Patent ID: 9014217
Filing Date: 2015-04-21
Classification: H04J,H04L,H04N,H04Q

Abstract:
1. A switching device operable in a packet-based network, the switching device comprising: a first multiplexor having an uplink port and a plurality of line ports, the first multiplexor operable for receiving data packets at the plurality of line ports of the first multiplexor, tagging the received data packets with an identifier uniquely identifying the line port receiving the data packet, multiplexing the tagged and received data packets into multiplexed data, and transmitting the multiplexed data on the uplink port; a second multiplexor having an uplink port and a plurality of line ports, the second multiplexor operable for receiving data packets at the plurality of line ports of the second multiplexor, tagging the received data packets with an identifier uniquely identifying the line port receiving the data packet, multiplexing the tagged and received data packets into multiplexed data, and transmitting the multiplexed data on the uplink port of the second multiplexor; and a cross-connect device having a first terminal connected to a first one of the plurality of line ports of the first multiplexor and a second terminal connected to a first one of the plurality of line ports of the second multiplexor, the cross-connect structured to provide a communications path between the first terminal and the second terminal thereby providing a communications path between the first line port of the first multiplexor and the first line port of the second multiplexor.