Cross-office connecting scheme for interconnecting multiplexers and central office terminals

Abstract

Interchange of data between two way loops and a data trunk is provided by way of channel units, submultiplexer/demultiplexers and a common multiplexer/demultiplexer. Submultiplexers have five, 10 or 20 ports, creating time frames with corresponding numbers of time slots, all of equal duration. The channel units, which terminate 9.6, 4.8 or 2.4 Kbs data subscribers, assemble the incoming data into bytes, repeat each byte five, 10 or 20 times, respectively, and align each successive one of the repeated bytes with successive time slots. Any port of a five port submultiplexer can be connected to any 9.6, 4.8 or 2.4 channel unit. Similarly, any port of a ten port submultiplexer can be connected to any 4.8 or 2.4 channel unit and any port of a twenty port submultiplexer can be connected to any 2.4 channel unit. The outputs of all submultiplexers are interleaved by the common multiplexer and applied to the trunk. Incoming data from the trunk is distributed to the several submultiplexers/demultiplexers which, in turn, distribute the data to the channel units.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A multiplexing system comprising: a plurality of input terminals for providing data signals,   means for repeating each of the data signals from each of the terminals a number of times, .Iadd.to achieve a high speed signaling rate, .Iaddend.the number being at least equal to the number of terminals, .[.to achieve a high speed signaling rate,.]. .Iadd.whereby successive groups of repeated data signals from each terminal are formed, each group consisting of the number of repeated data signals, .Iaddend.the repeating means including means for aligning in time each of the repeated data signals .Iadd.in each of the groups .Iaddend.with repeated data signals from the other terminals, and .Iadd.for serially applying the successive groups of repeated data signals from each terminal to an individual signal path associated with each of the terminals, and .Iaddend.   means for interleaving one of .Iadd..[.each of.]. .Iaddend.the number of repeated data signals from .[.one of the terminals.]. .Iadd.each group of repeated data signals applied to each individual signal path .Iaddend.with .[.the.]. repeated data signals from the other terminals.   
     
     
       2. A multiplexing system in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of the data signals provided by the terminals comprises a data byte, each of the data bytes comprises a plurality of serial data bits, and wherein the aligning .Iadd.and applying .Iaddend.means further includes means for aligning each of the serial bits in each of the bytes with corresponding bits in bytes from other terminals. 
     
     
       3. A multiplexing system in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of the terminals includes means for receiving incoming data bits and means for assembling the incoming data bits into the data bytes. 
     
     
       4. A multiplexing system in accordance with claim 3 wherein the assembling means further includes means for stuffing locally generated bits into each data byte whereby each byte consists of assembled incoming data bits and stuffed locally generated bits. 
     
     
       5. A data signal multiplexing system comprising: a plurality of input terminals, each of the terminals conveying data signals at a signaling rate which differs from the signaling rate of other ones of the terminals,   means associated with each of the terminals, for repeating each of the data signals from the terminal a number of times, the number being at least equal to and integrally related to the number of terminals and differing for each signaling rate in order to achieve a common high speed signaling rate, the repeating means including means for aligning in time each of the repeated data signals with repeated data signals from the other terminals, and   means for sequentially scanning the repeated data signal outputs of the several repeating means at a scanning rate equal to the common high speed signaling rate.   
     
     
       6. A multiplexing system in accordance with claim 5 wherein each of the data signals provided by the terminals comprises a data byte, each of the data bytes comprises a plurality of serial data bits, and the signaling rate defines the repetition rate of the repeated bytes, and wherein the aligning means further includes means for aligning each of the serial bits in each of the bytes with corresponding bits in bytes from other terminals. 
     
     
       7. A multiplexing system in accordance with claim 6 wherein each of the terminals includes means for receiving incoming data bits and means for assembling the incoming data bits into the data bytes. 
     
     
       8. A multiplexing system in accordance with claim 7 wherein the assembling means further includes means for stuffing locally generated bits into each data byte whereby each byte consists of assembled incoming data bits and stuffed locally generated bits. 
     
