EP0428407A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
An integrated communications link having dynamically allocatable bandwidth and a protocol for transmission of allocation information over the link
Assignee: Digital Equipment Corp
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Filing: 1990-11-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-11-15
Abstract
Abstract An integrated communications link (16) in a communications network is provided with apparatus which allows dynamic allocatability of bandwidth among a plurality of channels. At least three different types of information can be carried on these channels, and the bandwidth of each channel is dynamically adjustable so that it can be changed according to a determinable scheme. The link also sends error control information with a message that informs the receiver how the bandwidth is to be allocated, this error control information providing an extremely high level of assurance that the receiver of the information will know how the received information is to be allocated.
Inventors
- 👤 George Varghese
- 👤 Andrew John Smith
- 👤 Richard L. Szmauz
- 👤 Michael Fine
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 16:25
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04J; H04J3/00; H04J3/16; H04J3/1682; H04Q; H04Q11/00; H04Q11/04; H04Q11/0428; H04Q11/0435; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/13332
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 61
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
A system for carrying multiple types of information in a multiplexed manner in a framed format, on an integrated link (16), each frame of the framed format being divided into portions, the system comprising: at least two integrated link controllers (12,14), each integrated link controller being operable as a transmitter and a receiver to transmit and receive a plurality of information signals in each frame, each information signal occupying an allocated amount of bandwidth in at least one portion of each frame; means (60) for dynamically changing the allocation of the bandwidth of each information signal; means for generating error control information that is transmitted from an integrated link controller operating as a transmitter to an integrated link controller operating as a receiver; means for checking error control information in the integrated link controller operating as a receiver; and means for allocating the bandwidth of each individual information signal among a plurality of contiguous or non-contiguous portions of the frame.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
160 words
A system for carrying multiple types of information in a multiplexed manner in a framed format, on an integrated link (16), each frame of the framed format being divided into portions, the system comprising: at least two integrated link controllers (12,14), each integrated link controller being operable as a transmitter and a receiver to transmit and receive a plurality of information signals in each frame, each information signal occupying an allocated amount of bandwidth in at least one portion of each frame; means (60) for dynamically changing the allocation of the bandwidth of each information signal; means for generating error control information that is transmitted from an integrated link controller operating as a transmitter to an integrated link controller operating as a receiver; means for checking error control information in the integrated link controller operating as a receiver; and means for allocating the bandwidth of each individual information signal among a plurality of contiguous or non-contiguous portions of the frame.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portions are slots of a specified bandwidth.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the integrated link is a time multiplexed integrated link.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
A system as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein each integrated link controller includes a mask register (62) that holds an allocation mask indicating the allocated amount of bandwidth in a frame for each information signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein each mask register includes an input to receive the allocation mask, the mask register input being coupled to the means for dynamically changing the allocation of the bandwidth.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
60 words
A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein one of the types of information is data provided to a synchronous line interface (40) and the means for allocating the bandwidth include means for selectively applying a data clocking signal to the synchronous line interface only when the signal is being provided to the synchronous line interface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
67 words
A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the integrated link includes a line clock signal and the means for applying a data clocking signal includes an AND gate (42) having one input coupled to the integrated link to receive the line clock signal, and another input coupled to the mask register to receive a clock enable signal dependent on the allocation mask in the mask register.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
26 words
A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein one portion of the frame is a protocol portion having a dynamically allocatable bandwidth.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the integrated link controller transmits protocol information in a protocol packet in a vertical manner over a plurality of frames.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein each protocol packet includes an allocation mask.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the protocol packet further includes switch frame information that indicates to the integrated link controller acting as a receiver at which frame the allocation mask is to be used.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
43 words
A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the means for dynamically changing the allocation of the bandwidth further include a protocol message buffer (72a, 72b) in each integrated link controller that is coupled to the integrated link to receive the protocol packet.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
53 words
A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the means for dynamically changing the allocation of the bandwidth further includes an integrated link processing control (60) coupled between each protocol message buffer and its associated mask register, the integrated link processing control setting the mask register in accordance with the protocol message buffer.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
21 words
A system as claimed in any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the protocol packet further includes the error control information.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
22 words
A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the error control information includes cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
57 words
A system as claimed in claim 15 when dependent on claim 14, wherein the protocol packet is explicitly encoded with s x log2 (v+d) bits per allocation mask per protocol packet, where s is the number of total slots in a frame, v is the number of voice circuits, and d is the number of data channels.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
39 words
A system as claimed in claim 15 when dependent on claim 14, wherein the protocol packet is implicitly encoded with (sx2)+1 bits per allocation mask per protocol packet, where s is the total number of slots in a frame.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
A system as claimed in claim 15 when dependent on claim 14, wherein the protocol packet is implicitly encoded with (sx1)+1 bits per allocation mask per protocol packet, where s is the total number of slots in a frame.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
42 words
A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 18, including a set of information signal sources coupled to one of the integrated link controllers, and a set of information signal destinations coupled to the other of the integrated link controllers.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
