Patent EP0199601A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0199601A2
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EP
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Cross point switch array
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1986-04-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-04-24
Abstract
Abstract @ The present invention relates to a cross-point switching array of the type comprising an array of cross-points (16) for selectively connecting each of a plurality of first lines (12) to any of a plurality of second lines (14), an array of control elements (18), each control element controlling the connection across a respective one of the cross-points in accordance with connection signals, and a control system for supplying respective connection signals to the control elements in order to connect selected first lines to selected second lines in a required configuration. The apparatus of the invention is characterised in that the control system comprises a first memory means (22) assocated with each cross point for storing a current connection signal, the outputs of all the first memory means currently determining the configuration, a second memory means (26) associated with each first memory means for storing a future connection signal, and means (30) for concurrently transferring the future connection signals from each second memory means to the associated first memory means so that the transferred future connection signals become current connection signals.
Inventors
- 👤 Christos John Georgiou
- 👤 Yeong-Chang Luke Lien
- 👤 Kiyoshi Maruyama
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 21:51
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/42; H04Q3/52; H04Q3/521
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A cross-point switch array comprising, an array of cross-points (16) for selectively connecting each of a plurality of first lines (12) to any of a plurality of second lines (14), an array of control elements (18), each control element controlling the connection across a respective one of said cross-points in accordance with connection signals, and a control system for supplying respective connection signals to said control elements in order to connect selected first lines to selected second lines in a required configuration, characterised in that said control system comprises a first memory means (22) associated with each cross point for storing a current connection signal. the outputs of all said first memory means currently determining said configuration, a second memory means (26) associated with each first memory means for storing a future connection signal, and means (30) for concurrently transferring said future connection signals from each second memory means to the associated first memory means so that said transferred future connection signals become current connection signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
166 words
A cross-point switch array comprising, an array of cross-points (16) for selectively connecting each of a plurality of first lines (12) to any of a plurality of second lines (14), an array of control elements (18), each control element controlling the connection across a respective one of said cross-points in accordance with connection signals, and a control system for supplying respective connection signals to said control elements in order to connect selected first lines to selected second lines in a required configuration, characterised in that said control system comprises a first memory means (22) associated with each cross point for storing a current connection signal. the outputs of all said first memory means currently determining said configuration, a second memory means (26) associated with each first memory means for storing a future connection signal, and means (30) for concurrently transferring said future connection signals from each second memory means to the associated first memory means so that said transferred future connection signals become current connection signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
An array as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each first memory means (22) includes a loading control input and a data input connected to an output of the associated first memory means wherein said concurrent transferring means (30) provides one loading signal to all said loading control inputs.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
80 words
An array as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that said control system comprises addressing means - (40, 44) for selecting one of said control elements, and connection signal setting means (42) equivalently connected to all said control elements for providing said future connection signals, and in that said control system, upon selection by said addressing means of a cross point, supplies the associated future connection signal into the second memory means (26) of said cross point.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
An array as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said addressing means includes means for sequentially addressing a plurality of said control elements.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
84 words
An array as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, characterised in that said addressing means comprises first addressing means (40) for addressing all control elements controlling a connection to a selected one of said first lines, and second addressing means (44) for addressing all control elements controlling a connection to a selected one of said second lines, and in that each control element comprises means (46) for combining an output of said first addressing means with an output of said second addressing means.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
54 words
A method of controlling a cross point switch array comprising setting a control element (18) for each cross point (16) in accordance with a respective connection signal, characterised by the steps of storing future connection signals for a plurality of said cross-points, and setting control elements for said cross-points according to current connection signals.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
54 words
A method of controlling a cross point switch array comprising setting a control element (18) for each cross point (16) in accordance with a respective connection signal, characterised by the steps of storing future connection signals for a plurality of said cross-points, and setting control elements for said cross-points according to current connection signals.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as claimed in claim 6 characterised by the step of maintaining said current connection signals values while sequentially storing said future connection signals.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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