Telecommunication system and a method for transferring microcells therein

Claim 2

A telecommunication system comprising a sending entity, a receiving entity and an ATM link between the sending and receiving entities for transferring ATM cells on specific separate ATM connections, said ATM cells including user ATM cells having a header and payload containing data in the form of a determined number of data units which carry data in microcells, said header including an ATM connection pointer, said microcells having payload for carrying a variable size user data package and a microcell header containing code identifying a microcell connection, a microcell being not able to fit in its entirety in a remaining space of an ATM cell belonging to a certain ATM connection being divided into a first part located in at least one following ATM cell belonging to the same ATM connection, there being furthermore microcell size information associated with each microcell, wherein microcell boundary indicating code includes a microcell start pointer located in each ATM cell in the first one of said data units and pointing at a first new microcell within the payload of the ATM cell, said microcell start pointer including divided microcell size indicating code able to indicate the size of the remaining part of a divided microcell.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1, in which the microcell start pointer is able to take a value (0) indicating that the whole rest of the ATM cell payload following on the microcell pointer contains part of a microcell.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 1, in which the microcell size information is in the form of a size indicator in the header of each microcell.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 1, in which the microcell size information is located in a table.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 1, in which said sending entity comprises: user data receiving means for receiving user data including data in the form of variable size data packets each provided with a destination pointer, microcell assembling means for providing the received data packets according to their respective destination pointers with a respective microcell header for forming microcells in microcell connection specific processes, user ATM cell assembling means, including means for creating, in response to receiving microcells from the microcell assembling means, and controlled by the microcell connection indicated in the respective microcell headers, an ATM connection specific process for each ATM connection required, means for multiplexing, in each ATM connection specific process, the respective received microcells into the payload of user ATM cells; said receiving entity comprises: ATM connection distributing means for receiving user ATM cells and distributing these according to the ATM connection identified in their respective ATM cell header on ATM connection specific outputs, ATM cell disassembling means, including means for creating, in response to receiving ATM cells from the distributing means, and controlled by the ATM cell connection indicated in the respective ATM cell headers, a microcell specific process for each microcell connection required, means for demultiplexing the ATM cells from each ATM connection specific output, including means for aligning the microcells by identifying their boundaries using said microcell boundary indicating code, and means for separating and distributing the aligned microcells on microcell connection specific outputs, microcell disassembling means for receiving the microcells from each microcell connection specific output, removing the user microcell header and restoring its data package.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 5, wherein the ATM cell assembling means comprise: ATM connection specific FIFO means for temporarily storing arriving microcells, an ATM table storing ATM connection specific data needed for each connection, ATM cell assembling control logic for receiving the ATM connection pointer of arriving microcells for identifying and selecting an ATM connection specific FIFO means for each arriving microcell, and for using the pointer to address each relevant connection specific data in the ATM table for reading it, a microcell multiplexing means for receiving the data read by the control logic and corresponding microcells from the relevant FIFO and assembling them to form an ATM cell.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 6, wherein the ATM table in each position stores the microcell start pointer as a state variable, the value of which can be calculated by the control logic in case of a divided microcell, the control logic assembling and transferring the micro cell start pointer together with code for discriminating between a user microcell and microcell containing data used for performance and fault management, and transferring them to the microcell multiplexing means to be put directly after the ATM cell header as the first data unit in the ATM-cell payload.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 5, wherein the receiving entity comprises a microcell connection data table for storing data for each microcell connection, including microcell size data and an end destination pointer, an ATM table for storing data for each ATM connection, including data indicating the presence of a divided microcell, data relating to a divided microcell, and a pointer to the microcell connection data table for providing an address to data in this table of a microcell connection assigned to a current ATM connection, FIFO means for temporarily storing arriving user ATM cells, ATM cell disassembling control logic including logic for reading the ATM header and microcell headers from each ATM cell residing in the FIFO means and logic for reading the ATM table pointer to the microcell connection data table and thereby the end destination pointer from the microcell connection data table, multiplexing means controlled by the control logic for extracting the ATM header and microcell headers when read from the FIFO means and for assembling the user data by inserting the end destination pointer to each data packet, transfer means controlled by the control logic for transferring the user data and end destination pointer to output means.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 8, wherein said transfer means comprise demultiplexing means for receiving, in case of a divided microcell and controlled by the control logic, divided user data in the form of the pointer and a first part of the user data from the multiplexing means, a number of FIFO means for receiving and temporarily storing each divided user data from the demultiplexing means in a specific one of the FIFO means assigned to the current ATM connection, multiplexing means for unloading to the output means, as controlled by the control logic, each FIFO means when a divided user data therein has been completed by the appearance of the last part of the user data.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 9, wherein the microcell header includes code for discriminating between a user microcell and microcell containing data used for performance and fault management.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 10, wherein the microcell header includes code for verifying the correctness of the circuit identifying code and the discriminating code.