199 words
A system for carrying multiple types of information in a multiplexed manner on a multiplexed integrated link in a framed format, each frame of the framed format being divided into portions, the system comprising : at least two integrated link controllers (12,14) that are couplable to an integrated link (16), each integrated link controller being operable as a transmitter and a receiver to transmit and receive a plurality of information signals in each frame, each information signal occupying an allocated amount of bandwidth in at least one portion of each frame; means (60) for dynamically changing the allocation of the bandwidth of each information signal; means for generating error control information that is transmitted from an integrated link controller operating as a transmitter to an integrated link controller operating as a receiver; means for checking error control information in the integrated link controller operating as a receiver; means for allocating the bandwidth of each individual information signal among a plurality of contiguous or non-contiguous portions of the frame; and a set of information signal sources coupled to one of the integrated link controllers, and a set of information signal destinations coupled to the other of the integrated link controllers.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
199 words
A system for carrying multiple types of information in a multiplexed manner on a multiplexed integrated link in a framed format, each frame of the framed format being divided into portions, the system comprising : at least two integrated link controllers (12,14) that are couplable to an integrated link (16), each integrated link controller being operable as a transmitter and a receiver to transmit and receive a plurality of information signals in each frame, each information signal occupying an allocated amount of bandwidth in at least one portion of each frame; means (60) for dynamically changing the allocation of the bandwidth of each information signal; means for generating error control information that is transmitted from an integrated link controller operating as a transmitter to an integrated link controller operating as a receiver; means for checking error control information in the integrated link controller operating as a receiver; means for allocating the bandwidth of each individual information signal among a plurality of contiguous or non-contiguous portions of the frame; and a set of information signal sources coupled to one of the integrated link controllers, and a set of information signal destinations coupled to the other of the integrated link controllers.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
45 words
A communications system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the set of information signal sources includes a set of data sources (17,18) and a set of voice sources (26A-D, 26I-L), and the set of information signal destinations includes a set of voice destinations (26E-H, 26M-P).
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
55 words
A system as claimed in claim 21, further comprising a first private branch exchange unit (24A,24C) coupled between the set of voice sources and one of the integrated link controllers (12), and a second private branch exchange unit (24B,24D) coupled between the set of voice destinations and the other of the integrated link controllers (14).
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
36 words
A system as claimed in claim 22, further comprising a synchronous line interface (40) in each of the data sources and data destinations, each synchronous line interface being coupled to one on the integrated link controllers.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system as claimed in claim 23, wherein each synchronous line interface and each private branch exchange unit are conventional.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
39 words
A system as claimed in any of claims 21 to 24, wherein each integrated link controller includes a mask register (62) that holds an allocation mask indicating the allocated amount of bandwidth in a frame for each information signal.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
36 words
A system as claimed in claim 25, wherein each mask register includes an input to receive the allocation mask, the mask register input being coupled to the means for dynamically changing the allocation of the bandwidth.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
59 words
A system as claimed in claim 26 when dependent on claim 23, wherein one of the types of information is data provided to the synchronous line interface, and the means for allocating the bandwidth include means for selectively applying data clocking signals to the synchronous line interface only when the signal is being provided to the synchronous line interface.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
57 words
A system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the means for applying data clocking signals include an AND gate (42) having one input coupled to the integrated link to receive a line clock signal, and another input coupled to the mask register to receive a clock enable signal dependent on the allocation mask in the mask register.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
26 words
A system as claimed in any of claims 25 to 28, wherein one portion of the frame is a protocol portion having a dynamically allocatable bandwidth.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 29, wherein the integrated link controller transmits the protocol information in a protocol packet in a vertical manner over a plurality of frames.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system as claimed in claim 30 when dependent on claim 26, wherein each protocol packet includes the allocation mask.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
36 words
A system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the protocol packet further includes switch frame information that informs the integrated link controller acting as a receiver at which frame the allocation mask is to be used.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
43 words
A system as claimed in claim 32, wherein the means for dynamically changing the allocation of the bandwidth further include a protocol message buffer (72a, 72b) in each integrated link controller that is coupled to the integrated link to receive the protocol packet.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
52 words
A system as claimed in claim 33, wherein the means for dynamically changing the allocation of the bandwidth includes an integrated link processing control (60) coupled between each protocol message buffer and its associated mask register, the integrated link processing control setting the mask register in accordance with the protocol message buffer.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as claimed in claim 34, wherein the protocol packet further includes the error control information.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
22 words
A system as claimed in any of claims 20 to 35, wherein the error control information includes cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
56 words
A system as claimed in claim 36 when dependent on claim 35, wherein the protocol packet is explicitly encoded with x x log2(v+d) bits per allocation mask per protocol packet, where s if the number of total slots in a frame, v is the number of voice circuits, and d is the number of data channels.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
40 words
A system as claimed in claim 36 when dependent on claim 35, wherein the protocol packet is implicitly encoded with (sx2) +1 bits per allocation mask per protocol packet, where s is the total number of slots in a frame.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
39 words
A system as claimed in claim 36 when dependent on claim 35, wherein the protocol packet is implicitly encoded with (sx1)+1 bits per allocation mask per protocol packet, where s is the total number of slots in a frame.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
39 words
A system as claimed in claim 36 when dependent on claim 35, wherein the protocol packet is implicitly encoded with (sx1) bits per allocation mask per protocol packet, where s is the total number of slots in a frame.
