Method and apparatus for augmenting listening capacity of a signal destination

In a communication system network that includes a processing multiplexer coupled to a plurality of communication systems, wherein each of the communication systems further includes a plurality of signal sources, a signal router for receiving communication system data signals and routing the communication system data signals to at least one of a plurality of signal destinations, each of the plurality of signal destinations having a predetermined listening capacity, and wherein the processing multiplexer includes a plurality of shared communication ports that each support one of the plurality of communication systems and a plurality of switching centers coupled to the plurality of shared communication ports, a method of augmenting the predetermined listening capacity of at least one of the signal destinations, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) configuring at least one of the plurality of switching centers as a slave switching center;
• b) configuring at least one of the plurality of switching centers as a master switching center that is associated with the at least one slave switching center;
• c) providing at least one dedicated communication port, wherein the slave switching center and the master switching center are coupled to the at least one dedicated communication port;
• d) using the slave switching center to sum the communication system data signals from at least one of the shared communication ports to produce summed communication data;
• e) presenting the summed communication data to at least a portion of the at least one dedicated communication port;
• and
• f) using the master switching center to present processed communication data to at least one of the plurality of signal destinations of a select one of the plurality of communication systems, wherein the processed communication data comprises the summed communication data received from the at least one dedicated communication port and the communication system data signals received from the shared communication ports.

In a communication system network that includes a processing multiplexer coupled to a plurality of communication systems, wherein each of the communication systems further includes a plurality of signal sources, a signal router for receiving communication system data signals and routing the communication system data signals to at least one of a plurality of signal destinations, each of the plurality of signal destinations having a predetermined listening capacity, and wherein the processing multiplexer includes a plurality of switching centers coupled to a plurality of shared communication ports that each support one of the plurality of communication systems, wherein the plurality of shared communication ports utilize a Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) protocol that establishes a plurality of time slots, a method of augmenting the predetermined listening capacity of at least one of the signal destinations, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) configuring at least one of the plurality of switching centers as a slave switching center;
• b) configuring at least one of the plurality of switching centers as a master switching center that is associated with the at least one slave switching center;
• c) coupling the at least one master switching center to the at least one slave switching center associated therewith via at least one dedicated communication port, wherein the at least one dedicated communication port utilizes the TDM protocol;
• d) when the predetermined listening capacity is inadequate to support a desired communication configuration, using the slave switching center to sum the communication system data signals from at least one of the shared communication ports to produce summed communication data;
• e) presenting the summed communication data to at least a portion of the at least one dedicated communication port;
• and
• f) using the master switching center to present processed communication data to at least one of the plurality of signal destinations of a select one of the plurality of communication systems, wherein the processed communication data comprises the summed communication data received from the dedicated communication port and the communication system data signals received from the shared communication ports.