STS-n with enhanced granularity
AssigneeAlcatel
InventorsRodney Witel, Jason Dove, Paul Franceschini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
STS-n with enhanced granularity is achieved by using an ATM cell framer which includes a plurality of cell delineators and cell assemblers for conversions between broadband STS-n which occupies at least a portion of a bandwidth of a synchronous payload envelope (SPE), such as a synchronous optical network (SONET) bandwidth, and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cells. The SONET bandwidth is flexibly and efficiently allocated for transporting the broadband STS-n which carries ATM data, wherein n can be varied in small increments to allow the SONET bandwidth to be shared with narrowband STS if the broadband STS-n does not occupy the entire SONET bandwidth.
Claims48
A method of allocating bandwidth for transporting asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cells as a synchronous transport signal-n (STS-n) in a temporal frame, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) dividing the temporal frame into a plurality of bandwidth portions;
- (b) assigning a first number of the bandwidth portions for transporting the ATM cells;
- (c) assigning a second number of the bandwidth portions for transporting a narrowband STS;
- and
- (d) wherein the temporal frame is divided into 12 equal bandwidth portions, wherein the first number is an integer, and wherein the second number is an integer.
A method of allocating bandwidth for transporting asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cells as a synchronous transport signal-n (STS-n) in a synchronous optical network (SONET) frame, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) assigning 12 equal bandwidth portions to the SONET frame;
- (b) assigning a first integral number of the bandwidth portions for transporting at least one broadband STS;
- (c) assigning a second integral number of the bandwidth portions for transporting at least one narrowband STS;
- and
- (d) delineating the ATM cells from said at least one broadband STS.
A method of framing asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cells as a synchronous transport signal-n (STS-n) for transport within a synchronous optical network (SONET) frame, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) assigning 12 equal bandwidth portions to the SONET frame;
- (b) receiving the ATM cells;
- (c) assembling the ATM cells to form at least one broadband STS;
- (d) assigning a first integral number of the bandwidth portions for transporting said at least one broadband STS;
- (e) assigning a second integral number of the bandwidth portions for transporting at least one narrowband STS;
- (f) multiplexing said at least one broadband STS with said at least one narrowband STS within the SONET frame;
- and
- (g) wherein a first ten of the bandwidth portions for transporting the ATM cells are delineated by four cell delineators, and wherein an eleventh bandwidth portion following the first ten bandwidth portions for transporting the ATM cells is delineated by a fifth cell delineator.
An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cell framer, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of cell delineators having a plurality of synchronous transport signal (STS) cell delineator inputs, a plurality of cell delineator framer control inputs and a plurality of cell delineator outputs capable of outputting a plurality of ATM cells;
- (b) a plurality of cell assemblers having a plurality of cell assembler inputs, a plurality of cell assembler framer control inputs and a plurality of cell assembler outputs;
- and
- (c) a cell framer controller, connected to the cell delineators and the cell assemblers, to provide synchronization to the cell delineators and to the cell assemblers.
An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cell framer, comprising:
- (a) five cell delineators having a plurality of cell delineator inputs, a plurality of cell delineator framer control inputs and a plurality of cell delineator outputs, the cell delineator inputs capable of receiving broadband synchronous transport signal-n (STS-n) signals, wherein n is an integer between 1 and 12, the cell delineator outputs capable of outputting a plurality of ATM cells;
- (b) five cell assemblers having a plurality of cell assembler inputs, a plurality of cell assembler framer control inputs and a plurality of cell assembler outputs;
- and
- (c) a cell framer controller, connected to the cell delineators and the cell assemblers, to provide synchronization to the cell delineators and to the cell assemblers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.