Three level distributed control for networking I/O devices

A node structure including:

• a first level logical processor operative in response to indicia indicative of a desired communication recipient for generating routing indicia corresponding to a selected routing for communication to the desired recipient;
• one or more second level asynchronous logical processors connected to one or more sources of communication signals and responsive to the routing indicia from said first level logical processor for providing outgoing signals comprising communication signals from an associated source and header routing indicia from said first level logical processor;
• one or more third level asynchronous logical processor responsive to said outgoing signals for routing said communication signals in accordance with the routing indicia;
• means for providing said outgoing communication signals from said second level logical processor to said third level logical processor at a data burst rate;
• means for queuing the outgoing communication signals between said second level logical processor and said thrid level logical processor;
• means for routing said outgoing communications signals over a fiber optical coupler system in communication with one or more additional node structures, said means for routing connected to said third level processor;
• and
• means for prioritizing the communication of one node with respect to another node over said fiber optic coupler.

A node structure including:

• a first level logical processor operative in response to indicia indicative of a desired communication recipient for generating routing indicia corresponding to a selected routing for communication to the desired recipient;
• one or more second level asynchronous logical processors connected to one or more sources of communication signals and responsive to the routing indicia from said first level logical processor for providing outgoing signals comprising communication signals from an associated source and header routing indicia from said first level logical processor;
• one or more third level asynchronous logical processor responsive to said outgoing signals for routing said communication signals in accordance with the routing indicia;
• means for providing said outgoing communication signals from said second level logical processor to said thrid level logical processor at a data burst rate;
• means for queuing the outgoing communication signals between said second level logical processor and said thrid level logical processor;
• and
• means for routing said outgoing communications signals over a fiber optical coupler system in communication with one or more additional node structures, said means for routing connected to said third level processor, wherein
• said optical coupler includes at least one passive star.

A node structure for communication system comprising:

• a first level logical processor operative in response to indicia indicative of a desired communication recipient for generating routing indicia corresponding to a selected routing for communication to the desired recipient;
• one or more second level asynchronous logical processors connected to one or more sources of communication signals and responsive to the routing indicia from said first level logical processor for providing outgoing signals comprising communication signals from an associated source and header routing indicia from said first level logical processor;
• one or more third level asynchronous logical processor responsive to said outgoing signals for routing said communication signals in accordance with the routing indicia;
• a plurality of queues coupled by a data bus and associated with a second level logical processor and one or more signal sources;
• means for directing communication signals between said queues in accordance with said routing indicia;
• and
• a plurality of clusters each including said second level logical processor data bus, and associated said separate second level logical processor and at least one of said signal sources and each of said queues comprises a preassigned data queue and is operative under routing indicia control for communicating between each said cluster through said third level processor.

A node structure for communication system comprising:

• a first level logical processor operative in response to indicia indicative of a desired communication recipient for generating routing indicia corresponding to a selected routing for communication to the desired recipient;
• one or more second level asynchronous logical processors connected to one or more sources of communication signals and responsive to the routing indicia from said first level logical processor for providing outgoing signals comprising communication signals from an associated source and header routing indicia from said first level logical processor;
• and
• one or more third level asynchronous logical processor responsive to said outgoing signals for routing said communication signals in accordance with the routing indicia, wherein
• said signal sources with which a second level logical processor is associated are selected from the class of signal sources comprising voice and video data signals, said node structure further including
• means responsive to signal sources of a voice signal transmitting capability for digitizing said signals wherein
• the generated outgoing communication signals comprise digital counterparts of source generated voice signals as said communication signal and wherein
• said digitizing means has a logarithmic transfer function between a voice signal in an analog form and a digital signal counterpart.

A communication priority scheme for communication between a plurality, greater than three, of communication centers over a channel coupling network comprising:

• three of more communication centers each capable of receiving and transmitting data;
• a communication coupler capable of supporting communication between one such communication center and another such communication center;
• a control channel linking said three or more communication centers;
• means associated with each of said communication centers for transmitting over said control channel a repeating sequence of requests for communications, one associated with each of said communication centers, alternating with a repeating sequence of grants of communication to an identifiable communication center;
• means associated with each communication center for identifying the communication center next to transmit in response to information received in the previous requests for communication, that determination were being made at each communication center according to a priority algorithm;
• and
• the communication center identified in a preceeding grant for communicating a message over the coupling system until a subsequent grant to a different communication center is transmitted over said control network.

A node architecture for a communication system comprising:

• plural signal originating and receiving sources and an associated middle logical processor;
• a hierarchically superior logical processor and associated source directory, having source routing indicia;
• a plurality of block transfer registers for the flow of signals between said sources dedicated to said middle logical processors;
• means associated with said middle logical processor for controlling the transferring of signals in blocks between said registers in response to routing indicia;
• and
• a hierarchically inferior logical processor and associated plural additional block transfer registers operative to establish asynchronous communication to other inferior logical processors according to said routing indicia, wherein
• said superior logical processor operative to provide said routing indicia from said director for use by said logical processor.

A process for node based information flow comprising:

• generating recipient routing indicia at a first level logical processor in response to indicia from a plurality of signal sources indicative of a desired communication recipient;
• generating outgoing signals at a second level logical processor adapted for operation in association with one or more sources of communication signals in response to routing indicia form said first level logical processor, said outgoing signals comprising communication signals from the associated source and routing indicia from said first level logical processor;
• routing said communication signals ar a third level asynchronous logical processor in accordance with the routing indicia;
• and
• providing an interrupt signal from a source to said first level logical processor indicative of a desired communication recipient associated with a second level logical processor.

A process for node based information flow comprising:

• generating recipient routing indicia at a first level logical processor in response to indicia from a plurality of signal sources indicative of a desired communication recipient;
• generating outgoing signals at a second level logical processor adapted for operation in association with one or more sources of communication signals in response to routing indicia from said first level logical processor, said outgoing signals comprising communication signals from the associated source and routing indicia from said first level logical processor;
• routing said communication signals at a third level asynchronous logical processor in accordance with the routing indicia;
• queuing the outgoing signals from said second level logical processor to said third level logical processor for block transfer;
• routing said outgoing signals over a network comprising a fiber optical coupler system in communication with one or more additional nodes;
• and
• prioritizing the communication of one node with respect to another node over said fiber optic coupler.

A communication priority method for communication between a plurality greater than three of communication centers over a single channel coupling network comprising:

• transmitting over a control channel a repeating sequence of requests for transmission, one associated with each of plural communication centers, alternating with a repeating sequence of grants of communication authority to an identifiable communication center;
• identifying the communication center to be granted authority next to transmit in response to information received in the previous request for communication, that identification determination being made at each communication center according to a unitary priority algorithm;
• and
• communicating a message from the communication center identified in the preceding set of grants over a coupling system until a subsequent grant to a different communication center is transmitted over said control network.