TST-TYPE SWITCHING SYSTEM FOR BROADBAND SWITCHING

Abstract: If in a broadband switching system broadcast TV-signals are switched, then it should be preferred that they can be switched through without the risk of blocking. To achieve this it is proposed to distribute the broadcast TV-signals via a n-fold bus line (BUS₁, ... BUS₆₄) over the 64 inputs (DTV₁, ... DTV₆₄) of the information stores IM₁, IM₂, ... IM₂₅₆. Together with their associated addressing and control, these infomation stores IM constitute a T-type T-stage switching system. Multiplex signals coming, for example, from the series-parallel converters SPT₁, SPT₂, ... of an S-stage of a TST switching system are applied to the further, for example 36, inputs (I out,1 , ... I out,36 ) of each information store IM. By means of the time slot control and the addressing associated with each information store IM 32 of the 100 memory locations are read and the contents are applied to the subscribers via outgoing multiplex line OMT. An advantage is that all the desired broadcast-TV channels can be switched-­ through free from blocking.

Description: This invention relates to a TST (time-space-time) switching system for distributing broadband and smallband signals. In broadband switching systems broadcast-TV traffic is also processed in addition to ISDN traffic ( inter alia telephony, data, video-conference). The broadcast-TV signals are digitized and are usually transmitted at a rate of approximately 34 Mbit/s. For ISDN traffic it is generally permissible for the switching system to have a (small) risk of blocking. In contrast thereto, switching-through of broadcast-TV signals must generally satisfy the requirement that there is no risk of blocking, so that the broadcast-TV signals can be made simultaneously available at the subscribers in all circumstances. It has been proposed, in European Patent Application EP 0 144 076, to use a separate switching system for ISDN and a separate switching system for conference-television and to process the broadcast-TV channels separately therefrom. These last signals are distributed to the subscribers via a bus system. Since TV-signals are not switched, this solution is not so flexible and because of the subdivision on the basis of signal types (ISDN, conference-TV, TV-broadcast) it is not so economical. A broadband switching system is described in the document "Proceedings of the International Switching Symposium". Florence, 7th-11th May 1984, Sessin 24C, paper 1, pages 1-8. This document describes in paragraph 4.1 together with Figures 2,3 a time switching network comprising an information store having a plurality of memory locations respectively connected to the data inputs and an addressing arrangement controlled by a time slot control. This document describes also in paragraph 5.4 together with Figure 5 a space switching system wherein p possible signal sources are connectable via a p-channel bus line to the corresponding data inputs of a space switching network. The space switching network in the above mentioned document is capable of connecting a subscriber at one of its outputs to only one of the p possible signal sources,which signal sources are broadcast-TV signals. The object of the invention is to provide a switching system wherein subscribers can receive more than one broadcast-TV signal simultaneously and receive all these signals blocking-free. According to this invention there is provided a TST-switching system as claimed in claim 1. The inventive concept of the invention is that p possible broadcast-TV signals are directly applied to the outgoing time switching network without using any space switching techniques. The signals at the p data inputs of each information store are transmitted through the outgoing time switching network by using the time-division multiplexing technique. The result is that a subscriber at a data output of this time switching network can receive more than one broadcast-TV signal simultaneously and without any blocking. An embodiment of the invention and the advantages thereof will now be described in greater detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is an illustration of the expected evolution of ISDN to IBCN (Integrated Broadband Communication Network) for which latter network concept the invention provides a switching system; Figure 2 is a circuit diagram of the telecommunication traffic and the composition of that traffic in an IBCN network; Figure 3 is a switching system of a time-space-time type embodying the invention; Figure 4 illustrates the arrangement of frame and subframe of the time-division-multiplex signal to be switched; Figure 5 illustrates a time switching stage in an ingoing time switching network; Figure 6 illustrates a space switching network; Figure 7 illustrates a time switching stage in an outgoing time switching network; and Figure 8 is a schematic representation of connecting broadcast-TV signals to time switching stages in an outgoing time switching network. Digitizing the telephone network opened up the possibility of providing a greater diversity of services to the subscribers. In addition to the transmission of telephone traffic in circuit-switched, 64 kbit/s channels, the possibility of utilizing the network also for data traffic was provided. The what is commonly referred to as Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) became possible. For the transmission between the subscriber terminal (telephone set / data terminal), more specifically the terminating circuit ISDN NT, and the (terminal) exchange (LOC.EXCH.) use is made of the existing 2-wire or 4-wire copper connections (Figure 1A). Gradually the need was felt for channels having a much higher rate than 64 kbit/s : particularly for 35-70 Mbit/s channels for broadcast-TV and also for 2-8 Mbit/s video channels for, for example, conference-television. For the transmision of such broadband