ISDN, basic rate interface arranged for quad voice

Claim 2

A communication system comprising: a first passive bus; an at least second passive bus; first means for providing an integrated services digital network (ISDN) "U" basic rate interface (BRI) including two B-channels and a D-channel to a digital subscriber line; a plurality of voice terminals, a predetermined number of said voice terminals being connected to said first passive bus and a predetermined number of said voice terminals being connected to said at least second passive bus, a first voice terminal connected to said first passive bus including means for providing a voice channel to a first portion of a first B-channel assigned to said first terminal on said first passive bus and a second voice terminal connected to said at least second passive bus including means for providing a voice channel to a second portion of a first B-channel assigned to said second voice terminal on said second passive bus; and means for combining said assigned first B-channel on said first passive bus with said assigned first B-channel on said at least second passive bus to yield a single first B-channel to be interfaced to said digital subscriber line by said first means.

Claim 3

A communication system as defined in claim 1 wherein said first voice terminal further includes means for generating a neutral line signal and for stuffing said neutral line signal into a second portion of said assigned first B-channel on said first passive bus and said second voice terminal further includes means for generating a neutral line signal and for stuffing said neutral line signal into a first portion of said assigned first B-channel on said at least second passive bus.

Claim 4

A communication system as defined in claim 2 further comprises a third voice terminal connected to said first passive bus including means for providing a voice channel to a first portion of a second B-channel assigned to said third voice terminal on said first passive bus and a fourth voice terminal connected to said at least second passive bus including means for providing a voice channel to a second portion of a second B-channel assigned to said fourth voice on said second passive bus, and wherein said means for combining further combines said assigned second B-channel on said first passive bus with said assigned second B-channel on said second passive bus to yield a single second B-channel to be interfaced to said digital subscriber line by said first means.

Claim 5

A communication system as defined in claim 3 wherein said third voice terminal further includes means for generating a neutral line signal and for stuffing said neutral line signal into a second portion of said assigned second B-channel on said first passive bus and said fourth voice terminal further includes means for generating a neutral line signal and for stuffing said neutral line signal into a first portion of said assigned second B-channel on said at least second passive bus.

Claim 6

A communication system as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said first and second B-channels includes eight bits, wherein each of said means for providing a voice channel includes means for encoding four bits of digitized voice data and wherein each of said means for generating a neutral line signal includes means for generating four logical one bits.

Claim 7

A communication system as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for combining includes means for ANDing said assigned first B-channels from said first and second passive busses and said assigned second B-channels from said first and second passive busses to yield said first B-channel and said second B-channel, respectively, to be interfaced to said digital subscriber line by said first means.

Claim 8

A communication system as defined in claim 6 wherein each of said voice terminals further includes means for generating a direct current balance bit for its assigned B-channel on its respective passive bus.

Claim 11

A method as defined in claim 8 further including the steps of: encoding four bits of digitized voice data representing a third voice data sample and positioning them into a first nibble of an octet of a second basic rate interface B-channel on said first passive bus; stuffing four bits of an electrically neutral line signal into a second nibble of the octet in the second basic rate interface B-channel on said first passive bus; encoding four bits of digitized voice data from a fourth voice data sample and positioning them into a second nipple of an octet in a second basic rate interface B-channel on said second passive bus; stuffing four bits of an electrically neutral line signal into the first nipple of the octet in the second basic rate interface B-channel on said second passive bus; and combining said second basic rate interface B-channel on said first passive bus with said second basic rate interface B-channel on said second passive bus to yield a second basic rate interface B-channel including said encoded voice data in said first nibble of said second basic rate interface B-channel from said first passive bus and said encoded voice data from said second nibble of said second basic rate interface B-channel from said second passive bus.

Claim 12

The method as defined in claim 9 further including the steps of: generating a first direct current balance bit for said first basic rate interface B-channel on said first passive bus; generating a second direct current balance bit for said first basic rate interface B-channel on said second passive bus; generating a third direct current balance bit for said second basic rate interface B-channel on said first passive bus; and generating a fourth direct current balance bit for said second basic rate interface B-channel on said second passive bus.

