Communications node
AssigneeNewNew Networks Innovations Limited
InventorsNeil Freebairn, Roger Lewis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A communications node for establishing a plurality of logically distinct communications links running in parallel through the node to one or more remote nodes, comprises an input switch means, an output switch means, a plurality of communications resources connected between said input and output switch means, said plurality of communications resources including at least first and second communications resources adapted to deliver different communication services including packet-switched and circuit-switched services, control means associated with said input switch means and said output switch means to establish logically distinct links through the node, wherein each said link is configurable to selectively include one of the at least first and second communication resources.
Claims50
A communications node for establishing a plurality of logically distinct communications links running through the node contemporaneously to one or more remote nodes, the communications node comprising:
- input switch means;
- output switch means;
- a plurality of communications resources connected between said input and output switch means, said plurality of communications resources including at least first and second communications resources adapted to deliver different communication services including packet-switched and circuit-switched services;
- control means associated with said input switch means and said output switch means to establish logically distinct links through the node, wherein each said link is configurable to selectively include one of the at least first and second communications resources.
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A communications node for receiving at least one input signal comprising a plurality of components, each said component comprising part of a logical link over a portion of a communications network, the communications node comprising:
- ingress means for receiving said at least one input signal;
- egress means for outputting at least one output signal comprising one or more components of said input signal;
- one or more signal processing means connected between the ingress means and egress means, for receiving components of said at least one input signal and processing said components in accordance with a predetermined communications process;
- first switching means configurable to selectively cause a signal output from said ingress means to bypass one or more of said signal processing means en route to said egress means;
- second switching means configurable to direct signals output from said signal processing means to said egress means.
A communications node for receiving and transmitting signals comprising sets of signal components transmitted at intervals, wherein a set comprises a number of signal components partitioned from one another and wherein concatenated signal components in adjacent sets establish a number of logical links over a portion of a communications network, said node comprising:
- input switch means;
- output switch means;
- control means connected to said output switch means and programmable to cause selected ones of the partitioned signal components of a set to be aggregated, such that said aggregated signal components define an aggregated logical link having a bandwidth corresponding to a predetermined multiple of the signal component bandwidth.
A method of setting up a logical link across a portion of a network comprising
- providing a plurality of communications nodes for establishing a plurality of logically distinct communications links running through the node contemporaneously to one or more remote nodes, the communications node including:
- input switch means;
- output switch means;
- a plurality of communications resources connected between said input and output switch means, said plurality of communications resources including at least first and second communications resources adapted to deliver different communication services including packet-switched and circuit-switched services;
- control means associated with said input switch means and said output switch means to establish logically distinct links through the node, wherein each said link is configurable to selectively include one of the at least first and second communications resources;
- and
- routing a request to establish a logical link from a source node to a destination node over at least one of the plurality of communications nodes.
A method of setting up an aggregated logical link, comprising:
- providing a plurality of communications nodes for receiving and transmitting signals comprising sets of signal components transmitted at intervals, wherein a set comprises a number of signal components partitioned from one another and wherein concatenated signal components in adjacent sets establish a number of logical links over a portion of a communications network, said node comprising:
- input switch means:
- output switch means;
- control means connected to said output switch means and programmable to cause selected ones of the partitioned signal components of a set to be aggregated, such that said aggregated signal components define an aggregated logical link having a bandwidth corresponding to a predetermined multiple of the signal component bandwidth;
- and
- routing a request to establish a logical link from a source node to a destination node over at least one of the plurality of communications nodes.
A method of setting up a logical link across a portion of a network comprising:
- providing a plurality of communications nodes for receiving at least one input signal comprising a plurality of components, each said component comprising part of a logical link over a portion of a communications network, the communications node comprising:
- ingress means for receiving said at least one input signal;
- egress means for outputting at least one output signal comprising one or more components of said input signal;
- one or more signal processing means connected between the ingress means and egress means, for receiving components of said at least one input signal and processing said components in accordance with a predetermined communications process;
- first switching means configurable to selectively cause a signal output from said ingress means to bypass one or more of said signal processing means en route to said egress means;
- second switching means configurable to direct signals output from said signal processing means to said egress means;
- and
- routing a request to establish a logical link from a source node to a destination node over at least one of the plurality of communications nodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.