signals use can be made of optical fibers. In the first instance, broadband fiber networks can be installed in addition to the existing copper wire networks, a broadband switching system (BB) being introduced in addition to the conventional switching system (LOC.EXCH.) at 64 kbit/s ("overlay"). At the subscriber's side the network can be terminated by means of a combined ISDN/broadband terminating circuit ISDN/BB NT (Figure 1B). In the future this evolution might result in the signals transmitted till then through the copper wires being conveyed through the fiber, as the channel capacity extension on the fiber this entails is insignificant. Then the two exchanges (LOC.EXCH. and BB) can be connected to the common fiber via a multiplexer MX. It is however reasonable to expect that the ISDN (terminal) exchange LOC.EXCH. in its totality will be connected to the input of the broadband switching network BB in addition to the truly broadband TV and video channels to be switched (Figure 1C). The multiplexer (MX) then becomes superfluous. In the long run the distinction between the switching system for the ISDN (terminal) exchange and the switching system for the broadband may become less distinct and an integrated broadband terminal exchange LOC.EXCH./BB would then take its place (Figure 1D). In view of this evolution, and more specifically the last phase thereof, it is necessary to develop a broadband switching network which is suitable both for switching the conventional, interactive 64 kbit/s telephone and data channels and distributive broadband TV-channels (for example 70 Mbit/s) and interactive, for example 2 or 8 Mbit/s video, music and data channels. The services which can be performed with the aid of a broadband network and a possible structure thereof are shown schematically in Figure 2. Many broadcast-TV and video sources VS are connected to the broadband switching system BB. The sources suitable therefor are the normal broadcast-TV, pay television, videotelephony, video library, electronic newspaper, etc. The bandwidth of the channels varies between 34 Mbit/s (or 70 Mbit/s) for broadcast-TV (the H4-channels) to 2 Mbit/s for video conferences (H12-channels). In addition, an ISDN exchange HE is connected to the broad band switching system BB. The exchange HE applies to the broadband switching system BB for example 30.B+D64 channels and a number of 2B+D16 channels (30 x 64 kbit/s + 64 kbit/s and 2 x 64 kbit/s + 16 kbit/s, respectively). The switched signals are transmitted to the opto-electrical convertor O/E of the subscribers terminal NT via an electro-optical convertor E/O and an optical fiber LL. Figure 3 shows a broadband switching system for 1024 subscribers connections. The switching system has what is commonly referred to as a TST (time-space-time) configuration. The ingoing time switching stages T in,i are arranged for switching ( i.e. exchanging time slots) of 36 channels of 34 Mbit/s each (H4). 32 of these 36 channels are, for example, directly supplied by broadband signals (for example broadcast-TV), whilst the remaining 4 channels are utilized for the low bit rate channels H12 (pronounce H one two), B, D64 and D16. A time frame comprises 36 time slots, the frame length is 461.25 nsec. A superframe comprises 271 frames and has a duration of 125 µsec. Since 32 time slots of each frame are reserved for the H4 channels, 1084 (4 x 271) time slots of each superframe are available fo the 125 µsec related channels such as H12, B D64 and D16. These channels are distributed over the 1084 channels as required, for example in a manner as illustrated in Figure 4. Thus, the time slots 9, 18, 27 and 36 of each frame are reserved for the low bit rate channels, a subdivision being made within each superframe for one or a plurality of H12-/30B-, B- and D-channels. The further implementation of one of the ingoing time switching stages T in will be described in detail with reference to Figure 5. The outgoing multiplex lines OT of the n time switching stages T in are connected to a space switching system S (Figure 3) by means of which the time slots on the incoming multiplex lines are switched through to the desired outgoing multiplex line by the space switching network S. The structure of the space switching network S will be described in detail with reference to Figure 6. The outgoing multiplex lines of the space switching network S are connected to the outgoing time switching stages T out. In the example shown in Figure 3 this is effected via an expansion network EXP (1 : 4). The time switching stages T out route the incoming time slots to the desired subscribers, which are connected to the outputs S₁, S₂, ... S₁₀₂₄ of the time switching stages T out . In addition, inter alia the broadcast-TV channels can be additionaly connected to the time switching stages T out , which channels are distributed over the desired output by the time switching stages T out . The details will be described with reference to Figure 7. Figure 5 shows an embodiment of one of the n ingoing time switching stages T in as shown in Figure 3. The time stage T₁ comprises a first, high bit rate time switching stage comprising an information store M₁ and being controlled by a addressing arrangement ADDR₁ and a routing memory RM₁. Thirtytwo channels of the type H4 are connected to the inputs IT₁, ... IT₃₂. These channels (34 Mbit/s) are more specifically intended for video information (conference-TV, TV-programmes having low audience figures, such as documentaries). The outputs OM₁ of an information store M₂ of a second, low bit rate time switching stage are connected to the remaining four channels IT₃₃, ...IT₃₆ of the information store M₁. This information store M₂is controlled by an addressing arrangement ADDR₂ and a routing memory RM₂. The second information store M₂ has inputs for a plurality of H12-, B- and D-channels. The precise number of these channels depend on the desired distribution between the numer of H12 channels (1.92 Mbit/s), the number of 30B+D64-channels, the number of B-channels (2 x 64 kbit/s) and the number of D-channels (16 or 64 kbit/s). As was already noted in the description with reference to Figure 4a superframe comprises 271 frames of 36 time slots each. Consequently 271.