# US 7,609,729 B2 · System and method of multiplexing TDM and packet data

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- Number: US 7,609,729 B2
- Document ID: US7609729B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/161,089
- Filed: 2002-05-31
- Published: 2003-08-07
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2001-06-01
- Assignees: Fujitsu Limited
- Inventors: Paul Elias
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609729B2

## CPC

- H04J 3/1617: {carrying packets or ATM cells}
- H04Q 11/04: for time-division multiplexing {(H04Q11/0001 takes precedence)}
- H04J 2203/0089: Multiplexing, e.g. coding, scrambling, SONET
- H04J 2203/0096: Serial Concatenation
- H04Q 2213/1301: Optical transmission, optical switches
- H04Q 2213/13292: Time division multiplexing, TDM
- H04Q 2213/13296: Packet switching, X.25, frame relay
- H04Q 2213/13361: Synchronous systems
- H04Q 2213/13367: Hierarchical multiplexing, add-drop multiplexing
- H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S)
- H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W)

## Abstract

Telecommunication equipment includes a TDM interface operable to receive STS-n data, and a packet interface operable to receive packet/cell data and filling a STS-MC payload with the packet/cell data. An n×n cross-connect is coupled to the TDM interface and operable to switch and assign the STS-n data to any one of n STS-1 time slots. A multiplexer is coupled to the cross-connect and the packet interface and operable to combine the switched STS-n data and the STS-MC packet/cell data into an STS-N payload for transport, where N is the sum of n and M.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Telecommunication equipment, comprising:
a TDM interface operable to receive STS-n data, where n is equal to a number of STS-1 time slots in the STS-n data;
a packet interface operable to receive packet/cell data and fill a STS-MC payload with the packet/cell data, wherein M is a number of time slots in the STS-MC payload;
an STS-1 switch comprising an n×n cross-connect coupled to the TDM interface and operable to switch and assign each of the n STS-1 time slots of the STS-n data received at the TDM interface to any one of n STS-1 time slots;
a multiplexer coupled to the cross-connect and the packet interface and operable to combine the switched STS-n data and the STS-MC packet/cell data into an STS-N payload for transport, where N is a number of time slots in the STS-N payload and is equal to the sum of n and M; and
a framer for framing the STS-n signal for transport on an optical carrier;
wherein the STS-N payload includes the STS-MC at the beginning of the payload and the STS-n at the end of the payload; and
wherein n and M are greater than zero.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The telecommunications equipment, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the multiplexer is operable to receive an STS-N payload and demultiplex therefrom the STS-n data and the STS-MC data.

### Claim 3

Telecommunication equipment, comprising:
a TDM interface operable to receive STS-n data, where n is equal to a number of STS-1 time slots in the STS-n data;
a packet interface operable to receive packet/cell data and fill a STS-MC payload with the packet/cell data, wherein M is a number of time slots in the STS-MC payload;
an STS-1 switch comprising an n×n cross-connect coupled to the TDM interfae and operable to switch and assign each of the n STS-1 time slots of the STS-n data received at the TDM interface to any one of n STS-1 time slots;
a multiplexer coupled to the cross-connect and the packet interface and operable to combine the switched STS-n data and the STS-MC packet/cell data into an STS-N payload for transport, where N is a number of time slots in the STS-N payload and is equal to the sum of n and M; and
a framer for framing the STS-n signal for transport on an optical carrier;
wherein the STS-N payload includes the STS-n at the beginning of the payload and the STS-MC at the end of the payload; and
wherein M and n are greater than zero.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The telecommunications equipment, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the multiplexer is operable to receive an STS-N payload and demultiplex therefrom the STS-n data and the STS-MC data.

### Claim 5

A method, comprising:
switching and assigning STS-n TDM data, using an n×n cross-connect, to a contiguous block of n STS-1 time slots, n being a number of STS-1 time slots in the STS-n TDM data, the n×n cross-connect capable of assigning each of the STS-1 time slots in the STS-n data to any of the STS-1 time slots of the contiguous block of n STS-1 time slots;
combining the switched STS-n data and concatenated STS-MC packet/cell data from a packet interface into an STS-N payload for transport, where M is a number of time slots in the STS-MC data and N is a number of time slots in the STS-N payload, N being equal to the sum of n and M; and
framing the STS-n payload for transport on an optical carrier;
wherein combining the switched STS-n data and STS-MC packet/cell data into an STS-N payload comprises assigning the switched STS-n data to contiguous time slots at the beginning of the STS-N payload and STS-MC data to contiguous time slots at the end of the STS-N payload; and
where in n and M are greater than zero.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method, as set forth in claim 5, further comprising receiving an STS-N payload and demultiplexing therefrom the STS-n data and the STS-MC data.

### Claim 7

A method, comprising:
switching and assigning STS-n TDM data, using an n×n cross-connect, to a contiguous block of n STS-1 time slots, n being a number of STS-1 time slots in the STS-n TDM data, the n×n cross-connect capable of assigning each of the STS-1 time slots of the STS-n data to any of the STS-1 time slots of the contiguous block of n STS-1 time slots;
combining the switched STS-n data and concatenated STS-MC packet/cell data from a packet interface into an STS-N payload for transport, where M is a number of time slots in the STS-MC data and N is a number of time slots in the STS-N payload, N being equal to the sum of n and M; and
framing the STS-n payload for transport on an optical carrier;
wherein combining the switched STS-n data and STS-MC packet/cell data into an STS-N payload comprises assigning the switched STS-n data to contiguous time slots at the end of the STS-N payload and the STS-MC data to coutiguous time slots at the beginning of the STS-N payload; and
wherein n and M are greater than zero.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method, as set forth in claim 7, further comprising receiving an STS-N payload and demultiplexing therefrom the STS-n data and the STS-MC data.