Deterministic communications via packet-switched networks
AssigneeNokia Solutions and Networks Oy
InventorsNihel Djoher Benzaoui, Guillaume Pierre Fernand Soudais, Sebastien Bigo
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Abstract
In certain embodiments, a communication network has a specialized ingress node that converts one or more incoming flows into a single, packetized, time-division multiplexed (TDM) flow; a switch fabric that routes the TDM flow via a fixed path through the switch fabric in a contention-free manner; and a specialized egress node that converts the TDM flow received from the switch fabric into one or more outgoing flows corresponding to the one or more incoming flows. The technology turns legacy, best-effort packet-switching into deterministic circuit-switching for a programmable selection of flows with minimal impact on network dynamics and at relatively low cost.
Claims20
A communication network comprising:
- a plurality of specialized nodes;
- and
- a switch fabric comprising a plurality of data packet switching nodes, each of the specialized nodes being locally connected to the switch fabric at a corresponding port of one of the data packet switching nodes, wherein:
- one of the specialized nodes is capable of operating as an ingress node to convert one or more incoming data flows into a packetized, time-division multiplexed (TDM) data flow;
- the switch fabric is configurable to route the packetized, TDM data flow via a same selected path through the switch fabric in a contention-free manner to another of the specialized nodes;
- and
- the another of the specialized nodes is capable of operating as an egress node of the packetized, TDM data flow received from the switch fabric by performing jitter compensation to convert the received packetized, TDM data flow into one or more outgoing data flows, wherein the communication network is configured to route at least one selected incoming data flow of the one or more incoming data flows through the switch fabric with a jitter level that is guaranteed to be maintained within a specified jitter range.
A specialized node for a communication network comprising an ingress node, a switch fabric comprising a plurality of data packet switching nodes, and an egress node, wherein:
- the ingress node is configured to convert one or more incoming flows into a single, packetized, time-division multiplexed (TDM) flow;
- the switch fabric is configured to route the TDM flow via a fixed path through the switch fabric in a contention-free manner;
- and
- the egress node is configured to perform jitter compensation to convert the TDM flow received from the switch fabric into one or more outgoing flows corresponding to the one or more incoming flows, wherein the specialized node comprises a memory connected to a processor that enables the specialized node to be configurable to be either the ingress node or the egress node, wherein the specialized node is one of the ingress node and the egress node, wherein the specialized node is configured to enable the communication network to route at least one selected incoming data flow of the one or more incoming data flows through the switch fabric with a jitter level that is guaranteed to be maintained within a specified jitter range.
A method comprising:
- converting one or more incoming flows into a single, packetized, time-division multiplexed (TDM) flow;
- routing the TDM flow via a fixed path through a switch fabric in a contention-free manner;
- and
- performing jitter compensation to convert the TDM flow received from the switch fabric into one or more outgoing flows corresponding to the one or more incoming flows, wherein at least one selected incoming data flow of the one or more incoming data flows is transmitted through the switch fabric with a jitter level that is guaranteed to be maintained within a specified jitter range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.