# US 6,791,978 B1 · Switching network for multiple channel installations

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- Number: US 6,791,978 B1
- Document ID: US6791978B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 09/402,251
- Filed: 1999-10-01
- Granted: 2004-09-14
- Earliest claimed: 1998-02-05
- Assignees: Alcatel
- Inventors: Sabine Robichez
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6791978B1

## CPC

- H04Q 3/68: Grouping or interlacing selector groups or stages
- H04Q 2213/13003: Constructional details of switching devices
- H04Q 2213/1302: Relay switches
- H04Q 2213/1304: Coordinate switches, crossbar, 4/2 with relays, coupling field
- H04Q 2213/13046: Binary switch, β-element
- H04Q 2213/1334: Configuration within the switch
- H04Q 2213/13341: Connections within the switch
- H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W)

## Abstract

Switch network for connecting one of N input ports and one of T output ports, the network comprising an arrangement of switches. Each switch comprises at least one first terminal (E1, for example), to which a first port of a first type (an input port, for example) is connected, a second terminal (S2, for example), to which a second port of a second type (output, in this example) is connected, and a contact bridge (24) provided with an actuation device and which on command makes a connection between said first and second terminals. This network comprises a plurality of network terminals each constituting at least one first terminal (E1) for a first switch (E1, 22, S3) and one first terminal for a second switch (E1, 21, S1).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A switch network for connecting one of N input ports and one of T output ports, said network comprising an arrangement of switches and being characterized in that
each switch comprises
at least one first terminal (E1) to which a first port of a first type is connected,
at least one second terminal (S2), to which a second port of a second type is connected, and
a contact bridge (24) provided with an actuation device and which on command makes a connection between said first and second terminals,
in that said network comprises a plurality of network terminals each constituting at least one of said first terminals (E1) for a first switch (E1, 22, S3) of said network and one of said first terminals for a second switch of said network (E1, 21, S1), and
in that said plurality of network terminals comprises a matrix with one of said terminals at each node of said matrix.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The switch network according to claim 1, characterized in that said plurality of network terminals comprises at least two matrices with one of said terminals at each node, network terminals of one matrix being connected to network terminals of another matrix.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The switch network according to claim 1, wherein said first port is an input port, and said second port is an output port.