Abstract: A packet switch with a plurality of processing modules (PMs) interconnected via a shared transmission medium is provided with a flat distributed architecture by which each of the PMs has the capability of exclusive control of establishing a path for a user connection through the switch when a call request (CR) packet is received at one of the input transmission lines to the respective PM of the switch, and in which the exclusive control is exercised to select the best available line among all of the output transmission lines from the switch whether that output transmission line is one of its own or one of those of another PM in the switch, so that the path for the user call connection through the switch established in response to a given CR packet at any given time is a single hop via the shared transmission medium between the source PM which established the path and the destination PM which has the selected output transmission line, except where a single PM is both the source and the destination PM because i

Abstract: A packet switch with a plurality of processing modules (PMs) interconnected via a shared transmission medium is provided with a flat distributed architecture so that each PM has the capability of exclusive control of establishing a path for a user connection through the switch when a call request (CR) packet is received at one of its input transmission lines to the switch, and in which the exclusive control is exercised to select the best available output transmission line among all output transmission lines from the switch whether the best is one of its own or one of those of another PM in the switch, so that the path for the user call connection through the switch established in response to a given CR packet is a single hop via the shared transmission medium between the source PM which established the path and the destination PM which has the selected output transmission line, except where a single PM is both the source and the destination PM.

Abstract: A packet switch with a plurality of processing modules (PMs) interconnected via a shared transmission medium is provided with a flat distributed architecture by which each of the PMs has the capability of exclusive control of establishing a path for a user connection through the switch when a call request (CR) packet is received at one of its input transmission lines to the switch, and in which the exclusive control is exercised by selecting the best available output transmission line among all of the output transmission lines from the switch whether that output transmission line is one of its own or one of those of another PM in the switch, so that the path for the user call connection through the switch established in response to a given CR packet at any given time is a single hop via the shared transmission medium between the source PM which established the path and the destination PM which has the selected output transmission line, except where a single PM is both the source and the destination PM because

Abstract: A packet switch with a plurality of processing modules (PMs) interconnected via a shared transmission medium is provided with a flat distributed architecture by which each of the PMs has the capability of exclusive control of establishing a path for a user connection through the switch when a call request (CR) packet is received at one of its input transmission lines to the switch, and in which the exclusive control is exercised by selecting the best available line among all of the output transmission lines from the switch whether that output transmission line is one of its own or one of those of another PM in the switch, so that the path for the user call connection through the switch established in response to a given CR packet at any given time is a single hop via the shared transmission medium between the source PM which established the path and the destination PM which has the selected output transmission line, except where a single PM is both the source and the destination PM because its own output tran

Abstract: Method and apparatus for information communication during call connections between subscribers adapted to transmit and receive multimedia information at a pair of endpoint nodes of a fast packet switched network, the endpoint nodes being connected by a network path including at least one transit node traversed by links of the path. The multimedia information is conveyed as traffic consisting of a plurality of component types from among voice, video and data traffic component types each associated with a different subscriber at one of the endpoint nodes. A succession of composite frames conveying information is launched from each of the endpoint nodes to the other of the pair on the network path, with each of the frames configured to contain a plurality of fixed size channels representing bandwidth allocations for each of the traffic component types.

Abstract: Information is transmitted between a multiplicity of subscribers as components of traffic in an integrated services network, (ISN), in which the information traffic consists of a multiplicity of media types according to the different subscribers including voice, video, and data traffic component types. The traffic component types in the form of portions of respective information streams to be transmitted from subscribers at an entry point of the ISN are assembled into the payload of each of a sequence of composite frames for transmission through the ISN. The traffic component types subjected to such assembly are limited to those destined for subscribers at the same exit point of the ISN. Traffic component types within the composite frame payload are grouped in sets of adjacent channels of fixed bandwidth so that each group is limited to channels containing traffic components of the same type, with each channel assigned in its entirety to a selected subscriber.

Abstract: A system and method of transmitting information between a multiplicity of subscribers as components of traffic in an integrated services network (ISN). The information traffic consists of a multiplicity of media types associated with respective ones of the different subscribers including voice, video and data traffic component types. Each traffic component type has attributes relevant to transmission through the ISN which may differ from such attributes of the other traffic component types, such as delay sensitivity, loss tolerance, activity level, burst size, average packet length, and probability of buffer overflow. A plurality of the traffic component types to be transmitted, limited to those destined for subscribers at the same exit point of the ISN, is assembled from subscribers at an entry point of the ISN into a single composite frame of variable size for transmission along a path through the ISN.

Abstract: A method and system of transmitting information between a multiplicity of subscribers as components of traffic in an integrated services network (ISN). The information traffic consists of a multiplicity of media types according to the different subscribers including voice, video and data traffic component types. Each traffic component type has attributes of transmission through the ISN which may differ from transmission attributes of the other traffic component types, and the ISN also has attributes of transmission which may differ for transmission of the various traffic component types therethrough. A plurality of the traffic component types to be transmitted, limited to those destined for subscribers at the same exit point of the ISN, is assembled from subscribers at an entry point of the ISN into a single composite frame of variable size for transmission through the ISN.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for information communication during call connections between subscribers adapted to transmit and receive multimedia information at endpoint nodes of a fast packet switched network, in which the endpoint nodes are connectable for calls via network paths including transit nodes traversed by links of the paths, and the multimedia information is conveyed as traffic consisting of a plurality of component types from among voice, video and data traffic component types each associated with a different subscriber at one of the endpoint nodes.

Abstract: Method and system for establishing call connections for information transmission between a multiplicity of subscribers as components of traffic in an integrated services network (ISN), in which plural subscribers are located at different endpoint nodes of the ISN, the ISN includes transit nodes interconnecting separate links of the ISN, and the information traffic consists of a multiplicity of media types according to the different subscribers including voice, video and data traffic component types. Call connections are established as virtual circuits (VCs) between subscribers among the various endpoint nodes of the ISN as necessary to accommodate desired information transmissions.

Abstract: Method and system for transmitting information during call connections between a multiplicity of subscribers as components of traffic in an integrated services network (ISN), in which the information traffic consists of a multiplicity of media types according to the different subscribers including voice, video and data traffic component types. A plurality of traffic component types in the form of portions of information streams to be transmitted from subscribers at an entry point of the ISN during respective call connections are assembled into each of a sequence of composite frames of variable size for transmission through the ISN. The traffic component types assembled into each of the composite frames are limited to those destined for subscribers at the same exit point of the ISN.