Claim 13

A system according to claim 10, wherein during the disassembling process data created by the discriminating code is accumulated and stored in the microcell connection data table, and when a microcell containing data used for performance and fault management appears, this microcell is stopped by the control logic.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 5, wherein the circuit identifying code includes code able to indicate that the microcell is not assigned to any connection and used to occupy remaining space of an ATM cell payload which is not enough for entering an assigned microcell therein.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 14, comprising the step of: multiplexing the microcells according to the ATM connection identified in the respective microcell header into the payload of user ATM cells the respective header of which identify the same respective ATM connection, introducing microcell boundary indicating code into each ATM cell; distributing user ATM cells according to the ATM connection identified in their respective ATM cell header on ATM connection specific outputs, disassembling the ATM cells from each ATM connection specific output and aligning the microcells by identifying their boundaries, and separating and distributing the aligned microcells on microcell connection specific outputs, removing for each microcell the user microcell header and restoring its data package.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 15, comprising introducing in the microcell header code for discriminating between a user microcell and microcell containing data used for performance and fault management.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 16, comprising introducing in the microcell header code verifying the correctness of the circuit identifying code and the discriminating code.

Claim 20

A method according to any of claim 15, said disassembling of the ATM cells comprising storing data for each microcell connection, including microcell size data and an end destination pointer, storing data for each ATM connection, including data indicating the presence of a divided microcell, data relating to a divided microcell, and a pointer to the microcell connection data table for providing an address to data in this table of a microcell connection assigned to a current ATM connection, temporarily storing arriving user ATM cells, reading the ATM header and microcell headers from each temporarily stored ATM cell and reading the ATM table pointer to the microcell connection data table and thereby the end destination pointer from the microcell connection data table, extracting the ATM header and microcell headers when read and assembling the user data by inserting the end destination pointer to each data packet, transferring the user data and end destination pointer to output means.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 18, comprising receiving, in case of a divided microcell, divided user data in the form of the pointer and a first part of the user data, temporarily storing each divided user data, unloading to the output means the temporarily stored data when the last part of a divided user data has been completed by the appearance of the last part of the user data.

Claim 22

A method according to claim 18, comprising accumulating during the disassembling process data created by the discriminating code and storing it in the microcell connection data table, and when a microcell containing data used for performance and fault management appears, stopping this microcell.

Claim 23

A method according to claim 14, comprising temporarily storing arriving microcells, storing ATM connection specific data needed for each connection, using the ATM connection pointer of arriving microcells for identifying and temporarily storing each arriving microcell, and using the pointer to provide relevant ATM connection specific data, assembling the data and corresponding microcells to form an ATM cell.

Claim 24

A method according to claim 21, comprising storing the microcell start pointer as a state variable, the value of which can be calculated by the control logic in case of a divided microcell, assembling and transferring the microcell start pointer together with code verifying the correctness of the circuit identifying code and the discriminating code and putting them directly after the ATM-cell header as the first data unit in the ATM-cell payload.

Claim 25

A method according to any of claim 14, comprising indicating whether the microcell is not assigned to any connection and occupying remaining space of an ATM cell payload which is not enough for entering an assigned microcell therein.

Claim 28

The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of: temporarily storing arriving microcells, storing ATM connection specific data needed for each connection, using the ATM connection pointer of arriving microcells for identifying and temporarily storing each arriving microcell, and using the pointer to provide relevant ATM connection specific data, and assembling the data and corresponding microcells to form an ATM cell.

Claim 29

A method according to claim 25, comprising setting the microcell division indicating code to indicate whether the first microcell in the ATM cell is a new one or a divided one.

