Time division multiplex transmission system

Claim 2

A multiplex communication system for assembling voice signals from a plurality of input channels into a PCM time division multiplex format consisting of successively higher ordered groups having successively higher repetition rates, comprising; timing pulse generating means for producing a range of related different rate timing pulses, means for sampling voice frequency signals in said plurality of input information channels in accordance with the lowest rate of said timing pulses to form PAM signal waveforms, means for successively sampling the PAM signal waveforms in each channel at higher speeds in accordance with the successively higher rate timing pulses, means for assembling the sampled PAM signal waveforms into a PAM time division multiplex format, means for coding said multiplex format into a PCM format, means for adding information in a lower ordered multiplexed group to that of a higher ordered multiplexed group, means for dropping multiplex information from a higher ordered multiplexed group, and link-by-link transmission line switching means which includes said means for adding means and said means for dropping, said link-by-link transmission line switching means operating in accordance with supervising and controlling information digits indicating selected information to be added to or dropped from multiplexed information groups.

Claim 3

A multiplex communication system for assembling voice signals from a plurality of input channels into a PCM time division multiplex format consisting of successively higher ordeRed groups having successively higher repetition rates, comprising; timing pulse generating means for producing a range of related different rate timing pulses, means for sampling voice frequency signals in said plurality of input information channels in accordance with the lowest rate of said timing pulses to form PAM signal waveforms, means for successively sampling the PAM signal waveforms in each channel at higher speeds in accordance with the successively higher rate timing pulses, means for assembling the sampled PAM signal waveforms into a PAM time division multiplex format, means for coding said multiplex format into a PCM format, means for adding information in a lower ordered multiplexed group to that of a higher ordered multiplexed group, means for dropping multiplex information from a higher ordered multiplexed group, end-to-end transmission line switching means wherein multiplexed information groups are transferred from an inactive or inoperative line to an active or operative line, and said multiplexed information groups including identifying information indicating selected multiplexed groups to be used.

Claim 4

A multiplex communication system for assembling voice signals from a plurality of input channels into a PCM time division multiplex format consisting of successively higher ordeRed groups having successively higher repetition rates, comprising; timing pulse generating means for producing a range of related different rate timing pulses, means for sampling voice frequency signals in said plurality of input information channels in accordance with the lowest rate of said timing pulses to form PAM signal waveforms, means for successively sampling the PAM signal waveforms in each channel at higher speeds in accordance with the successively higher rate timing pulses, means for assembling the sampled PAM signal waveforms into a PAM time division multiplex format, means for coding said multiplex format into a PCM format, means for adding information in a lower ordered multiplexed group to that of a higher ordered multiplexed group, means for dropping multiplex information from a higher ordered multiplexed group, end-to-end transmission line switching means wherein multiplexed information groups are transferred from an inactive or inoperative line to an active or operative line, and said multiplexed information groups including identifying information indicating selected multiplexed groups to be used.

Claim 5

A multiplex communication system for assembling voice signals from a plurality of input channels into a PCM time division multiplex format consisting of successively higher ordered groups having successively higher repetition rates, comprising; timing pulse generating means for producing a range of related different rate timing pulses, means for sampling voice frequency signals in said plurality of input information channels in accordance with the lowest rate of said timing pulses to form PAM signal waveforms, means for successively sampling the PAM signal waveforms in each channel at higher speeds in accordance with the successively higher rate timing pulses, means for assembling the sampled PAM signal waveforms into a PAM time division multiplex format, means for coding said multiplex format into a PCM format, means for adding information in a lower ordered multiplexed group to that of a higher ordered multiplexed group and wherein said means for adding comprises; means for detecting framing synchronization signals from said higher ordered group of multiplexed signals, means for detecting framing synchronization signals from said lower ordered group of multiplexed signals, means for generating timing pulses from said higher ordered and said lower ordered group of multiplexed signals, means for comparing said timing pulses to generate timing correction signals, means for inhibiting said higher and lower ordered groups of multiplexed signals, said inhibiting means including a first gate means responsive to said correction signals and a portion of said timing pulses to provide a timing signal, and second and third gate means for controlling the transmission of said higher and lower ordered multiplexed signal groups, respectively, in accordance with said timing signal whereby said higher and lower ordered multiplexed signal groups are combined into one multiplexed signal group.

