Patent ID: 6262991
Filing Date: 2001-07-17
Classification: H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
An infrastructure exchange responsive to a plurality of subscriber terminals each having a dedicated modem that supports data transmission, the infrastructure exchange comprising:at least one assignable modem capable of communicating with the dedicated modem of at least some of the plurality of subscriber terminals; anda first cross-point switch having a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs, the first cross-point switch arranged to route data transmission between the plurality of subscriber terminals and the at least one assignable modem;a second cross-point switch, the first cross-point switch coupled to receive data transmissions form the plurality of subscriber terminals and the second cross-point switch coupled to provide data transmission from the at least one assignable modem to the plurality of subscriber terminals:wherein the infrastructure exchange has fewer assignable modems than a combined number of dedicated modems in the plurality of subscriber terminals and the first cross-point switch acts to increase a ratio of dedicated modems in the plurality of subscriber terminals to assignable modems in the infrastructure exchange, and the first cross-point switch allows bidirectional data transmission between the dedicated modems in the plurality of subscriber terminals and the assignable modems in the infrastructure exchange.