Claim 32

The method of claim 27, further comprising the steps of: temporarily storing arriving microcells, storing ATM connection specific data needed for each connection, using the ATM connection pointer of arriving microcells for identifying and temporarily storing each arriving microcell, and using the pointer to provide relevant ATM connection specific data, and assembling the data and corresponding microcells to form an ATM cell.

Claim 33

A method according to claim 28, comprising storing the microcell start pointer as a state variable, the value of which can be calculated by the control logic in case of a divided microcell, assembling and transferring the microcell start pointer together with code verifying the correctness of the circuit identifying code and the discriminating code and putting them directly after the ATM cell header as the first data unit in the ATM cell payload and setting the microcell division indicating code to indicate whether the first data unit contains a microcell start pointer or not.

Claim 36

The method of claim 30, further comprising the steps of: temporarily storing arriving microcells, storing ATM connection specific data needed for each connection, using the ATM connection pointer of arriving microcells for identifying and temporarily storing each arriving microcell, and using the pointer to provide relevant ATM connection specific data, and assembling the data and corresponding microcells to form an ATM cell.

Claim 37

A method according to claim 31, comprising calculating whether the space of the last data unit in the ATM cell payload is not enough for entering a further microcell and if this is the case inserting an unassigned microcell in the remaining space of the ATM cell payload.

Claim 38

A telecommunication system comprising a sending entity, a receiving entity and an ATM link between the sending and receiving entities for transferring ATM cells on specific separate ATM connections, said ATM cells including user ATM cells having a header and payload containing data in the form of a determined number of data units which carry data in microcells, said header including an ATM connection pointer, said microcells having payload for carrying a variable size user data package and a microcell header containing code identifying a microcell connection, a microcell being not able to fit in its entirety in a remaining space of an ATM cell belonging to a certain ATM connection being divided into a first part located in at least one following ATM cell belonging to the same ATM connection, there being furthermore microcell size information associated with each microcell, wherein microcell boundary indicating code includes a microcell start pointer located in every n-th ATM cell in the first one of said data units and pointing at a first new microcell within the payload of the ATM cell, the microcell start pointer including code able to indicate the size of the remaining part of a divided microcell, code located in the header of each ATM cell and able to be set to indicate whether the first data unit in the ATM cell is a microcell start pointer or not.

Claim 39

A telecommunication system comprising a sending entity, a receiving entity and an ATM link between the sending and receiving entities for transferring ATM cells on specific separate ATM connections, said ATM cells including user ATM cells having a header and payload containing data in the form of a determined number of data units which carry data in microcells, said header including an ATM connection pointer, said microcells having payload for carrying a variable size user data package and a microcell header containing code identifying a microcell connection, a microcell being not able to fit in its entirety in a remaining space of an ATM cell belonging to a certain ATM connection being divided into a first part located in at least one following ATM cell belonging to the same ATM connection, there being furthermore microcell size information associated with each microcell, wherein microcell boundary indicating code includes a microcell start pointer located in every n-th ATM cell in the first one of said data units and pointing at a first new microcell within the payload of the ATM cell, the microcell start pointer including code able to indicate the size of the remaining part of a divided microcell, code located in the header of each ATM cell and able to be set to indicate whether the first data unit in the ATM cell is a microcell start pointer or not.

Claim 40

The system of claim 33, in which the sending entity comprises: user data receiving means for receiving user data including data in the form of variable size data packets, each provided with a destination pointer, microcell assembling means for providing the received data packets according to their respective destination pointers with a respective microcell header for forming microcells in microcell connection specific processes, user ATM cell assembling means including means for creating, in response to receiving microcells from the microcell assembling means, and controlled by the microcell connection indicated in the respective microcell headers, an ATM connection specific process for each ATM connection required, means for multiplexing, in each ATM connection specific process, the respective received microcells into the payload of user ATM cells; the receiving entity comprises: ATM connection distributing means for receiving user ATM cells and distributing these according to the ATM connection identified in their respective ATM cell header on ATM connection specific outputs, ATM cell disassembling means, including means for creating, in response to receiving ATM cells from the distributing means, and controlled by the ATM cell connection indicated in the respective ATM cell headers, a microcell specific process for each microcell connection required, means for demultiplexing the ATM cells from each ATM connection specific output, including means for aligning the microcells by identifying their boundaries using the microcell boundary indicating code, and means for separating and distributing the aligned microcells on microcell connection specific outputs, microcell disassembling means for receiving the microcells from each microcell connection specific output, removing the user microcell header and restoring its data package.

