Distributed variable bandwidth switch for voice, data, and image communications

A variable bandwidth private branch exchange system for interfacing a network ring and a plurality of local stations, said system comprising:

• means for communicating a network ring signal stream to an input port of a node connected to the network ring;
• means for determining that a local station connected to the node is being addressed by a remote station not connected to the node, said means for determining including means for communicating a control signal to the node, and means for comparing the control signal to a map of local stations addressable by the node, said means for comparing including a programmable steering map containing information specifying the correct signal stream path through the node for every bit of the signal stream;
• means for assigning a discrete segment of the network ring signal stream for communication between the local station and the remote station such that the assigned segment of the network ring signal stream is used both to transmit data going from the remote station to the local station and from the local station to the remote station;
• means for disabling the normal network ring signal stream path through the node and enabling a network ring communication path to a local station when the assigned segment is accessible at the node, thereby disposing the local station in series electrical connection with the network ring signal stream;
• means for disabling the communication path to the local station and enabling the normal network ring signal stream path through the node after passing the assigned segment to the local station;
• and
• means for extracting the network ring signal stream from the output port of the node.

A variable bandwidth private branch exchange system for interfacing a network ring and a plurality of local stations, said system comprising;

• means for communicating a network ring signal stream to an input port of a node connected to the network ring;
• means for determining that a local station connected to the node is being addressed by a remote station not connected to the node;
• means for assigning a discrete segment of the network ring signal stream for communication between the local station and the remote station such that the assigned segment of the network ring signal stream is used both to transmit data going from the remote station to the local station and from the local station to the remote station;
• means for disabling the normal network ring signal stream path through the node and enabling a network ring communication path to a local station when the assigned segment is accessible at the node, thereby disposing the local station in series electrical connection with the network ring signal stream, said means for disabling the normal network ring signal stream path and enabling a network ring communication path including;
• means for monitoring the network ring signal stream sequence, said means for monitoring being operative to detect when assigned bit spaces corresponding to the discrete segment are accessible;
• and
• means for steering the network ring signal path onto the local ring when the assigned bit spaces are accessible;
• means for disabling the communication path to the local station and enabling the normal network ring signal stream path through the node after passing the assigned segment to the local station;
• and
• means for extracting the network ring signal stream from the output port of the node.

A variable bandwidth private branch exchange system for interfacing a network ring and a plurality of local, stations, each of the local stations being connected to a node on the network ring, said system comprising:

• means for serially communicating a network ring signal stream to an input port of each node such that the network signal stream always proceeds in the same node order;
• means for determining whether a local station is addressed by a signal from a remote station;
• means for monitoring the utilization of bit spaces in the network ring signal stream;
• first microprocessor means operative to designate the bit space requirement for the local station addressed;
• means for assigning a number of available bit spaces in the network ring signal stream for communication with the addressed local station;
• means for limiting the number of assigned bit spaces to the designated bit space requirement;
• and
• means for enabling the network ring signal stream communications path to the addressed local station when the assigned bit spaces are accessible at the node.

A variable bandwidth private branch exchange system for interfacing a network ring and a plurality of local stations, each of the local stations being connected to a node on the network ring, said system comprising:

• means for serially communicating a network ring signal stream to an input port of each node such that the network signal stream always proceeds in the same node order;
• means for determining whether a local station is addressed by a signal from a remote station;
• means for monitoring the utilization of bit spaces in the network ring signal stream, said means including means for monitoring the availability of 8-bit bytes in a signal stream frame;
• first microprocessor means operative to designate the bit space requirement for the local station addressed;
• means for assigning a number of available bit spaces in the network ring signal stream for communication with the addressed local station;
• means for limiting the number of assigned bits to the designated bit space requirements;
• and
• means for enabling the network ring signal stream communications path to the addressed local station when the assigned bits are accessible at the node, said means including means for monitoring the bit sequence of the network ring signal stream as it enters the node and means for indicating that the assigned bit spaces are accessible.

A variable bandwidth private branch exchange system for interfacing a distributed network ring and a plurality of local stations, each of the local stations being connected to a common node on the network ring, said system comprising:

• means for serially communicating a network ring signal stream to an input port of each of a plurality of nodes, such that the network ring signal stream always proceeds in the same node order;
• means for assigning a discrete segment of the bit spaces of the network ring signal stream for communication between a local station and a remote station, said assigning means being operative to dedicate at least one bit of the assigned bit spaces of the network ring signal stream through each node to be used both to transmit data going from the remote station to the local station and from the local station to the remote station;
• means for determining that a local station is being addressed by a remote station not connected to the common node;
• means for enabling a network ring signal stream communication path to the local station when the assigned segment is accessible at the node, thereby disposing the local station in series electrical connection with the network ring signal stream;
• and
• means for disabling the communication path to said local station after passing the assigned segment of the signal stream to the identified local station.

