Time division communication system

Claim 2

In a communication system comprising a plurality of lines divided into distinct groups, a plurality of central offices each associated with certain of said distinct line groups, a distinct transmission highway interconnecting each of said certain distinct line groups with the associated one of said central offices, a plurality of superhighways each interconnecting a pair of said central offices, and means for connecting the active lines in each of said certain distinct line groups to the interconnecting one of said trAnsmission highways in individual recurrent time channels, said central offices each comprising means for multiplexing the information received from the distinct transmission highways interconnected thereto on to said superhighways and means for receiving information from one of said interconnected superhighways in a distinct time channel assigned to one of said interconnecting distinct transmission highways and for transmitting said received information over another one of said superhighways in said distinct time channel assigned to another one of said interconnecting distinct transmission highways.

Claim 3

In a communication system comprising a plurality of lines divided into distinct groups, at least first, second and third central offices, a plurality of line group highways each connecting one of said central offices to an associated one of said distinct line groups, a plurality of superhighways each interconnecting a pair of central offices, and means for connecting the active lines in each distinct line group to the associated one of said line group highways in distinct recurrent time channels, at least said first central office comprising means for interleaving the information received from a plurality of said line group highways connected to said first central office for transmission over one of said superhighways interconnected to said first central offices and means for receiving information from a calling line associated with said second central office over one of the superhighways interconnected to said first central office in one time channel assigned to one of said line group highways connected to said first central office and for transmitting said received information to a called line associated with said third central office over another one of said superhighways interconnected to said first central office in said one time channel assigned to another one of said line group highways connected to said first central office.

Claim 4

In a communication system comprising a plurality of lines divided into distinct groups, at least first, second and third central offices, a plurality of line group highways each connecting one of said central offices to an associated one of said distinct line groups, a plurality of superhighways each interconnecting a pair of central offices, and means for connecting the active lines in each distinct line group to the associated one of said line group highways in distinct recurrent time channels, at least said first central office comprising means for interleaving the information received from a plurality of said line group highways connected to said first central office for transmission over one of said superhighways interconnected to said first central offices and means for receiving information from a calling line associated with said second central office over one of the superhighways interconnected to said first central office in one time channel assigned to one of said line group highways connected to said first central office and for transmitting said received information to a called line associated with said third central office over another one of said superhighways interconnected to said first central office in said one time channel assigned to another one of said line group highways connected to said first central office.

Claim 5

A communication system comprising a plurality of switching centers, a plurality of groups of n highways transmitting information multiplexed in discrete time channels, each switching center terminating one of said groups of n highways, a plurality of superhighways each transmitting information at n times the transmission rate of said highways, each of said superhighways interconnecting a pair of said switching centers, and means in each of said switching centers for interleaving the contents of the group of n highways terminating at said switching center on the superhighway connected to said switching center.

Claim 6

A communication system comprising a plurality of switching centers, a plurality of groups of n highways transmitting information multiplexed in discrete time channels, each switching center terminating one of said groups of n highways, a plurality of superhighways each transmitting information at n times the transmission rate of said highways, each of said superhighways interconnecting a pair of said switching centers, and means in each of said switching centers for interleaving the contents of the group of n highways terminating at said switching center on the superhighway connected to said switching center.

Claim 7

A communication system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said discrete time channels are subdivided into a plurality of bit intervals for transmission of each information sample in multiple digit pulse code form, said switching center interleaving means comprising means for interleaving the content of a distinct one of said bit intervals in each of said group of n highways terminating at said switching center for transmission over the superhighway connected to said switching center during said distinct bit interval.

Claim 8

A communication system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said switching center interleaving means comprises means for preserving the identical order of interleaving of the content of successive bit intervals for the duration of a time channel.

Claim 9

A communication system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said switching center interleaving means comprises means for interchanging the order of interleaving of the interleaved content of a distinct bit interval.

