Patent ID: 6049550
Filing Date: 2000-04-11
Classification: H04J,H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
An apparatus for mapping signals between virtual tributaries and digital signal formats for transmission to and from subscriber equipment and a telecommunications system along optical and wire paths, comprising:a first bus interface connected to said telecommunications system for receiving signals from and transmitting signals to an optical path in said telecommunications system which are formatted as floating synchronous transport signals comprising virtual tributaries;a second bus interface connected to said subscriber equipment for receiving signals from and transmitting signals to an optical path interconnecting a first plurality of said subscriber equipment which are formatted as locked synchronous transport signals comprising virtual tributaries and overhead bytes;a digital signal interface for receiving digital signals from and transmitting digital signals to wire paths coupled to said telecommunications system and a second plurality of said subscriber equipment; anda mapper circuit connected to said first bus interface, said second bus interface and said digital signal interface, and configured to perform at least one mapping operation from a group of operations consisting of mapping at least one of said virtual tributaries to at least one of said digital signals, mapping at least one of said virtual tributaries to a different one of said virtual tributaries, and mapping at least one of said digital signals to at least one of said virtual tributaries.