Patent ID: 6724996
Filing Date: 2004-04-20
Classification: H04J

Abstract:
Apparatus for use in formatting an optical channel signal to be transported on an optical transport network comprising:a processor for allocating prescribed bandwidth for a client signal payload envelope in which said client signal floats without the need of pointers to identify it, for allocating first additional bandwidth, for allocating second additional bandwidth, for adding said first additional bandwidth to a first side of said prescribed bandwidth of said payload envelope bandwidth, and for adding said second additional bandwidth to a second side of said prescribed bandwidth of said payload envelope bandwidth, wherein said first and second additional bandwidths form a digital wrapper around said payload envelope bandwidth with said first and second additional bandwidths being associated with said optical channel in such a manner that said digital wrapper is independent of the type of client signal intended to be transported in the client signal payload envelop, and said payload envelope bandwidth forms a client optical signal format independent, constant bit-rate transport channel; and an insertor for inserting prescribed optical channel overhead information in said first additional bandwidth, which optical channel overhead is independent of the client signal format, wherein said payload envelope bandwidth, said first additional bandwidth and said second additional bandwidth form said optical channel signal and said digital wrapper that provide the benefits of inband overhead while not requiring further processing of said client signal intended to be transported in said payload envelope, wherein said transport network does not require that the client signal format be known to it.