Claim 41

The system of claim 34, wherein the ATM cell assembling means comprise: ATM connection specific FIFO means for temporarily storing arriving microcells, an ATM table storing ATM connection specific data needed for each connection, ATM cell assembling control logic for receiving the ATM connection pointer of arriving microcells for identifying and selecting an ATM connection specific FIFO means for each arriving microcell, and for using the pointer to address each relevant connection specific data in the ATM table for reading it, a microcell multiplexing means for receiving the data read by the control logic and corresponding microcells from the relevant FIFO and assembling them to form an ATM cell.

Claim 42

A system according to claim 35, wherein the ATM table in each position stores the microcell start pointer as a state variable, the value of which can be calculated by the control logic in case of a divided microcell, and the control logic sets the microcell division indicating code located in the header of each ATM cell to indicate whether the first data unit contains a microcell start pointer or not, and assembles and transfers the microcell start pointer, if present, to be put directly after the ATM cell header as the first data unit in the ATM cell payload.

Claim 43

A telecommunication system comprising a sending entity, a receiving entity and an ATM link between the sending and receiving entities for transferring ATM cells on specific separate ATM connections, said ATM cells including user ATM cells having a header and payload containing data in the form of a determined number of data units which carry data in microcells, said header including an ATM connection pointer, said microcells having payload for carrying a variable size user data package and a microcell header containing code identifying a microcell connection, a microcell being not able to fit in its entirety in a remaining space of an ATM cell belonging to a certain ATM connection being divided into a first part located in at least one following ATM cell belonging to the same ATM connection, there being furthermore microcell size information associated with each microcell, wherein microcell boundary indicating code includes microcell division indicating code located in the header of each ATM cell and able to be set to indicate whether the first microcell in the ATM cell is a new one or a divided one.

Claim 44

A telecommunication system comprising a sending entity, a receiving entity and an ATM link between the sending and receiving entities for transferring ATM cells on specific separate ATM connections, said ATM cells including user ATM cells having a header and payload containing data in the form of a determined number of data units which carry data in microcells, said header including an ATM connection pointer, said microcells having payload for carrying a variable size user data package and a microcell header containing code identifying a microcell connection, a microcell being not able to fit in its entirety in a remaining space of an ATM cell belonging to a certain ATM connection being divided into a first part located in at least one following ATM cell belonging to the same ATM connection, there being furthermore microcell size information associated with each microcell, wherein microcell boundary indicating code includes microcell division indicating code located in the header of each ATM cell and able to be set to indicate whether the first microcell in the ATM cell is a new one or a divided one.

Claim 45

The system of claim 37, in which the sending entity comprises: user data receiving means for receiving user data including data in the form of variable size data packets, each provided with a destination pointer, microcell assembling means for providing the received data packets according to their respective destination pointers with a respective microcell header for forming microcells in microcell connection specific processes, user ATM cell assembling means including means for creating, in response to receiving microcells from the microcell assembling means, and controlled by the microcell connection indicated in the respective microcell headers, an ATM connection specific process for each ATM connection required, means for multiplexing, in each ATM connection specific process, the respective received microcells into the payload of user ATM cells; the receiving entity comprises: ATM connection distributing means for receiving user ATM cells and distributing these according to the ATM connection identified in their respective ATM cell header on ATM connection specific outputs, ATM cell disassembling means, including means for creating, in response to receiving ATM cells from the distributing means, and controlled by the ATM cell connection indicated in the respective ATM cell headers, a microcell specific process for each microcell connection required, means for demultiplexing the ATM cells from each ATM connection specific output, including means for aligning the microcells by identifying their boundaries using the microcell boundary indicating code, and means for separating and distributing the aligned microcells on microcell connection specific outputs, microcell disassembling means for receiving the microcells from each microcell connection specific output, removing the user microcell header and restoring its data package.

