Combined wavelength division multiplexing, time division multiplexing, and asynchronous packet switching with common time reference

A switch controller system, for switching a plurality of channels of data packets from an input port to selected ones of a plurality of channels for one of a plurality of output ports, wherein a Common Time Reference (CTR) is divided into a plurality of contiguous periodic super cycle (SCs) each comprised of at least one contiguous periodic time cycle (TC) each comprised of at least one contiguous periodic time frame (TE), wherein data transfer over each of the channels is arranged to occur in consecutive time frames (TFs), the system comprising:

• a plurality of alignment subsystems each comprised of a buffer queue, wherein each of the buffer queues is associated with a specific defined one of the channels on a specific defined one of the output ports;
• means for associating a specific one of the time frames (TFs) with each of the data packets;
• a switch expander, coupled to receive the data packets from each of the plurality of channels for the input port, for selective output to a respective one of buffer queues;
• a switch expander controller, responsive to the associated specific one of the time frames for each respective one of the data packets from the input port, for determining a coupling structure defining the coupling of the respective data packets for each one of the input port channels to a respective one of the buffer queues.

A control system for scheduling the coupling of data packets from an input source to an output destination on a time scheduled basis, via a switch comprising a plurality of addressable input ports, each with an associated input port identifier, and a plurality of addressable output ports, each with an associated output port identifier, wherein there is a time identifier associated (a) with each input to the input port, (b) with each time for switching, and (c) with each output forwarding from the output port, the control system comprising:

• means for providing an output of a Common Time Reference (CTR) divided into a plurality of contiguous periodic super cycles (SCs) each comprised of at least one contiguous time cycle (TC) each comprised of at least one contiguous time frame (TF);
• a mapping subsystem for storing a switching structure defining scheduling of movement of the data packets, comprising means for storing for each of the time frames a mapping correlation of the respective input port identifier and the respective input port time identifier versus the respective output port identifier, the respective switching time identifier and the respective output port forwarding time identifier;
• and
• means for scheduling the coupling of the respective data packets from the input source to the output destination responsive to the mapping subsystem and the CTR.

A switching system for transferring data packets from an input port to one of a plurality of output ports, wherein the data packets are comprised of scheduled data packets and non-scheduled data packets (NSDPs), each comprising a header and a payload, wherein a Common Time Reference (CTR) is divided into contiguous periodic super cycles (SCs), each comprised of at least one contiguous periodic time cycle (TC), each comprised of at least one contiguous periodic time frame (TF), wherein the input port receives data packets over a plurality of incoming channels, wherein each channel (j) has a unique time reference (UTR-j) divided into super cycles, time cycles, and time frames, the system comprising:

• a filter subsystem;
• means for coupling the data packets to the filter subsystem;
• wherein the filter subsystem is responsive to the respective header, to detect a detected type of service, and to couple the respective NSDP to a queue;
• a controller, associated with the input port, wherein the filter couples the respective data packet to the respective controller responsive to the detected type of service;
• wherein the controller determines which output port to route the respective NSDP to, responsive to the respective header;
• an alignment subsystem for storing scheduled data packets received during each UTR-j time frame until a respective one associated CTR time frame;
• wherein a predefined output port is associated to each CTR time frame;
• wherein the scheduled data packets associated to a respective CTR time frame are transferred to the associated respective output port during the respective CTR time frame.

A controller system for scheduling transfer of data packets during a defined one of a plurality of contiguous time frames, the system having a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports, and coupled to a switch matrix having a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs, the system comprising:

• an input interface for coupling multiple channels of the data packets from at least one of the input ports, wherein the data packets are comprised of scheduled data packets and non-scheduled data packets (NSDPs), each comprised of a header and a payload;
• a plurality of filter subsystems, each coupled to a respective one of the multiple channels from the input interface;
• a plurality of alignment subsystems, each coupled to a respective one of the plurality of filter subsystems, wherein each of the assignment subsystems selectively provides a scheduled output associated with a selected one of the time frames, and wherein each of the alignment subsystems is further comprised of a plurality of time frame queues;
• a Multi-Protocol Label Switching/internet Protocol (MPLS/W) switching controller comprising a plurality of Output Port Queues;
• and
• an output interface for coupling the data packets from the time frame queues to selected ones of the output ports;
• wherein the filter subsystem directly couples the scheduled data packets to a respective associated one of the alignment subsystems;
• wherein the filter subsystem is responsive to a subset of the header to selectively route the respective NSDPs to the MPLS/IP switching controller;
• wherein the MPLS/IP switching controller is responsive to the respective header for storing the respective NSDPs in a selected one of the plurality of output port queues;
• and
• wherein each of the plurality of output port queues is selectively coupled to the output interface and is associated with a respective one of the output ports.

A method of controlling the switching of a plurality of data packets from an input port to a switching fabric input, each of the data packets comprised of a header and a payload and having an associated type of service comprising one of a scheduled and non-scheduled type of service,

• wherein a provided common time reference (CTR) is divided into a plurality of contiguous periodic super cycles each comprised of at least one contiguous time cycle each comprised of at least one contiguous time frame, wherein each of the data packets having the scheduled type of service has respective assigned time frames to start switching,
• wherein each assigned time frame for switching has a respective assigned output port for switching to, the method comprising:
• filtering the data packets to separate the non-scheduled, type of service, data packets (NDSPs);
• routing the separated data packets into a respective one of a plurality of output port queues, each associated with a respective one of a plurality of output ports, responsive to the filtering;
• and
• scheduling the transfer of the queued data packets from the respective one of the output port queues to the respective output port during a defined time frame.