Patent ID: 6215412
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: G06F,H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A switching network comprising:a plurality of bufferless switching apparatuses cascaded into a plurality of stages, said switching apparatuses each including a plurality of switch inputs and a plurality of switch outputs, of the switch outputs included on each of said switching apparatuses each coupled to a different one of the switching apparatuses via a switch input of said different one of the switching apparatuses, switch outputs of last stage switching apparatuses each comprising a network output port and switch inputs of first stage switching apparatuses each comprising a network input port;the network output ports each coupled to a network input port through one of a plurality of nodes, each of said nodes comprising means for receiving a data message from a coupled network output port and means for sending a data message to a coupled network input port, said data message to a coupled network input port including a path connection request; andsaid switching apparatuses each further including:connection means for establishing a point-to-point communication path between any one of the network input ports and any one of the network output ports in response to said connection request received at said any one of the network input ports, said communication path for transmitting a data message received at said any one of the network input ports to said any one of the network output ports,said connection means including asynchronous connection means for establishing asynchronously a plurality of simultaneously active point-to-point communication paths between a plurality of network input ports and a plurality of network output ports in response to a plurality of connection requests received separately or simultaneously at said plurality of network input ports, said simultaneously active communication paths for transmitting concurrently a plurality of data messages received separately or simultaneously at said plurality of network input ports to said plurality of network output ports.