Claim 43
Independent Claim
134 words
A method of switching the allocation of bandwidth of information signals in integrated link controller (12,14) arranged to transmit and receive information being coupled by a time division multiplexed link (16) that carries multiple information signals in a framed format, each frame in the framed format being divided into slots of a specified bandwidth, an allocation mask stored in a mask register indicating the number of slots each information signal is allocated, the method comprising: sending protocol information from the transmitting integrated link controller in protocol packets, each protocol packet containing the allocation mask, and error control information, and each protocol packet being transmitted vertically over a plurality of frames; receiving the protocol packets in the receiving integrated link controller; and using the received allocation mask to dynamically switch the allocation of the bandwidth.
Claim 44
Independent Claim
134 words
A method of switching the allocation of bandwidth of information signals in integrated link controller (12,14) arranged to transmit and receive information being coupled by a time division multiplexed link (16) that carries multiple information signals in a framed format, each frame in the framed format being divided into slots of a specified bandwidth, an allocation mask stored in a mask register indicating the number of slots each information signal is allocated, the method comprising: sending protocol information from the transmitting integrated link controller in protocol packets, each protocol packet containing the allocation mask, and error control information, and each protocol packet being transmitted vertically over a plurality of frames; receiving the protocol packets in the receiving integrated link controller; and using the received allocation mask to dynamically switch the allocation of the bandwidth.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as claimed in claim 41, wherein the protocol packet contains switch frame information that indicates at which frame the receiving integrated link controller is to begin using the allocation mask contained in the received protocol packet.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the switch frame information is a number of frames after a specified frame at which the receiving integrated link controller is to use the received allocation mask.
Claim 47
Independent Claim
39 words
A method as claimed in any of claims 41 to 43, wherein each protocol packet contains cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information for that protocol packet, and further comprising performing a cyclic redundancy check using the cyclic redundancy check information.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claim 44, further comprising redundantly sending particular protocol information in a set of successive protocol packets.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as claimed in claim 45, wherein the step of using the received allocation mask includes loading a mask register with the allocation mask if the cyclic redundancy check information for any one of the set of successive protocol packets is correct.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in claim 46, further comprising re-initialising the transmitting integrated link controller and the receiving integrated link controller when a pre-determined number of successive protocol packets contain incorrect cyclic redundancy check information.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 47, wherein the multiple information signals include a number of voice signals and a set of data signals.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as claimed in claim 48, further comprising establishing priority of voice signals over data signals, such that the bandwidth allocated to the set of date signals is reduced when the number of voice signals to be carried over the multiplexed link is increased.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as claimed in claim 49, further comprising increasing the bandwidth allocated to the set of data signals when the number of voice signals carried over the multiplexed link is decreased.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
65 words
A method as claimed in claim 50, further comprising: detecting silence in a particular voice signal, increasing the bandwidth allocated to the set of data signals and reducing the bandwidth allocated to the particular voice signal; detecting a resumption of the particular voice signal; and decreasing the bandwidth allocated to the set of data signals and increasing the bandwidth allocated to the particular voice signal.
Claim 55
Independent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in any of claims 41 to 51, wherein the protocol information is sent in a protocol channel with dynamically changeable bandwidth in the frames.
Claim 56
Independent Claim
36 words
A method as claimed in any of claims 41 to 52, wherein each protocol packet contains reliability information indicating the reliability of the allocation mask, and further comprising performing a reliability check using the reliability information.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 53, wherein the reliability information is cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 54, further comprising monitoring the quality of the time division multiplexed link using the cyclic redundancy check information.
Claim 59
Independent Claim
41 words
A method as claimed in any of claims 41 to 55, further comprising repeatedly sending the same allocation mask after the allocation mask is used to dynamically switch the allocation of the bandwidth such that the allocating of bandwidth of self-stabilising.
Claim 60
Independent Claim
32 words
A method as claimed in any of claims 41 to 56, further comprising sending protocol information that includes information which causes the protocol information to no longer be sent in subsequent frames.
Claim 61
Independent Claim
44 words
A method as claimed in any of claims 41 to 57, wherein the reliability of the switching of the allocation of the bandwidth is adjustable and related to the bandwidth of the protocol information and the speed of switching the allocation of the bandwidth.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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