Patent ID: 6598092
Filing Date: 2003-07-22
Classification: H04J

Abstract:
A source node for transmitting information signals by connecting a path between itself and destination nodes in a trunk transmission network, said path being a unit of information transfer between said source and destination nodes, said trunk transmission network including a plurality of ring networks connected together where each ring network contains a plurality of nodes connected to communicate bi-directionally in a ring and where said nodes are configured with distributed control capabilities, said source node comprising:a distributed path setup unit configured to set up paths between itself and a destination node by employing a control channel to exchange control signals with other nodes, said distributed path setup unit including: a first unit configured to acquire a token circulating around the ring network to which said source node belongs and to transmit path setup request packets in two mutually opposite directions, a second unit designated for a high grade path in which reliability and quality are required, said second unit configured to set up a path in each of the two mutually opposite directions in each ring network through which the high grade path will traverse after receiving response packets from the two mutually opposite directions in reply to said path setup request packets, and a third unit designated for a low grade path in which less reliability and quality are required, said third unit configured to set up a path in one direction of the two mutually opposite directions in each ring network through which the high grade path will traverse after receiving from one direction of the two mutually opposite directions a response packet in reply to said path setup request packets.