Communication network control system

A node for use in a communication network, comprising:

• a plurality of input channels;
• a plurality of output channels;
• and
• connection control means for controlling the connection between said input and output channels, said connection control means including a switching matrix unit interposed between said input and output channels, a detecting unit for detecting an input channel which has first received an input signal, a monitoring unit for monitoring said input signal, and a switching control unit in charge of overall operation of said connection control means, wherein when one or more input signals are input into said input channels, each of said input signals is supplied to all of said output channels through said switching matrix unit, and after detecting an input channel which has first received said input signal, all of said input channels excepting said input channel which first received said input signal are disconnected from said output channels.

A method for controlling a communication network including a plurality of nodes, each of which includes a plurality of input channels, a plurality of output channels and connection control means for controlling the connection between said input and output channels;

• a plurality of terminals connected to selected ones of said plurality of nodes and transmission means interconnecting said nodes and said terminals, said method comprising the steps of:
• detecting a first input channel, which has received a first input signal, by said connection control means;
• storing information of said first input channel having received said first input signal in said connection control means;
• detecting a second input channel, which has received a second input signal, by said connection control means;
• storing information of said second input channel having received said second input signal in said connection control means and then causing said second input signal to be supplied to an output channel corresponding to said first input channel;
• and
• detecting a third input channel, which has received a third input signal, by said connection control means and causing said third input channel to be connected to said output channels excepting those output channels corresponding to said first and second input channels stored in said connection control means.

A node for use in a communication network, comprising:

• a plurality of input channels;
• a plurality of output channels;
• and
• connection control means for controlling connection between said input and output channels, said connection control means including a switching matrix unit interposed between said input and output channels, a detecting unit for detecting an input channel which has received an input signal in the first place, gating means interposed between said input channels and said detecting unit for allowing said input channels to be connected to said detecting unit selectively, a monitoring unit for monitoring said input signal, and a switching control unit in charge of overall operation of said connection control means.