Claim 6

A multiplex communication system for assembling voice signals from a plurality of input channels into a PCM time division multiplex format consisting of successively higher ordered groups having successively higher repetition rates, comprising; timing pulse generating means for producing a range of related different rate timing pulses, means for sampling voice frequency signals in said plurality of input information channels in accordance with the lowest rate of said timing pulses to form PAM signal waveforms, means for successively sampling the PAM signal waveforms in each channel at higher speeds in accordance with the successively higher rate timing pulses, means for assembling the sampled PAM signal waveforms into a PAM time division multiplex format, means for coding said multiplex format into a PCM format, means for adding information in a lower ordered multiplexed group to that of a higher ordered multiplexed group and wherein said means for adding comprises; means for detecting framing synchronization signals from said higher ordered group of multiplexed signals, means for detecting framing synchronization signals from said lower ordered group of multiplexed signals, means for generating timing pulses from said higher ordered and said lower ordered group of multiplexed signals, means for comparing said timing pulses to generate timing correction signals, means for inhibiting said higher and lower ordered groups of multiplexed signals, said inhibiting means including a first gate means responsive to said correction signals and a portion of said timing pulses to provide a timing signal, and second and third gate means for controlling the transmission of said higher and lower ordered multiplexed signal groups, respectively, in accordance with said timing signal whereby said higher and lower ordered multiplexed signal groups are combined into one multiplexed signal group.

Claim 7

A multiplex communication system for assembling voice signals from a plurality of input channels into a PCM time division multiplex format consisting of successively higher ordered groups having successively higher repetition rates, comprising; timing pulse generating means for producing a range of related different rate timing pulses, means for sampling voice frequency signals in said plurality of input information channels in accordance with the lowest rate of said timing pulses to form PAM signal waveforms, means for successively sampling the PAM signal waveforms in each channel at higher speeds in accordance with the successively higher rate timing pulses, means for assembling the sampled PAM signal waveforms into a PAM time division multiplex format, means for coding said multiplex format into a PCM format, means For dropping multiplex information from a higher ordered multiplexed group, and wherein said means for dropping comprises; means for detecting framing signals from a first group of multiplexed signals, means for generating timing pulses from said framing signals and said first group of multiplexed signals, means for selectively inhibiting portions of said first group of multiplexed signals, said inhibiting means including a first gate means controlled by said timing pulses to transmit a selected portion of said first group of multiplexed signals, said inhibiting means further including second gate means responsive to said timing pulses to transmit additional selected portions of said first group of multiplexed signals whereby said first group of multiplexed signals is divided into second and third groups of multiplexed signals and said first group is of a higher order than said second and third groups of multiplexed signals.

Claim 8

A multiplex communication system for assembling voice signals from a plurality of input channels into a PCM time division multiplex format consisting of successively higher ordered groups having successively higher repetition rates, comprising; timing pulse generating means for producing a range of related different rate timing pulses, means for sampling voice frequency signals in said plurality of input information channels in accordance with the lowest rate of said timing pulses to form PAM signal waveforms, means for successively sampling the PAM signal waveforms in each channel at higher speeds in accordance with the successively higher rate timing pulses, means for assembling the sampled PAM signal waveforms into a PAM time division multiplex format, means for coding said multiplex format into a PCM format, means For dropping multiplex information from a higher ordered multiplexed group, and wherein said means for dropping comprises; means for detecting framing signals from a first group of multiplexed signals, means for generating timing pulses from said framing signals and said first group of multiplexed signals, means for selectively inhibiting portions of said first group of multiplexed signals, said inhibiting means including a first gate means controlled by said timing pulses to transmit a selected portion of said first group of multiplexed signals, said inhibiting means further including second gate means responsive to said timing pulses to transmit additional selected portions of said first group of multiplexed signals whereby said first group of multiplexed signals is divided into second and third groups of multiplexed signals and said first group is of a higher order than said second and third groups of multiplexed signals.

Claim 9

A multiplex communication system in accordance with claim 3 further comprising additional means for generating additional timing pulses, said additional means being responsive to a portion of said timing pulses and to the delayed second group of multiplexed signals, and said additional timing pulses controlling said first gate means.

Claim 10

A multiplex communication system according to claim 3 further comprising additional means for selectively inhibiting portions of said higher ordered group of multiplexed signals, said inhibiting means including a fourth gate means controlled by said timing pulses to transmit a selected portion of said higher ordered group of multiplexed signals, said inhibiting means further including additional gate means responsive to said timing pulses to transmit additional selected portions of said higher ordered group of multiplexed signals whereby said higher ordered group of multiplexed signals is divided into two different groups of multiplexed signals.

Claim 11

A multiplexing system as in claim 1 wherein said means for switching comprises; means for detecting framing synchronization signals from a first group of multiplexed signals, means for detecting framing synchronization signals from a second group of multiplexed signals, means for generating timing pulses from the second framing synchronization signals, means for gating selected portions of said second multiplexed signals in accordance with said timing pulses, additional means for generating additional timing pulses from the first framing synchronization signals, means for delaying the gated portions of said second multiplexed signals, means for comparing said timing pulses and said additional timing pulses to generate control signals for adjusting said means for delaying said second group of multiplexed signals, and means for controlling the transmission of multiplex signals including selected portions of said first and said second multiplexed signals in accordance with said control signals.