Combined circuit switch and packet switching system

Apparatus for transmitting circuit switch and packet information over a time multiplexed bus, said apparatus comprising:

• a circuit switch information source for generating a time multiplexed signal comprising cyclically reoccurring frames of information with each of said frames having a plurality of time slots and with said circuit switch information being contained in certain ones of said time slots with the remainder of said time slots being idle,
• means for storing information specifying which of said time slots currently contain said circuit switch information and which of said time slots are currently idle,
• a source of packet information,
• means controlled by said storing means for transmitting said circuit switch and said packet information over said bus by inserting currently extant packet information into said currently idle time slots so that all of said idle time slots are used to transmit any extant packet information, and
• means for inserting an identity bit into each transmitted time slot specifying the type of information represented by other bits of the time slot.

Apparatus for transmitting a first and a second type of information over a time multiplexed bus, said apparatus comprising:

• a source of a first type of information for generating a signal comprising cyclically reoccuring frames with each of said frames comprising a plurality of time slots and with said first type of information being contained in certain ones of said time slots with the remainder of said time slots being idle,
• a source of information of a second type,
• combining means,
• means for controlling said combining means to transmit said first and second types of information over said bus by insertng currently extant information of said second type into any of said currently idle time slots so that all of said idle time slots are used to transmit any extant information of said second type, and
• means for inserting identity information into each time slot specifying the type of information represented by the information in the remainder of said time slot.

Apparatus for transmitting circuit switch and packet information over a time multiplexed bus, said apparatus comprising:

• a circuit switch information source for generating a time multiplexed signal comprising cyclically reoccurring frames of information with each of said frames comprising a plurality of time sots and with said circuit switch information being contained in only certain ones of said time slots with the remainder of said time slots being idle,
• a source of packet information,
• combining means,
• means for controlling said combining means to transmit said circuit switch and packet information over said bus by inserting currently extant packet information into said currently idle time slots so that all of said idle time slots are used to transmit any extant packet information, and
• means intermediate said combining means and said first and second sources of information for inserting identity information into each time slot representing the type of information represented by the information in the remainder of said time slot.

Apparatus for transmitting a first and a second type of information over a time multiplexed bus, said apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving signal comprising cyclically reoccurring frames of information with each of said frames having a plurality of time slots and with a said first type of information being contained in certain ones of said time slots with the remainder of said time slots being idle,
• means for storing information specifying which of said time slots are currently idle,
• means controlled by said storing means for inserting currently extant information of said second type into any of said currently idle time slots, and
• means for inserting an identity bit into each time slot specifying the type of information represented by other bits of the time slot.

Apparatus for transmitting circuit switch and packet information over a time multiplexed bus, said apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a time multiplexed signal comprising cyclically reoccurring frames of information with each of said frames comprising a plurality of time slots and with said circuit switch information being contained in only certain ones of said time slots with the remainder of said time slots being idle,
• combining means,
• means for controlling said combining means to insert currently extant packet information into said currently idle time slots, and
• means for inserting identity information into each time slot representing the type of information represented by the information in the remainder of said time slot.