATM network has at least one switch and wherein each multiprotocol label switching packet has a first label for directing the multiprotocol label switching packet to a desired switch and a second label for directing the multiprotocol label switching packet in the one switch to a desired output port in the one switch, wherein the one switch has a mechanism for reviewing the second label of the packet while maintaining the first label with the MPLS packet.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system as described in claim 1 wherein the switch has a memory with connection information along which the packets travel, the connection information identifying ATM connections and multiprotocol label switching connections.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system as described in claim 2 wherein the switch transfers multiprotocol label switching packets according to their labels and ATM cells according to their VC/VP connection information stored in the memory.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system as described in claim 3 wherein at least one of the multiprotocol label switching packets is an AAL5 packet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system as described in claim 4 wherein the first label is disposed in a first word of a first cell of the AAL5 packet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system as described in claim 5 wherein the second label is disposed in a second word of the first cell of the AAL5 packet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system as described in claim 6 wherein the first word is a shim header that has a null label value and carries a class of service value and trace transit list value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
A system as described in claim 7 wherein the switch includes a controller which recognizes an end of message cell of a previous packet received by the switch and reads the second word of the first cell to obtain the second label.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
109 words
A switch for switching multiprotocol label switching packets and ATM cells in a network comprising: input ports for receiving multiprotocol label switching packets and ATM cells from the network, each multiprotocol label switching packet having a first label for directing the packet to a desired switch and a second label for directing the packet in the switch to a desired outport in the switch; output ports for sending multiprotocol label switching packets and ATM cells to the network; and a mechanism for reviewing the second label of the packet while maintaining the first label with the packer, said reviewing mechanism connected to the input ports and the output ports.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
109 words
A switch for switching multiprotocol label switching packets and ATM cells in a network comprising: input ports for receiving multiprotocol label switching packets and ATM cells from the network, each multiprotocol label switching packet having a first label for directing the packet to a desired switch and a second label for directing the packet in the switch to a desired outport in the switch; output ports for sending multiprotocol label switching packets and ATM cells to the network; and a mechanism for reviewing the second label of the packet while maintaining the first label with the packer, said reviewing mechanism connected to the input ports and the output ports.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
A switch as described in claim 9 including a memory with connection information along which the packets travel in the network, the connection information identifying ATM connections and multiprotocol label switching connections, said memory connected to the reviewing mechanism.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
A switch as described in claim 10 wherein the connection information for ATM cells includes VC/VP connection information and wherein the reviewing mechanism includes a controller which transfers multiprotocol label switching packets according to their labels and ATM cells according to their VC/VP connection information stored in the memory.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
A switch as described in claim 11 wherein at least one of the multiprotocol label switching packets is an AAL5 packet.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
A switch as described in claim 12 wherein the AAL5 packet has cells which have words and the first label is disposed in a first word of a first cell of the AAL5 packet.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
A switch as described in claim 13 wherein the second label is disposed in a second word of the first cell of the AAL5 packet.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
A switch as described in claim 14 wherein the first word has a shim header that has a null label value and carries a class of service value and trace transit list value.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
49 words
A switch as described in claim 15 wherein the cells include an end of message cell and wherein the controller recognizes an end of message cell of a previous packet received by the input ports and reads the second word of the first cell to obtain the second label.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
130 words
A method for transmitting packets in a communications network comprising the steps of: sending a multiprotocol label switching packet on a multiprotocol label switching network to a first switch connected to a modified ATM network and the multiprotocol label switching network; reviewing a first label of the multiprotocol label switching packet which directs the multiprotocol label switching packet to a second switch of the ATM network; reviewing a second label of the multiprotocol label switching packet which directs the multiprotocol label switching packet in the first switch to a desired output port of the first switch while maintaining the first label with the multiprotocol label switching packet; and transferring the multiprotocol label switching packet with the first switch through the ATM network to the second switch of the ATM network.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
130 words
A method for transmitting packets in a communications network comprising the steps of: sending a multiprotocol label switching packet on a multiprotocol label switching network to a first switch connected to a modified ATM network and the multiprotocol label switching network; reviewing a first label of the multiprotocol label switching packet which directs the multiprotocol label switching packet to a second switch of the ATM network; reviewing a second label of the multiprotocol label switching packet which directs the multiprotocol label switching packet in the first switch to a desired output port of the first switch while maintaining the first label with the multiprotocol label switching packet; and transferring the multiprotocol label switching packet with the first switch through the ATM network to the second switch of the ATM network.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as described in claim 17 wherein after the transferring step, there is the step of transmitting an ATM cell through the ATM network with the first switch according to connection information from the ATM cell stored in a memory in the first switch.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as described in claim 18 including before the transferring step, there is the step of reading an end of message cell of a previous packet received by the first switch.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
67 words
A method for transmitting packets in a communications network comprising the steps of: adding a first label, which contains routing and classification information, to a beginning of a multiprotocol label switching packet; reviewing only the first label of the multiprotocol label switching packet at an ingress of an ATM network; and transferring the multiprotocol label switching packet through the ATM network without reviewing the first label again.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
67 words
A method for transmitting packets in a communications network comprising the steps of: adding a first label, which contains routing and classification information, to a beginning of a multiprotocol label switching packet; reviewing only the first label of the multiprotocol label switching packet at an ingress of an ATM network; and transferring the multiprotocol label switching packet through the ATM network without reviewing the first label again.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
100 words
A method for transmitting cells in a communications network comprising the steps of: identifying a first cell, having a first label for writing and classifying the cell and a second label for directing the cell in a switch to a desired output port of the switch, of a plurality of related subsequently received cells at a switch; extracting the second label from the first cell; storing the second label in a memory; and using the second label for transferring subsequently received cells until a lost cell of the related cells is received, without ever combining the cells into a packet.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
100 words
A method for transmitting cells in a communications network comprising the steps of: identifying a first cell, having a first label for writing and classifying the cell and a second label for directing the cell in a switch to a desired output port of the switch, of a plurality of related subsequently received cells at a switch; extracting the second label from the first cell; storing the second label in a memory; and using the second label for transferring subsequently received cells until a lost cell of the related cells is received, without ever combining the cells into a packet.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5568477A
Cited
US5991300A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-11-04 | 2006-05-06 | 2006-11-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-11-04 | 2010-05-06 | 2010-11-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-11-04 | 2014-05-06 | 2014-11-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |