Patent ID: 8040892
Filing Date: 2011-10-18
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
1. A switching system at a customer premises for communicating voice and data information associated with one or more subscribers, comprising: an interface to couple the switching system to a second switching system to form stacked switching systems including the switching system and the second switching system, wherein a first link provides first asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) signals to the stacked switching systems via the switching system, the first ATM signals including data signals associated with a first virtual circuit (VC) and data signals associated with a second virtual circuit (VC), wherein a second link provides second ATM signals to the stacked switching systems via the second switching system, the second ATM signals including other data signals associated with the second VC; inverse multiplex ATM (IMA) functionality for the stacked switching systems to process the data signals associated with the second VC, wherein IMA functionality for the stacked switching systems to process the data signals associated with the first VC is distributed to the second switching system; a switch coupled to the interface, the switch operable to receive voice signals on a third VC and to switch the voice signals out of the switching system on the third VC, the switch further to receive the first ATM signals and to provide to the second switching device the data signals associated with the first VC, the switch further to receive from the second switching device the other data signals associated with the second VC, wherein all ATM data signals associated with the first VC which are received by the stacked switching systems are directed for IMA processing at the second switching system, and wherein all ATM data signals associated with the second VC which are received by the stacked switching systems are directed for IMA processing at the switching system; and a router coupled to the switch, the router operable to receive the data signals associated with the second VC from the switch, to determine the second VC for the data signals received from the switch, and to route the data signals received from the switch for communication out of the switching system.