Time division data transmission system having interrogation signal passed through matrix switches to junctors via all free paths

Claim 2

A time division multiplex data transmission arrangement including a switch unit having a plurality of crosspoint matrix switches, each of said switches having in addition to its signal traffic carrying rows an extra row for carrying interrogation signal traffic; and means for generating interrogation signal and for applying these signals to free row inputs of said switches directly connected to devices to be interconnected; and said switch unit further including interrogation code detecting means for detecting the occurrence of an interrogation signal on any row input to one of said plurality of switches and for passing this signal via said extra row to all column outputs of the last said switch which are free whereby the interrogation signals are passed to next switches connected to the switch unit output columns or to junctoRs connected to those columns such that the signals are passed progressively through the crosspoint switches of the switch unit until they appear via all free paths at the junctors.

Claim 3

A time division multiplex data transmission arrangement according to claim 1 including means for feeding interrogation signals to the inputs of the switch unit connected directly to a calling device which differ from those connected to the inputs of a called device such that if a junctor receives the two signals in the appropriate time slots to allow a path to be set up therethrough it can inform supervisory equipment therefor that it is available for use in setting up an interconnecting path.

Claim 4

A time division multiplex data transmission arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the means for detecting the occurrence of an interrogation signal on any row input of a matrix switch and for passing this signal via said extra row comprises an interrogation code detector for each input row and a gate to which outputs of all interrogation code detectors are connected, the output of the gate being connected to said extra row and the detectors being responsive to the occurrence of an interrogation code or codes, to pass the code or codes via said gate to the extra row.

Claim 5

A time division multiplex data transmission arrangement according to claim 3 including means for supplying different calling and called interrogation codes which can be added or combined while still retaining their individual identities to enable their presence to be detected and if the code detectors detect the presence of both signals said gate adds the two signals and passes the combined signal to said extra row.

Claim 6

A time division multiplex data transmission arrangement according to claim 1 including means for providing the interrogation signals in normal information signal carrying digit positions in a digital word used in carrying traffic through the transmission arrangement, the digital word having in addition to information signal traffic digit positions an additional digit position which is utilized solely for providing control and identifying information within the switch unit, a predetermined one of the binary digits in this additional digit position indicating that the succeeding traffic digits contain an interrogation signal or mark.

Claim 7

A time division multiplex data transmission arrangement according to claim 1 including junctor selection means, the junctor selection means comprising means for passing availability mark signals from junctors utilizable in a path to a selector arrangement comprising two or more stages of selector units the final stage of which comprises a single selector unit, OR-gate means for gating the availability marks from the junctors through the stages of selector units until they reach said single selector unit which is arranged such that when it receives a junctor availability mark it scans the inputs thereto and selects the first input on which it detects an available mark, locks on this input and sends to a selector to which that input corresponds an indication that it has been chosen, this process being repeated at each of the stages of selector units until supervisory equipment for an individual junctor receives notification that it has been chosen for use in the interconnection path.

Claim 8

A time division multiplex data transmission arrangement according to claim 6, including means for putting up only marks of zero delay junctors for a first period of time, then if no zero delay junctors put up a mark, for putting up for a second period of time marks of fixed delay junctors and again, if no fixed delay junctor puts up a mark, for putting up marks of variable delay junctors in a third period of time, means responsive to the appearance of a mark in any of the periods of time for making junctor selection prior to the occurrence of the next time period and means for inhibiting the putting up of any subsequent marks due in a next time period, whereby firstly zero delay junctors Are considered, then fixed delay junctors are considered and finally variable delay junctors are considered.

Claim 9

In a time division data transmission system for transmitting data at a selected time division rate within successive time frames, including switch means for establishing pairs of transmission paths at said selected rate, a plurality of junctors for connecting said pairs of paths to establish communication between pairs of devices, the improvement comprising: said switch means including at least one cross joint matrix switch means having, for the establishment of one transmission path of each pair, m input rows, an extra input row and m output columns wherein such rows and columns form part of the cross point matrix, said cross point matrix switch means also having, for the establishment of the other transmission path of each pair, m output rows and m input columns wherein such rows and columns form another part of the cross point matrix; and means responsive to a signal indicating desired completion of a new pair of transmission paths at any of said m input rows which are free during a time slot of a time frame for producing an interrogation signal input on said extra input row and passing it to all of said output columns which are free during such time slot.

Claim 10

In a time division data transmission system for transmitting data at a selected time division rate within successive time frames, including switch means for establishing pairs of transmission paths at said selected rate, a plurality of junctors for connecting said pairs of paths to establish communication between pairs of devices, the improvement comprising: said switch means including at least one cross joint matrix switch means having, for the establishment of one transmission path of each pair, m input rows, an extra input row and m output columns wherein such rows and columns form part of the cross point matrix, said cross point matrix switch means also having, for the establishment of the other transmission path of each pair, m output rows and m input columns wherein such rows and columns form another part of the cross point matrix; and means responsive to a signal indicating desired completion of a new pair of transmission paths at any of said m input rows which are free during a time slot of a time frame for producing an interrogation signal input on said extra input row and passing it to all of said output columns which are free during such time slot.

Claim 11

In a time division data transmission system as defined in claim 8 further including means responsive to said interrogation signal passed to said free output columns for selecting a particular junctor to connect a new pair of transmission paths.