A method of communicating information between a distributive network ring and a plurality of local stations, said method comprising:

• communicating a network ring signal stream to an input port of a node connected to the network ring;
• deriving a clock signal and a frame synchronization signal from the signal stream for operating the node at a rate compatible with the signal stream rate;
• determining whether a local station connected to the node is being addressed by a remote station connected to another node on the network ring;
• assigning a number of bit spaces of the network ring signal stream for communication between the local station and the remote station such that at least one of the assigned bit spaces of the network ring signal stream is used both to transmit data going from the remote station to the local station and from the local station to the remote station;
• disabling the normal network ring signal stream communication path through the node and enabling a network ring signal stream communication path to the local station when the information in said segment identifies the local station, thereby disposing said local station in series electrical connection with the network ring signal stream;
• and
• disabling the communications path to said local station and enabling the normal network ring signal stream communication path through the node after the assigned bit spaces are passed onto the local ring to the addressed local station.

A variable bandwidth private branch exchange system for interfacing a network ring and a plurality of local stations, said system comprising:

• means for serially communicating a network ring signal stream to an input port of each of a plurality of nodes such that the network ring signal stream always proceeds in the same node order;
• means for determining whether a local station is addressed by a signal from a remote station;
• means for monitoring the utilization of bit spaces in the network ring signal stream;
• first microprocessor means operative to designate the bit space requirement for the local station addressed;
• means for assigning a number of available bit spaces in the network ring signal stream for communication with the addressed local station, said assigning means being operative to dedicate at least one bit of the assigned bit spaces of the network ring signal stream to each node to be used both to transmit data going from the remote station to the local station and from the local station to the remote station;
• means for limiting the number of assigned bit spaces to the designated bit space requirement;
• and
• means for enabling the network ring signal stream communications path to the addressed local station when the assigned bit spaces are accessible at the node.

A variable bandwidth private branch exchange system for interfacing a network ring in a plurality of local stations, said system comprising:

• means for communicating a network ring signal stream to an input port of a common node;
• means for determining that a local station connected to the common node is being addressed by a remote station not connected to the common node;
• means for assigning a discrete segment of the network ring signal stream for communications between the local station and the remote station;
• means for disabling the normal network ring signal stream path through the common node and enabling a network ring signal stream path to a local station when the assigned segment is accessible at the common node, thereby disposing the local station in series electrical connection with the network ring signal stream;
• means for disabling the communications path to the local station and enabling the normal network ring signal stream path through the common node after passing the assigned segment to the local station;
• means for communicating signals between a plurality of local stations connected to the common node without disabling the normal network ring signal stream path through the common node;
• and
• means for extracting the network ring signal stream from the output port of the common node.

A method of communicating information between a distributive network ring and a plurality of local stations, said method comprising:

• communicating a network ring signal stream to an input port of a node connected to the network ring;
• deriving a clock signal and a frame synchronization signal from the signal stream for operating the node at a rate compatible with the signal stream rate;
• determining whether a local station connected to the node is being addressed by a remote station connected to aother node on the network ring;
• assigning a number of bit spaces of the network ring signal stream for communication between the local station and the remote station such that the assigned bit spaces of the network ring signal stream are used both to transmit data going from the remote station to the local station and from the local station to the remote station;
• disabling the normal network ring signal stream communication path through the node and enabling a network ring signal stream communication path to the local station when the information in said segment identifies the local station, thereby disposing said local station in series electrical connection with the network ring signal stream;
• disabling the communications path to said local station and enabling the normal network ring signal stream communication path through the node after the assigned bit spaces are passed onto the local ring to the addressed local station;
• and
• enabling a local signal stream communication path to effect intranode communications between local stations connected to a common node without disabling the normal network ring signal stream communication path through the node.

A variable bandwidth private branch exchange system for interfacing a network ring and a plurality of local stations, said system comprising:

• means for serially communicating a network ring signal stream to an input port of each of a plurality of nodes such that the network ring signal stream always proceeds in the same node order;
• means for determining whether a local station is addressed by a signal from a remote station;
• means for monitoring the utilization of bit spaces in the network ring signal stream;
• first microprocessor means operative to designate the bit space requirement for the local station addressed;
• means for assigning a number of available bit spaces in the network ring signal stream for communication with the addressed local station, said assigning means being operative to dedicate the assigned bit spaces of the network ring signal stream to each node to be used both to transmit data going from the remote station to the local station and from the local station to the remote station;
• means for limiting the number of assigned bit spaces to the designated bit space requirement;
• means for enabling the network ring signal stream communications path to the addressed local station when the assigned bit spaces are accessible at the node;
• and
• means for communicating signals between a first local station and a second local station without disabling the normal network signal stream communications path through the node.