Tandem office switching system

Claim 5

A system in accordance with claim 2 further comprising clock means connected to said receiving and transmitting means for defining a repetitive trunk frame comprising a plurality of trunk channels each defining a time interval containing a first plurality of digits, and wherein said receiving and transmitting means comprises means connected to said circulating means for storing multidigit words received in one of said trunk channels.

Claim 6

A system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said storing means comprises even channel storage means for storing multidigit words received in even numbered trunk channels and odd channel storage means for storing multidigit words received in odd-numbered trunk channels, said receiving and transmitting means further comprising gating means between said circulating means and said odd and even channel storage means and means for enabling said gating means to transfer multidigit words between said circulating means and alternate ones of said odd and even channel storage storage means.

Claim 7

A system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said clock means further comprises means for defining a repetitive intermediate frame comprising a plurality of intermediate channels each defining a time interval containing a second plurality of digits, said receiving and transmitting means comprising means for storing each digit of one of said multidigit words in said circulating means in a different one of said intermediate channels.

Claim 8

A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said clock means further comprises means for defining a repetitive cross-office frame comprising a plurality of cross-office channels each defining a time interval containing a third plurality of bits, said transferring means comprising means for sorting one digit from each intermediate channel of one intermediate frame in a single cross-office channel.

Claim 9

A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said clock means defines fewer time intervals in said trunk channels than in said intermediate channels for storage of intelligence and signalling digits and wherein said enabling means comprises means for transferring a signaling digit from one digit position in a trunk channel to a signaling digit position in an intermediate channel and means for inserting a dummy digit in the intermediate channel in the digit position corresponding to said one trunk channel digit position.

Claim 10

A system in accordance with claim 5 further comprising means for generating control digits and means for inserting said control digits in said circulating means in selected portions of each intermediate channel supplementing said iNtelligence and signaling digits received from said trunks.

Claim 11

A system in accordance with claim 6 further comprising means utilizing said control digit portions in each intermediate and cross-office channel to absorb the delay encountered by intelligence and signaling digits in transit through the system, said delay absorbing means comprising means for shifting each of said intelligence and signaling digits by one digit interval during each transition between said second and third transmission rates while maintaining the same relative digit positions.

Claim 12

A digital switching system comprising comprising means for receiving and transmitting information contained in a first time frame comprising a first number of repetitive time channels occurring at a first rate, means in each of said receiving and transmitting means for rearranging said information into a second time frame comprising intermediate time channels and for circulating said rearranged information at a second rate and means for transferring said information from said receiving means to said transmitting means in a third time frame comprising a third number of time channels occurring at a third rate, said third number of time channels being greater than said first number of time channels, and said transferring means comprising means for selectively accessing said circulating means for selectively accessed information from said accessing means to selected time channels of said third frame.

Claim 13

A digital switching system comprising comprising means for receiving and transmitting information contained in a first time frame comprising a first number of repetitive time channels occurring at a first rate, means in each of said receiving and transmitting means for rearranging said information into a second time frame comprising intermediate time channels and for circulating said rearranged information at a second rate and means for transferring said information from said receiving means to said transmitting means in a third time frame comprising a third number of time channels occurring at a third rate, said third number of time channels being greater than said first number of time channels, and said transferring means comprising means for selectively accessing said circulating means for selectively accessed information from said accessing means to selected time channels of said third frame.

Claim 14

A digital switching system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said receiving means comprises means for applying digital information received in repetitive trunk channels to said circulating means, each individual digit received in a trunk channel being stored in a different intermediate channel in said circulating means.

Claim 15

A tandem office comprising a combination time and space division system for switching signals contained in repetitive time channels multiplexed in a serial bit stream on an incoming trunk to selected outgoing trunks, said system comprising means for storing said incoming bit stream under control of timing information derived from said bit stream, office timing means generating control signals at first, second and third frequencies, means for interleaving and circulating said bit stream at said second frequency, means connected to said circulating means for remultiplexing and transmitting said bit stream through said switching system at said third frequency, means for removing and storing the circulating bit stream and means for transmitting the sorted information to the selected outgoing trunks at said first frequency.

Claim 16

A tandem office comprising a combination time and space division system for switching signals contained in repetitive time channels multiplexed in a serial bit stream on an incoming trunk to selected outgoing trunks, said system comprising means for storing said incoming bit stream under control of timing information derived from said bit stream, office timing means generating control signals at first, second and third frequencies, means for interleaving and circulating said bit stream at said second frequency, means connected to said circulating means for remultiplexing and transmitting said bit stream through said switching system at said third frequency, means for removing and storing the circulating bit stream and means for transmitting the sorted information to the selected outgoing trunks at said first frequency.

Claim 19

A digital switching system comprising a plurality of trunk groups each comprising a plurality of memories receiving information at a first rate as multibit words in repetitive channels from the trunks terminating on the corresponding trunk group, a plurality of memories for transmitting said information to said trunks at said first raTe, an intermediate store in each of said receiving and transmitting memories for circulating said information at a second rate and a plurality of selectors each having access to all of said intermediate stores in the corresponding trunk group, a junctor network for transferring said information between said intermediate stores via said selectors, control means for applying trunk and channel identities to said selectors through said junctor network and means for individually connecting said selectors simultaneously to an intermediate store in a memory for receiving information and to an intermediate store in a memory for transmitting information, each of said selectors comprising means for registering said trunk and channel identities and means enabled by said registering means for transferring said information from a selected one of said receiving memories to said junctor network and for transferring said information from said junctor network to a selected one of said transmitting memories at a third rate.

Claim 20

A digital switching system comprising a plurality of trunk groups each comprising a plurality of memories receiving information at a first rate as multibit words in repetitive channels from the trunks terminating on the corresponding trunk group, a plurality of memories for transmitting said information to said trunks at said first raTe, an intermediate store in each of said receiving and transmitting memories for circulating said information at a second rate and a plurality of selectors each having access to all of said intermediate stores in the corresponding trunk group, a junctor network for transferring said information between said intermediate stores via said selectors, control means for applying trunk and channel identities to said selectors through said junctor network and means for individually connecting said selectors simultaneously to an intermediate store in a memory for receiving information and to an intermediate store in a memory for transmitting information, each of said selectors comprising means for registering said trunk and channel identities and means enabled by said registering means for transferring said information from a selected one of said receiving memories to said junctor network and for transferring said information from said junctor network to a selected one of said transmitting memories at a third rate.