Claim 10

A communication system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said order interchanging means comprises incoming register means register receiving interleaved information serially from one of said superhighways, outgoing register means transmitting interleaved information serially to one of said superhighways and gating means for selectively interconnecting the parallel output of said incoming register means with the paralLel inputs of said outgoing register means.

Claim 11

A communication system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said incoming and outgoing register means each comprises a plurality of shift registers and wherein said order interchanging means further comprises means for enabling said plurality of incoming registers in sequence and means for enabling said outgoing registers in sequence, each of said incoming register being enabled concurrently with a corresponding one of said outgoing registers.

Claim 12

A communication system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said switching center comprises a plurality of junctor superhighways and switching means for selectively interconnecting said input and output superhighways via said junctor superhighway, each of said superhighways containing one of said order interchanging means.

Claim 13

A communication system in accordance with claim 9 wherein each of said order interchanging means in said input superhighways comprises one input and a plurality of outputs, each of said order interchanging means in said junctor superhighways comprises one input and one output and each of said order interchanging means in said output superhighways comprises a plurality of inputs and one output.

Claim 14

A time division communication system comprising a plurality of switching centers, a plurality of groups of transmission highways, each switching center terminating at least one of said groups of transmission highways, each of said highways accommodating a plurality of messages transmitted concurrently in serial time multiplex form characterized in that a plurality of superhighways interconnect said plurality of switching centers in pairs, and means in each of said switching centers serially interleave the content of said highways being terminated thereon and apply the resultant interleaved content to one of said superhighways interconnected to said switching center.

Claim 15

A time division communication system comprising a plurality of switching centers, a plurality of groups of transmission highways, each switching center terminating at least one of said groups of transmission highways, each of said highways accommodating a plurality of messages transmitted concurrently in serial time multiplex form characterized in that a plurality of superhighways interconnect said plurality of switching centers in pairs, and means in each of said switching centers serially interleave the content of said highways being terminated thereon and apply the resultant interleaved content to one of said superhighways interconnected to said switching center.

Claim 16

A time division communication system in accordance with claim 11 wherein each of said plurality of messages is sampled, coded and transmitted over one of said transmission highways in a discrete time channel of a repetitive cycle of time channels, each channel accommodating a coded sample in a sequence of bit intervals, characterized in that each of said switching centers comprises means for serially interleaving the content of corresponding bit intervals in each of said highways terminating thereon for transmission over one of said superhighways connected thereto during said bit interval.

Claim 17

A time division communication system in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that each of said switching centers comprises delay means for reordering the serially interleaved content of each of said bit intervals and means for switching the reordered interleaved content from one superhighway to another superhighway.

Claim 18

In a time division multiplex switching system, a switching center terminating first paths each transporting a repetitive sequence of message samples from originating terminals, each sample having a different destination reached through said switching center, and second paths each transporting a repetitive sequence of message samples from said switching center toward the respective destination terminals, said center comprising a plurality of junctor paths, switching means for selectively interconnecting said first and second paths via said junctor paths and means for predetermining the position of each of said message samples in the succeeding path of said first, junctor and second paths to obviate message blocking comprising means in each of said first, junctor and second paths for shifting the relative positions of said message samples in the transmitted sequence prior to switching the samples to the succeeding path of said first, junctor and second paths.

Claim 19

In a time division multiplex switching system, a switching center terminating first paths each transporting a repetitive sequence of message samples from originating terminals, each sample having a different destination reached through said switching center, and second paths each transporting a repetitive sequence of message samples from said switching center toward the respective destination terminals, said center comprising a plurality of junctor paths, switching means for selectively interconnecting said first and second paths via said junctor paths and means for predetermining the position of each of said message samples in the succeeding path of said first, junctor and second paths to obviate message blocking comprising means in each of said first, junctor and second paths for shifting the relative positions of said message samples in the transmitted sequence prior to switching the samples to the succeeding path of said first, junctor and second paths.