Switch path reservation arrangement

Claim 2

In an arrangement comprising switch means for providing paths among a plurality of call means, a method of processing a call between first and second ones of said call means comprising (A) in response to a call request for said call, determining whether there is a path of said switch means that is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means, (B) upon determining a path in step (A), assigning for said call said path determined in step (A), (C) upon determining no path in step (A), determining whether there is a path of said switch means that is idle, and that is usable but not reserved for connecting said first and second call means, and (D) upon determining a path in step (C), assigning for said call said path determined in step (C).

Claim 3

A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising (E) upon determining said path in step (C), reserving said path determined in step (C) for future calls between said first and second call means.

Claim 4

A method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising (F) removing the reservation of said path determined in step (C) to avoid blocking by said switch means.

Claim 5

In an arrangement comprising switch means for establishing paths among a plurality of call means, a method of processing a call between first and second ones of said call means comprising (A) in response to a call request for said call, determining whether there is a path of said switch means, established between said first and second call means, that is presently idle, (B) upon determining no path in step (A), said switch means establishing a path between said first and second call means, and (C) reserving said path established in step (B) for future calls between said first and second call means.

Claim 6

In an arrangement comprising switch means for establishing paths among a plurality of call means, a method of processing a call between first and second ones of said call means comprising (A) in response to a call request for said call, determining whether there is a path of said switch means, established between said first and second call means, that is presently idle, (B) upon determining no path in step (A), said switch means establishing a path between said first and second call means, and (C) reserving said path established in step (B) for future calls between said first and second call means.

Claim 7

A method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising (D) removing the reservation of said path established in step (C) to avoid blocking by said switch means.

Claim 8

In an arrangement comprising a plurality of call means each for communicating in an associated plurality of channels and switch means for providing switched connections among said call means such that each of said channels associated with any given one of said call means is connectable with a corresponding one of said channels associated with any other one of said call means, a method of processing a call between first and second ones of said call means comprising (A) in response to said call, determining whether there is a channel associated with said first call means that is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means and that has a corresponding channel associated with said second call means that is also presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means, and (B) upon determining no channel in step (A), determining whether there is a channel associated with said first call means that is presently idle and not reserved for connecting said first and second call means and that has a corresponding channel associated with said second call means that is also presently idle and not reserved for connecting said first and second call means.

Claim 9

In an arrangement comprising a plurality of call means each for communicating in an associated plurality of channels and switch means for providing switched connections among said call means such that each of said channels associated with any given one of said call means is connectable with a corresponding one of said channels associated with any other one of said call means, a method of processing a call between first and second ones of said call means comprising (A) in response to said call, determining whether there is a channel associated with said first call means that is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means and that has a corresponding channel associated with said second call means that is also presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means, and (B) upon determining no channel in step (A), determining whether there is a channel associated with said first call means that is presently idle and not reserved for connecting said first and second call means and that has a corresponding channel associated with said second call means that is also presently idle and not reserved for connecting said first and second call means.

Claim 10

A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising (C) upon determining a channel in step (A), assigning for said call said channel determined in step (A) and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means.

Claim 11

A method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising (D) upon determining a channel in step (B), assigning for said call said channel determined in step (B) and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means.

Claim 12

A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising (E) upon determining said channel in step (B), reserving, for connecting said first and second call means, said channel determined in step (B) and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means.

Claim 13

A method in accordance with claim 9 further comprising (F) upon determining said channel in step (B), said switch means establishing a connection between said channel determined in step (B) and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means.

Claim 14

A method in accordance with claim 10 further comprising (G) upon completion of said call, said switch means retaining said established connection for further calls between said first and second call means.

Claim 15

A method in accordance with claim 10 further comprising (G) upon completion of said call, said switch means removing said established connection.

Claim 16

A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein step (B) comprises (B1) upon determining no channel in step (A), said first call means transmitting a message to said second call means defining idle ones of said channels associated with said first call means that are not reserved for connecting said first and second call means, and (B2) said second call means determining whether there is a channel associated with said second call means that is presently idle and not reserved for connecting said first and second call means and that corresponds to one of said channels defined by said message.

Claim 17

A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising (C) upon determining a channel in step (B), assigning for said call said channel determined in step (B) and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means.

Claim 18

A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising (C) upon determining a channel in step (B), reserving, for connecting said first and second call means, said channel determined in step (B) and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means.

Claim 19

A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising (C) upon determining a channel in step (B), said switch means establishing a connection between said channel determined in step (B) and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means.

Claim 20

A method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising (D) upon completion of said call, said switch means retaining said established connection for future calls between said first and second call means.

Claim 21

A method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising (D) upon completion of said call, said switch means removing said established connection.

Claim 22

A method in accordance with claim 6 wherein step (B) comprises (B1) upon determining no channel in step (A), said first call means transmitting a message to said second call means defining idle ones of said channels associated with said first call means that are not reserved for connecting said first and second call means, and (B2) said second call means determining whether there is a channel associated with said second call means that is presently idle and not reserved for connecting said first and second call means and that corresponds to one of said channels defined by said message.

Claim 23

An arrangement comprising a plurality of call means each for communicating during calls, switch means for providing paths among said plurality of call means, means for storing reservation and busy/idle status information for paths of said switch means, and means, responsive to a call request for a call between first and second ones of said call means, for assigning for said call a first path of said switch means between said first and second call means, when said reservation and busy/idle status information indicates that said first path is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means, and for assigning for said call a second path of said switch means between said first and second call means, when said reservation and busy/idle status information indicates that no path of said switch means is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means and that said second path is presently idle but not reserved for connecting said first and second call means.

