Method and apparatus in a computer network
OwnerGunnar Karlssoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and the corresponding apparatus for multi-plexing data flows from a number of transmission units. In the method signals are sent from the transmission units and the signals are detected at inputs of a switching unit. Signals, which are detected at a point of time when no other signal is forwarded to an output from the switching unit, are forwarded to said output, whereas signals which are detected at a point of time when another signal is forwarded to said output, are blocked.
Claims17
A method for multiplexing data flows from a number of transmission units, comprising the steps of
- sending signals from the transmission units,
- detecting signals at inputs of a switching unit,
- forwarding signals, which are detected at a point of time when no other signal is forwarded to an output from the switching unit, to said output, and
- blocking signals which are detected at a point of time when another signal is forwarded to said output.
An apparatus for multiplexing data flows, comprising
- at least two inputs,
- at least one output, the number of outputs being fewer than the number of inputs,
- means for detecting signals on said at least two inputs,
- means for forwarding signals, which are detected at a point of time when no other signal is forwarded to said at least one output from the switching unit, to said at least one output, and
- means for blocking signals which are detected at a point of time when another signal is forwarded to said at least one output.
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 912, further comprising
- means adapted to allocate the inputs of the switching unit an order of priority and to vary said order of priority over time, and
- said means for forwarding being adapted, if signals are detected at the same point of time on more than one input, to forward the signal which is detected on the input with the highest priority, to said at least one output.
An apparatus for multiplexing data flows from a number of transmission units on a small number of output channels, comprising a number of switching units, each comprising
- at least two inputs,
- at least one output, the number of outputs being smaller than the number of inputs,
- means for detecting signals on said at least two inputs,
- means for forwarding signals which are detected at a point of time when no other signal is forwarded to said at least one output from the switching unit, to said at least one output,
- means for blocking signals which are detected at a point of time when another signal is forwarded to said at least one output,
- means for informing the transmission unit which sent the signal that the signal has been blocked, and
- means at said at least one output for forwarding signals to an input of another switching unit,
- said switching units being arranged in a tree structure in a number of levels where said at least one output from each of the switching units in one level is connected to an input of a switching unit in a subsequent level, the number of switching units in the higher level being greater than the number of switching units in the lower level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.