Control communication in a switching system having clustered remote switching modules

Claim 2

A switching arrangement comprising: a switching network (900), CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the switching arrangement comprises: first and second remote switching modules (501, 502), first interconnection circuits (421-424) for interconnecting the switching network (900) and the first remote switching module (501), second interconnection circuits (431-434) for interconnecting the host switching network (900) and the second remote switching module (502) and third interconnection circuits (435) for interconnecting the first and second remote switching modules, wherein the first remote switching module (501) comprises a first plurality of peripheral circuits for transmitting control information on the third interconnection circuits and wherein the second remote switching module (502) comprises a second plurality of peripheral circuits, means for receiving control information on the third interconnection circuits and means responsive to control information received on the third interconnection circuits for selectively establishing communication paths among the second plurality of peripheral circuits and the third interconnection circuit.

Claim 3

A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 1 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the host switching network (900) comprises: first circuitry for transmitting control information on the first interconnection circuit; and second circuitry for receiving control information on the second interconnection circuit, the first remote switching module further comprises; means for receiving control information on the first interconnection circuit and means responsive to control information received on the first interconnection circuit for selectively establishing communication paths among the first plurality of peripheral circuits and the third interconnection circuit and the second remote switching module further comprises: a transmitting circuit for transmitting control information on the second interconnection circuit.

Claim 4

A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 2 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the host switching network further comprises: means for receiving control information on the first interconnection circuit and means for transmitting control information on the second interconnection means, the first remote switching module further comprises: a transmitting circuit for transmitting control information on the first interconnection circuit and the second remote switching module further comprises: receiving circuit for receiving control information on the second interconnection circuit and means responsive to control information received on the second interconnection circuit for selectively establishing communication paths among the second plurality of peripheral circuits and the third interconnection circuit.

Claim 5

A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 3 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the host switching module further comprises: means responsive to control information received on the first and second interconnection circuits for selectively establishing communication paths between the first and second interconnection circuits, the first remote switching module further comprises: means responsive to control information received on the first interconnection means for selectively establishing communication paths among the first plurality of peripheral circuits and said first interconnection circuit; and the second remote switching module further comprises: means responsive to control information received on the second interconnection circuit for selectively establishing communication paths among the second plurality of peripheral circuits and the second interconnection circuit.

Claim 6

A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 4 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the second remote switching module further comprises: means for transmitting control information on the third interconnection means; and the first remote switching module further comprises: means for receiving control information on the third interconnection circuit; and means responsive to control information received on the third interconnection circuit for selectively establishing communication paths among the first plurality of peripheral circuits and the third interconnection circuit.

Claim 7

A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 5 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the first remote switching module further comprises: means for transmitting on the first interconnection circuit control information comprising a request to transmit subscriber-generated information between a given one of the first plurality of peripheral circuits and a given one of the second plurality of peripheral circuits and the host switching network (900) further comprises: means for storing first, second and third variables defining the availability of the first, second and third interconnection circuits, respectively, for transmitting subscriber-generated information; means responsive to the request, for transmitting to the first and second remote switching modules, control information comprising a first command to transmit subscriber-generated information between the given one of the first plurality of peripheral circuits and the given one of said second plurality of peripheral circuits via said third interconnection circuit, when the third variable defines the third interconnection circuit as being available for transmitting subscriber-generated information; and means responsive to the request, for transmitting to the first and second remote switching modules, control information comprising a second command to transmit subscriber-generated information between the given one of the first plurality of peripheral circuits and the given one of the second plurality of peripheral circuits via the first and second interconnection circuits and the host switching network when the third variable defines the third interconnection circuit as being unavailable for transmitting subscriber-generated information and the first and second variables respectively define the first and second interconnection circuits, as being available for transmitting subscriber-generated information.

Claim 8

A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 6 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the first remote switching module further comprises: means responsive to the first command for establishing a communication path between the given one of the first plurality of peripheral circuits and the third interconnection circuit; and means responsive to the second command for establishing a communication path between the given one of the first plurality of peripheral circuits and the first interconnection circuit; and the second remote switching module further comprises: means responsive to the first command for establising a communication path between the given one of the second plurality of peripheral circuits and the third interconnection circuit; and means responsive to the second command for establishing a communication path between the given one of the second plurality of peripheral circuits and the second interconnection circuit.

Claim 9

A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 7 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT each of the first and second plurality of peripheral circuits comprises: means for transmitting and receiving subscriber-generated information; and each of the first, second and third interconnection circuits comprises: means for transmitting subscriber-generated information in a plurality of channels; and means for transmitting control information in at least one control channel.

Claim 10

A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 4 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the host switching network (900) further comprises: a plurality of host peripheral circuits; and means responsive to control information received on the first and second interconnection circuits for selectively establishing communication paths among the first and second interconnection circuits and the plurality of host peripheral circuits.

Claim 11

A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 1 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the second remote switching module further comprises: means for transmitting control information on the third interconnection circuit; and the first remote switching module further comprises: means for receiving control information on the third interconnection circuit; and means responsive to control information received on the third interconnection means for selectively establishing communication paths among the first plurality of peripheral circuits and the third interconnection circuit.

Claim 12

A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 1 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the host switching network comprises: means for transmitting and receiving control information on the first interconnection circuit; and the first remote switching module further comprises: means for transmitting and receiving control information on the first interconnection circuit; and means responsive to control information received on the first interconnection means for selectively establishing communication paths among the first plurality of peripheral circuits and the third interconnection circuit.