Claim 24

An arrangement comprising a plurality of call means each for communicating during calls, switch means for providing paths among said plurality of call means, means for storing reservation and busy/idle status information for paths of said switch means, and means, responsive to a call request for a call between first and second ones of said call means, for assigning for said call a first path of said switch means between said first and second call means, when said reservation and busy/idle status information indicates that said first path is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means, and for assigning for said call a second path of said switch means between said first and second call means, when said reservation and busy/idle status information indicates that no path of said switch means is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means and that said second path is presently idle but not reserved for connecting said first and second call means.

Claim 25

An arrangement in accordance with claim 20 further comprising means for updating said reservation information upon assignment of said second path for said call to indicate that said second path is reserved for connecting said first and second call means.

Claim 26

An arrangement comprising a plurality of call means each for communicating during calls, switch means for providing paths among said plurality of call means, means for storing reservation and busy/idle status information for paths of said switch means, and means, responsive to a call request for a call between first and second ones of said call means when said reservation and busy/idle status information indicates that no path of said switch means is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means but that a path of said switch means between said first and second call means is presently idle and not reserved for connecting said first and second call means, for updating said reservation information to indicate that said last-mentioned path is now reserved for connecting said first and second call means.

Claim 27

An arrangement comprising a plurality of call means each for communicating during calls, switch means for providing paths among said plurality of call means, means for storing reservation and busy/idle status information for paths of said switch means, and means, responsive to a call request for a call between first and second ones of said call means when said reservation and busy/idle status information indicates that no path of said switch means is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means but that a path of said switch means between said first and second call means is presently idle and not reserved for connecting said first and second call means, for updating said reservation information to indicate that said last-mentioned path is now reserved for connecting said first and second call means.

Claim 28

An arrangement comprising a plurality of call means each for communicating in an associated plurality of channels, switch means for providing switched connections among said call means such that each of said channels associated with any given one of said call means is connectable with a corresponding one of said channels associated with any other one of said call means, means for storing reservation and busy/idle status information for channels associated with a first one of said call means and for channels associated with a second one of said call means, and means responsive to a call between said first and second call means for assigning for said call a first channel associated with said first call means and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means, when said reservation and busy/idle status information indicates that said first channel is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means, and for assigning for said call a second channel associated with said first call means and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means, when said reservation and busy/idle status information indicates that none of said plurality of channels associated with said first call means is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means and that said second channel is presently idle but not reserved for connecting said first and second call means.

Claim 29

An arrangement comprising a plurality of call means each for communicating in an associated plurality of channels, switch means for providing switched connections among said call means such that each of said channels associated with any given one of said call means is connectable with a corresponding one of said channels associated with any other one of said call means, means for storing reservation and busy/idle status information for channels associated with a first one of said call means and for channels associated with a second one of said call means, and means responsive to a call between said first and second call means for assigning for said call a first channel associated with said first call means and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means, when said reservation and busy/idle status information indicates that said first channel is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means, and for assigning for said call a second channel associated with said first call means and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means, when said reservation and busy/idle status information indicates that none of said plurality of channels associated with said first call means is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means and that said second channel is presently idle but not reserved for connecting said first and second call means.

Claim 30

An arrangement in accordance with claim 23 further comprising means for updating said reservation information, upon assignment of said second channel for said call, to indicate that said second channel and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means are reserved for connecting said first and second call means.

Claim 31

An arrangement in accordance with claim 24 further comprising means for controlling said switch means to establish a connection between said second channel and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means.

Claim 32

An arrangement in accordance with claim 25 wherein said controlling means controls said swich means to retain said established connection for future calls between said first and second call means.

Claim 33

An arrangement in accordance with claim 25 wherein said controlling means is responsive to completion of said call for controlling said switch means to remove said established connection.

Claim 34

An arrangement comprising a plurality of call means each for communicating in an associated plurality of channels, switch means for providing switched connections among said call means such that each of said channels associated with any given one of said call means is connectable with a corresponding one of said channels associated with any other one of said call means, means for storing reservation and busy/idle status information for channels associated with a first one of said call means and for channels associated with a second one of said call means, and means, responsive to a call between said first and second call means when said reservation and busy/idle status information indicates that none of said plurality of channels associated with said first call means is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means and that a channel associated with said first call means is presently idle but not reserved for connecting said first and second call means, for updating said reservation information to indicate that said last-mentioned channel and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means are now reserved for connecting said first and second call means.

Claim 35

An arrangement comprising a plurality of call means each for communicating in an associated plurality of channels, switch means for providing switched connections among said call means such that each of said channels associated with any given one of said call means is connectable with a corresponding one of said channels associated with any other one of said call means, means for storing reservation and busy/idle status information for channels associated with a first one of said call means and for channels associated with a second one of said call means, and means, responsive to a call between said first and second call means when said reservation and busy/idle status information indicates that none of said plurality of channels associated with said first call means is presently idle and reserved for connecting said first and second call means and that a channel associated with said first call means is presently idle but not reserved for connecting said first and second call means, for updating said reservation information to indicate that said last-mentioned channel and a corresponding channel associated with said second call means are now reserved for connecting said first and second call means.