Claim 46

The system of claim 38, wherein the ATM cell assembling means comprise: ATM connection specific FIFO means for temporarily storing arriving microcells, an ATM table storing ATM connection specific data needed for each connection, ATM cell assembling control logic for receiving the ATM connection pointer of arriving microcells for identifying and selecting an ATM connection specific FIFO means for each arriving microcell, and for using the pointer to address each relevant connection specific data in the ATM table for reading it, a microcell multiplexing means for receiving the data read by the control logic and corresponding microcells from the relevant FIFO and assembling them to form an ATM cell.

Claim 47

A system according to claim 39, wherein the control logic sets the microcell division indicating code (SDU) located in the header of each ATM cell to indicate whether the first microcell in the ATM cell is a new one or a divided one.

Claim 48

A telecommunication system comprising a sending entity, a receiving entity and an ATM link between the sending and receiving entities for transferring ATM cells on specific separate ATM connections, said ATM cells including user ATM cells having a header and payload containing data in the form of a determined number of data units which carry data in microcells, said header including an ATM connection pointer, said microcells having payload for carrying a variable size user data package and a microcell header containing code identifying a microcell connection, there being furthermore microcell size information associated with each microcell, wherein start of an ATM cell payload is only allowed with a new microcell, said microcell boundary indicating code including code to provide that if the space of the last data unit in the ATM cell payload is not enough for entering a further microcell therein this microcell will be sent in a next ATM cell belonging to the same connection, said space being filled with a microcell being not assigned to any microcell connection.

Claim 49

A telecommunication system comprising a sending entity, a receiving entity and an ATM link between the sending and receiving entities for transferring ATM cells on specific separate ATM connections, said ATM cells including user ATM cells having a header and payload containing data in the form of a determined number of data units which carry data in microcells, said header including an ATM connection pointer, said microcells having payload for carrying a variable size user data package and a microcell header containing code identifying a microcell connection, there being furthermore microcell size information associated with each microcell, wherein start of an ATM cell payload is only allowed with a new microcell, said microcell boundary indicating code including code to provide that if the space of the last data unit in the ATM cell payload is not enough for entering a further microcell therein this microcell will be sent in a next ATM cell belonging to the same connection, said space being filled with a microcell being not assigned to any microcell connection.

Claim 50

The system of claim 41, in which the sending entity comprises: user data receiving means for receiving user data including data in the form of variable size data packets, each provided with a destination pointer, microcell assembling means for providing the received data packets according to their respective destination pointers with a respective microcell header for forming microcells in microcell connection specific processes, user ATM cell assembling means including means for creating, in response to receiving microcells from the microcell assembling means, and controlled by the microcell connection indicated in the respective microcell headers, an ATM connection specific process for each ATM connection required, means for multiplexing, in each ATM connection specific process, the respective received microcells into the payload of user ATM cells; the receiving entity comprises: ATM connection distributing means for receiving user ATM cells and distributing these according to the ATM connection identified in their respective ATM cell header on ATM connection specific outputs, ATM cell disassembling means, including means for creating, in response to receiving ATM cells from the distributing means, and controlled by the ATM cell connection indicated in the respective ATM cell headers, a microcell specific process for each microcell connection required, means for demultiplexing the ATM cells from each ATM connection specific output, including means for aligning the microcells by identifying their boundaries using the microcell boundary indicating code, and means for separating and distributing the aligned microcells on microcell connection specific outputs, microcell disassembling means for receiving the microcells from each microcell connection specific output, removing the user microcell header and restoring its data package.

Claim 51

The system of claim 42, wherein the ATM cell assembling means comprise: ATM connection specific FIFO means for temporarily storing arriving microcells, an ATM table storing ATM connection specific data needed for each connection, ATM cell assembling control logic for receiving the ATM connection pointer of arriving microcells for identifying and selecting an ATM connection specific FIFO means for each arriving microcell, and for using the pointer to address each relevant connection specific data in the ATM table for reading it, a microcell multiplexing means for receiving the data read by the control logic and corresponding microcells from the relevant FIFO and assembling them to form an ATM cell.

Claim 52

A system according to claim 43, wherein the control logic calculates whether the space of the last data unit in the ATM cell payload is not enough for entering a further microcell and if this is the case inserts an unassigned microcell in the remaining space of the ATM cell payload.