Patent · US Expired

Flexible SONET access and transmission systems

US6667973B1 · kind B1 · utility

85Cited by
18References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 31, 1999
Grant dateDec 23, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 31, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S370/907
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A SONET network interface for interconnecting a high speed unit (HSU) with low speed interface units (LSUs) to enable transmission of signals therebetween. The interface including: a bus for interfacing the HSU with each of the LSU units to enable transmission of signals from each of LSUs to the HSU, and reception of the signals from the HSU to each of the LSUs; and a backplane connected to the bus and having at least two time slots for performing full time slot interchange between the at least two LSUs, wherein any of the at least two LSUs can read received data directly from one of the at least two time slots and can place its transmit data into any other of the at least two time slots for communication with another of the at least two LSUs without exchanging the received and/or transmit data with the at least one HSU. In other embodiments, the HSU, LSUs, and bus are contained in a main shelf and mixing means are provided for allowing STM and ATM services to be mixed in the main shelf or an expansion shelf is provided containing expansion LSUs and an expansion interface unit (ESI) connected to the HSU of the main shelf for exchanging data between the main shelf and the expansion …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.