Claim 12

In a time division data transmission system as defined in claim 8 wherein said switch means also includes a second cross point matrix switch means in series with and identical to the first mentioned cross point matrix switch means, the output columns of the first matrix switch means being connected at the input rows of the second matrix switch means, the output rows of said second matrix switch means being connected as the output columns of the first matrix switch means, and the output columns and input rows of said second matrix switch means being connectable by said junctor means; and means responsive to the occurrence of said interrogating signal passed to the output columns of said first matrix switch means for passing it through the extra input row of said second matrix switch to all of said output columns thereof which are free during said time slot.

Claim 13

In the time division data transmission system as defined in claim 10 wherein said switch means further includes other first cross point matrix switch means and other second cross point matrix switch means, said cross point matrix switch means being connected so that one of each said pair of transmission paths may be established through any one of said first matrix switch means and any of said second matrix switch means and the other of each said pair of transmission paths may be established through any one of said second matrix switch means and any of said first matrix switch means.

Claim 14

In a time division data transmission system as defined in claim 11 including means responsive to a signal indicating availability of completion of a new pair of transmission paths at any of said output rows of said first cross point matrix switch means which are free for producing a second interrogation signal at said extra input row of the associated first matrix switch means and passing it to all free output columns thereof; and means responsive to the first and second interrogation signals for selecting a particular junctor to complete the new transmission path pair.

Claim 15

In a time division data system as defined in claim 12 including zero delay junctors and time delay junctors, the last-mentioned means being effective to select a zero delay junctor when available so that the new transmission path pair is completed in the same time slot, and otherwise to select a time delay junctor so that the transmission paths of the new pair are not coincidental in time.

Claim 16

IN a time division data transmission system for transmitting data at a selected time division rate within successive time frames, the combination of: an input distribution frame having a plurality of input conductors and a plurality of output conductors; a junctor distribution frame having a plurality of output conductors and a plurality of input conductors; junctor means for selectively connecting particular ones of said output conductors of said junction distribution frame to particular ones of said input conductors thereof; and switch means for establishing time division communication paths between said input conductors of said input distribution frame and said output conductors of said junctor distribution frame and between said input conductors of said junctor distribution frame and said output conductors of said input distribution frame, said paths being established at said selected time division rate within successive time frames, said switch means comprising at least one cross point matrix switch means having m input rows connected to input conductors of saId input distribution frame, an extra input row and m output columns wherein such rows and columns form part of the cross point matrix, and means responsive to the occurrence of a unique interrogation signal at any of said m input rows during a free time slot of a time frame of any such row for producing an interrogation signal input on said extra input row and passing it to all of said output columns which are free during such time slot.

Claim 17

IN a time division data transmission system for transmitting data at a selected time division rate within successive time frames, the combination of: an input distribution frame having a plurality of input conductors and a plurality of output conductors; a junctor distribution frame having a plurality of output conductors and a plurality of input conductors; junctor means for selectively connecting particular ones of said output conductors of said junction distribution frame to particular ones of said input conductors thereof; and switch means for establishing time division communication paths between said input conductors of said input distribution frame and said output conductors of said junctor distribution frame and between said input conductors of said junctor distribution frame and said output conductors of said input distribution frame, said paths being established at said selected time division rate within successive time frames, said switch means comprising at least one cross point matrix switch means having m input rows connected to input conductors of saId input distribution frame, an extra input row and m output columns wherein such rows and columns form part of the cross point matrix, and means responsive to the occurrence of a unique interrogation signal at any of said m input rows during a free time slot of a time frame of any such row for producing an interrogation signal input on said extra input row and passing it to all of said output columns which are free during such time slot.

Claim 18

In a time division data transmission system for transmitting data at a selected rate during successive time frames and in which a plurality of pairs of devices are already in communication and a plurality of further pairs of devices can be accommodated for communication therebetween, the combination of: switch means for establishing a number of pairs of transmission paths equal to all of the pairs of devices which are already in communication and all of said further pairs of devices; junctor means for connecting said pairs of transmission paths associated with said pairs of devices which are already in communication to complete the time division communication between said devices already in communication and for connecting any of those pairs of transmission paths which are free; and means for passing interrogation signals through all free paths of said switch means to establish time division communication between a further pair or pairs of devices through a free pair or pairs of transmission paths.

Claim 19

In a time division data transmission system for transmitting data at a selected rate during successive time frames and in which a plurality of pairs of devices are already in communication and a plurality of further pairs of devices can be accommodated for communication therebetween, the combination of: switch means for establishing a number of pairs of transmission paths equal to all of the pairs of devices which are already in communication and all of said further pairs of devices; junctor means for connecting said pairs of transmission paths associated with said pairs of devices which are already in communication to complete the time division communication between said devices already in communication and for connecting any of those pairs of transmission paths which are free; and means for passing interrogation signals through all free paths of said switch means to establish time division communication between a further pair or pairs of devices through a free pair or pairs of transmission paths.

Claim 20

In a time division data transmission system as defined in claim 15 wherein said means for passing passes a calling device interrogation signal and a called device interrogation signal through said switch means.

Claim 21

In a time division data transmission system according to claim 16 wherein said junctor means includes zero time delay junctors and time delay junctors; and means responsive to said calling device interrogation signal and said called device interrogation signal for selecting a zero time delay junctor when said interrogation signals are available at the same time and, when not available at the same time, to select a time delay junctor which establishes a time delay corresponding to the time delay between such signals.