Claim 13

A common communication system comprising: switching means including means for interfacing to at least one digital, subscriber line for transmitting and receiving an integrated services digital (ISDN) basic rate interface (BRI) including first and second B-channels and a D-channel, and means for assigning at least two voice channels to operate simultaneously on one of said first and second B-channel; a digital subscriber line; first means for providing an integrated services digital network (ISDN) "U" basic rate interface (BRI), said first means being connected to said digital subscriber line; a plurality of voice terminals; and second means for interfacing said plurality of voice terminals to said first means, wherein said assigned at least two voice channels are supplied from said voice terminals to said first means to be transmitted to said switching means on said one of said first and second B-channel, said second means including a first passive bus, an at least second passive bus, a predetermined number of said plurality of voice terminals being connected to said first passive bus and a predetermined number of said plurality of voice terminals being connected to said at least second passive bus, a first voice terminal connected to said first passive bus including means for providing a voice channel to a first portion of a first B-channel assigned to said first voice terminal on said first passive bus and a second voice terminal connected to said at least second passive bus including means for providing a voice channel to a second portion of a first B-channel assigned to said second voice terminal on said second passive bus and means for combining said assigned first B-channel on said first passive bus with said assigned first B-channel on said at least second passive bus to yield a single first B-channel to be interfaced to said digital subscriber line by said first means.

Claim 14

A common communication system comprising: switching means including means for interfacing to at least one digital, subscriber line for transmitting and receiving an integrated services digital (ISDN) basic rate interface (BRI) including first and second B-channels and a D-channel, and means for assigning at least two voice channels to operate simultaneously on one of said first and second B-channel; a digital subscriber line; first means for providing an integrated services digital network (ISDN) "U" basic rate interface (BRI), said first means being connected to said digital subscriber line; a plurality of voice terminals; and second means for interfacing said plurality of voice terminals to said first means, wherein said assigned at least two voice channels are supplied from said voice terminals to said first means to be transmitted to said switching means on said one of said first and second B-channel, said second means including a first passive bus, an at least second passive bus, a predetermined number of said plurality of voice terminals being connected to said first passive bus and a predetermined number of said plurality of voice terminals being connected to said at least second passive bus, a first voice terminal connected to said first passive bus including means for providing a voice channel to a first portion of a first B-channel assigned to said first voice terminal on said first passive bus and a second voice terminal connected to said at least second passive bus including means for providing a voice channel to a second portion of a first B-channel assigned to said second voice terminal on said second passive bus and means for combining said assigned first B-channel on said first passive bus with said assigned first B-channel on said at least second passive bus to yield a single first B-channel to be interfaced to said digital subscriber line by said first means.

Claim 15

A common communication system as defined in claim 11 wherein said first voice terminal further includes means for generating a neutral line signal and for stuffing said neutral line signal into a second portion of said assigned first B-channel on said first passive bus and said second voice terminal further includes means for generating a neutral line signal and for stuffing said neutral line signal into a first portion of said assigned first B-channel on said at least second passive bus.

Claim 16

A common communication system as defined in claim 12 further comprising a third voice terminal connected to said first passive bus including means for providing a voice channel to a first portion of a second B-channel assigned to said third voice terminal on said first passive bus and a fourth voice terminal connected to said at least second passive bus including means for providing a voice channel to a second portion of a second B-channel assigned to said fourth voice terminal on said second passive bus, and wherein said means for combining further combines said assigned second B-channel on said first passive bus with said assigned second B-channel on said second passive bus to yield a single second B-channel to be interfaced to said digital subscriber line by said first means.

Claim 17

A common communication system as defined in claim 13 wherein said third voice terminal further includes means for generating a neutral line signal and for stuffing said neutral line signal into a second portion of said assigned second B-channel on said first passive bus and said fourth voice terminal further includes means for generating a neutral line signal and for stuffing said neutral line signal into a first portion of said assigned second B-channel on said at least second passive bus.

Claim 18

A communication system as defined in claim 14 wherein each of said first and second B-channels includes eight bits, wherein each of said means for providing a voice channel includes means for encoding four bits of digitized voice data and wherein each of said means for generating a neutral line signal includes means for generating four logical one bits.

Claim 19

A common communication system as defined in claim 15 wherein said means for combining includes means for ANDing said assigned first B-channels from said first and second passive busses and said assigned second B-channels from said first and second passive busses to yield said first B-channel and said second B-channel, respectively, to be interfaced to said digital subscriber line by said first means.

Claim 20

A common communication system as defined in claim 15 wherein each of said voice terminals further includes means for generating a direct current balance bit for its assigned B-channel on its respective passive bus.