US RE31,182 E · Packet-switched data communication system

Abstract

A packet-switched digital data communication system operable in a store-and-forward mode is provided for enabling substantially simultaneous full-duplex communication between a plurality of telecommunications terminals, facsimile transceivers or other data input sources over a communications network with a plurality of other terminals, facsimile transceivers or other data sources having access to the communications network and with which such communication is desired. The disclosed packetizing of data and transmission thereof in a store-and-forward mode with dynamic routing provides a highly efficient utilization of the transmission facilities, substantially error-free data transmission and a handshake capability between a wide variety of dissimilar and otherwise incompatible terminal devices such as facsimile transceivers having differing protocols, modulation techniques and other speed and code characteristics. Large blocks of data and other message information from data terminals are subdivided into data packets prior to transmission, converted into a systemwide compatible protocol, compressed, transmitted independently, time multiplexed with other packetized data from other terminals on the communications network, stored and forwarded on a priority basis and in accordance with network availability at one or more switching nodes in the network, reassembled from the received packets at a destination processor into the original data messages for coupling to the message destination terminals such that the received message is decompressed and reconverted into a format compatible with the destination terminal characteristics to enable information interchange therebetween.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A packet-switched data communications and storage system for transmitting messages from a plurality of source terminals to one or more destination terminals, said source and destination terminals being of like or different operating characteristics, comprising:

means for [receiving message information from one or more message sources;] subdividing each of said messages from said source terminals into one or more data packets having at least an information portion and a destination terminal address portion for transmitting said message to one or more addressed destination terminals, each of said messages including a priority assignment;
means for [subdividing said message information from each of said message sources into a plurality of data packets, each of said packets including at least a portion of said message information;] providing a plurality of switching nodes in a network for transmitting said data packets to said destination terminals over said network through said switching nodes;
means for [independently transmitting said data packets over said communications system including a network of a plurality of switching nodes for selectively storing and forwarding said packets over said network in accordance with information contained by said packets;
and] selectively storing and forwarding on a priority basis data packets that are received at any of said switching nodes from a plurality of source terminals to one or more destination terminals based on the priority assigned to said message;
and [processing means for storing said data packets for reassembly of said packets into said message information] means coupled to said destination terminals for reassembling said data packets into said transmitted messages before receipt at said destination terminals to which said messages are addressed .

2 more elements

A packet-switched data communications and storing system operable in store-and-forward mode for providing bidirectional communication between a plurality of source and destination data terminals at a plurality of locations over a communications network comprising:

first data processing means having coupled thereto input data from one or more of said source data terminals addressed to one or more of said destination terminals for subdividing said input data from each of said source terminals into a plurality of packets, and having means for coupling said packets onto said communications network, said first data processing means including a first store-and-forward packet-switching means associated with said communications network for selectively storing and independently routing said packets on said network[;] on a priority basis;
second data processing means coupled to said network for reassembling said packets into said input data, said second data processing means including a second store-and-forward packet-switching means associated with said communications network for coupling said reassembled input data to one or more of said destination data terminals[.] to which said input data is addressed.

A packet-switched [communication] communications and storage system for transmitting digital data messages [between a plurality of data terminal devices having differing operating characteristics,] comprised of a plurality of data packets from one or more source devices and addressed to one or more destination devices, comprising:

first processing means for receiving data from one or more of said source [terminal] devices, [each of said source terminal devices having a particular set of operating characteristics], said first processing means including[:] ;
[means for converting each of said digital data messages into a digital data bit stream;
means for subdividing said digital data bit stream into a plurality of data packets, each of said packets including a portion of the message from which said packets were subdivided;]
means for [temporarily] selectively storing said packets[;
and] on a priority basis;
means for transmitting said stored packets onto [a] said communications network;
and second processing means including[:] ;
means for receiving said packets from said communications network;
means for reassembling said packets [into said digital data bit stream] into said message ;
and
means for coupling [the bit stream derived from the packets associated with each of said messages from said source terminal devices to one or more destination terminal devices such that said messages are reproduced by said destination terminal devices] said message devices to which said messages are addressed .

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Packet-switched data communication system

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Packet-switched data communication system

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Abstract

Claims31