Patent ID: 6560245
Filing Date: 2003-05-06
Classification: H04J

Abstract:
A telecommunications system, comprising:a) a plurality of interconnected network elements (NEs), each NE comprising at least one port; b) each NE being operative for inputting from at least one other NE, via said at least one port, a signal comprising data and a synchronization signal for synchronizing the data and a quality level indication (QLI) determined by a quality of a source of the synchronization signal; c) each NE being operative for outputting to said at least one other NE, via said at least one port, a signal comprising data and a synchronization signal for synchronizing the data and a QLI; d) a particular one of the plurality of NEs comprising a synchronization signal output (SSO) operative for outputting a particular synchronization signal received as part of the signal at said at least one port or at a particular one of the ports; e) the particular NE comprising a first synchronization signal input (SSI) operative for inputting the particular synchronization signal output from the SSO with no QLI; f) the particular NE comprising means for sending the particular synchronization signal input at the first SSI, as part of the signal output from said at least one port, for synchronizing the data therein; and g) the particular NE also comprising QLI means for associating the particular one of the input QLIs determined by the quality of the source of the particular synchronization signal with the particular synchronization signal input at the first SSI for sending as part of the signal output from said at least one port.