Patent ID: 6011802
Filing Date: 2000-01-04
Classification: H04J,Y10S

Abstract:
An apparatus for transmitting a communication signal in a communication network between a transmitter in a synchronous digital hierarchy network and a receiver in a synchronous optical network, the communication signal having a payload with the synchronous digital hierarchy format and wherein the communication signal comprises a regenerator section overhead, a multiplexer section overhead, and a higher order path overhead, the apparatus comprising:a converter assembly adapted to receive the communication signal from the transmitter, to convert the payload at a tributary unit group level to form a converted payload with the synchronous optical network format, and to transmit the converted payload to the receiver in a synchronous optical network communication signal; wherein the converter assembly comprises:a first interface adapted to receive the communication signal from the transmitter in the synchronous digital hierarchy format and to separate the higher order path overhead, the regenerator section overhead, and the multiplexer section overhead from the payload;a converter adapted to receive the payload from the first interface and to convert the payload of the communication signal at the tributary unit group level to form the converted payload with the synchronous optical network format;a translator adapted to receive the higher order path overhead from the first interface and to translate the higher order path overhead into the synchronous optical network format to form a translated higher order path overhead;a processor adapted to receive the regenerator section overhead and the multiplexer section overhead from the first interface, to terminate the regenerator section overhead and the multiplexer section overhead, and to generate section overhead and line overhead; anda second interface in communication with the converter, the translator, and the processor, the second interface adapted to add the section overhead, the line overhead, and the translated higher order path overhead to the converted payload, thereby creating the synchronous optical network communication signal, the second interface further adapted to transmit the synchronous optical network communication signal to the receiver.