     
       9. A data signal multiplexing system comprising: a plurality of input terminals providing data signals at one of at least two different signaling rates, one rate being a fixed multiple of the other rate,   at least two groups of ports, the number of ports in one group being the fixed multiple of the number of ports in the other group,   means associated with each one rate terminal for repeating the data signals a plurality of times .Iadd.to achieve a common high speed signaling rate, the plurality of times being .Iaddend.equal to the number of ports in the other group and means associated with each other rate terminal for repeating the data signals a plurality of times .Iadd.to achieve the common high speed signaling rate, the plurality of times being .Iaddend.equal to the number of ports in the one group, whereby a common high speed signaling rate is achieved,   means for applying the output of each of the repeating means associated with one rate terminals to one of the ports in the other group,   means for applying the output of at least one of the repeating means associated with another rate terminal to one of the ports in the other group and means for applying the outputs of other ones of the repeating means associated with other rate terminals to the ports in the one group, and   means individual to each of the groups .[.of.]. .Iadd.for .Iaddend.sequentially scanning the ports in the group at a scanning rate equal to the common high speed signaling rate.   
     
     
       10. A multiplexing system in accordance with claim 9 and further including means for aligning in time the data signal outputs of the repeating means associated with the one rate and the other rate terminals. 
     
     
       11. A multiplexing system in accordance with claim 10 wherein each of the data signals provided by the terminals comprises a data byte, each of the data bytes comprises a plurality of serial data bits, and the signaling rate defines the byte repetition rate, and wherein the aligning means further includes means for aligning each of the serial bits in each of the bytes with corresponding bits in bytes from other terminals. 
     
     
       12. A multiplexing system in accordance with claim 11 wherein each of the terminals includes means for receiving incoming data bits and means for assembling the incoming data bits into the data bytes. 
     
     
       13. A multiplexing system in accordance with claim 12 wherein the assembling means further includes means for stuffing locally generated bits into each data byte whereby each byte consists of assembled incoming data bits and stuffed locally generated bits. 
     
     
       14. A multiplexing system in accordance with claim 9 and further including means for multiplexing the signals scanned by the several sequential scanning means. 
     
     
       15. A multiplexing system in accordance with claim 14 wherein there is included a further terminal providing data signals at the common high speed signal rate and wherein the multiplexing means includes means for multiplexing the signals provided by the further terminal with the signals scanned by the several sequential scanning means. 
     
     
       16. A time-division multiplex system having a signaling format consisting of repetitive time frames, each time frame having n time slots, and including, a plurality of terminals providing .Iadd.serial .Iaddend.signals at a signaling rate which is the same as the time frame repetition rate,   means associated with each of the terminals for repeating each .Iadd.serial .Iaddend.signal n times .[.and.]. .Iadd.whereby a group of n repeated signals is formed, .Iaddend.for aligning successive ones of the repeated signals with successive ones of the time slots, .Iadd.and for serially applying the successive groups of n repeated signals to an individual signal path associated with each of the terminals, .Iaddend.and   means responsive to .Iadd.the successive group of n repeated signals on each individual signal path extending from .Iaddend.each of the terminal repeating and aligning means for inserting into .Iadd.any .Iaddend.one of the time slots in each of the .Iadd.successive .Iaddend.time frames the repeated data signal aligned therewith.   
     
     
       17. A time-division multiplex system, in accordance with claim 16, and further including, other terminals providing signals at a signaling rate which is 1/m times the frame repetition rate, and   means associated with each of the other terminals for repeating each signal m × n times and for aligning successive ones of the repeated signals with successive ones of the time slots.   
     
     
       18. A time-division multiplex system, in accordance with claim 17, and further including, other means responsive to at least one of the other terminal repeating and aligning means for inserting into one of the time slots in each of the time frames the repeated data signal aligned therewith.   
     
     
       19. A time-division multiplex system, in accordance with claim 17, and further having another signaling format consisting of other repetitive time frames, each having n × m time slots individually aligned with and having the same duration as the time slots of the n time slot time frames, and further including, means responsive to each of certain ones of the other terminal repeating and aligning means for inserting into one of the time slots in each of the other time frames the repeated data signal aligned therewith.   
     
     
       20. A time-division multiplex system, in accordance with claim 19, and including, means for multiplexing the signals inserted into the time slots of the time frames with the signals inserted into the time slots of the other time frames.