(36-32) = 1084 time slots are available in each superframe for H12-, B-, D64- or D16-information channels. The first, high bit rate time switching stage switches the information contained in the (36) memory locations of the information store M₁ through to the desired time slot on one of the outgoing multiplex lines OT under the control of the information stored in the routing memory RM₁. The routing memory RM₁ passes through all its (36) memory locations in one frame period (461.25 nsec). The information stored in a given location of the routing memory RM₁ then determines the address of the location in the information store M₁. The second, low bit rate time switching stage switches the information contained in the memory locations of the information store M₂ through to an outgoing nultiplex line OM₁ under the control of the information stored in the routing memory RM₂. The routing memory RM₂ then passes through all its location in one superframe period (125 µsec). The channels originating from the time slots switched in the second time switching stage are applied to the four specific inputs IT₃₃-IT₃₆ of the first time switching stage M₁ and are switched by this first time switching stage together with the other 32 H4-channels to the desired time slot in the outgoing multiplex line OT. The multiplex lines OT are each in the form of a bundle of parallel wires, for each bit of the word present in one time slot one wire of the bundle being used. The example considered here is based on 9-bit words. Consequently, the mutliplex lines OT will each contain 9 parallel wires. The bit rate of the multiplex lines OT is approximately 78 Mbit/s; on the (four) internal mutliplex lines OM₁ this rate is however only approximately 8.6 Mbit/s. The multiplex lines OT are applied to the space switching network S via parallel-series converters PST₁, ... PST n (Figure 3). The space switching network S (Figure 6) comprises a square matrix MA of cross-point switches XPNT. In the embodiment 64 columns of 64 cross-point switches each are provided. The outgoing multiplex lines OT₁,... OT₆₄ of the time switching stages T in are each connected to a row of switches XPNT of matrix MA. The cross-points belonging to one column are controlled by a cross-point control XC₁, XC₂, ... XC₆₄. The cross-point control XC comprises a first cross-point table memory XFM₁, a second cross-point table memory XSM₁ and a change-overswitch MS₁. The fixed contact of change-over switch MS₁ is connected to the cross-points of the relevant column. The first switching contact of change-over switch MS₁ is connected to the first cross-point table memory XFM₁ whereas the second change-over contact is connected to the second cross-point table memory XSM₁ via a buffer store BM₁. The time slots of the (32) H4-channels are switched by the relevant column of the space switching system S, under the control of the first cross-point table memory, whilst the other channels (H12, B, D64, D16) are switched by the relevant column of the space switching system S under the control of the second cross-point table memory XSM₁. By an appropriate drive of switch MS₁ the cross-point to be closed is determined on the basis of the value read, originating either from the first cross-point table memory XFM₁ or the second cross-point table memory XSM₁. Just as for the time switching stages T in the rate at which the information is read from the first table XFM₁ (78 Mbit/s) is much higher than the rate at which the information is read from the second table (8.6 Mbit/s). The time slots thus dynamically switched by the cross-point controls XC₁, XC₂, ... XC₆₄ appear on the outgoing space-division multiplex lines OS₁, OS₂, ... OS₆₄. The outgoing multiplex lines OS₁, ... OS₆₄ of the space switching network S (Figure 3) are applied to an expansion network EXP. Using this network, which has an expansion factor of 1 : 4, the multiplex lines OES₁, OES₂, ... OES₂₅₆ are applied to inputs of the (4 x 64 = 256) outgoing time switching stages T out,1 , T out,2 , ...T out,256 via series-parallel converters SPT₁, SPT₂, ... SPT₂₅₆ which are included in the lines. A time switching stage of the outgoing time switching network T out is shown in Figure 7. The time switching stage T out includes an information store IM having 36 inputs I out,1 , ... I out,36 for the connection of 36 multiplex lines (OES, Figure 3) originating from the space switching system S. In addition, the information store has a number of inputs DTV₁, DTV₂, ... , for example 64, for connecting a like number of broadcast-TV sources. Hereafter, in the description with reference to Figure 8, this aspect will be examined in greater detail. The inputs DTV₁, ... DTV₆₄ for the broadcast-TV sources among the outgoing time switching stages T out,1 , ... T out,256 are arranged in parallel, as a result of which the possibility of blocking broadcast-TV signals having a large audience being made equal to zero. The information store IM is read under the control of a time slot control TC and an addressing arrangement AT. The time slot control TC has a structure comparable to the cross-point control XC described with reference to Figure 6, no further description will be provided. The information stored in the table memories XFM and XSM determine which 36 time slots (from the maximum number of (36 +64) time slots present) will be read in each frame period and will become available at the output multiplex line OMT. The output multiplex line OMT is connected to a demultiplexer DMUX. This demultiplexer demultiplexes the incoming signal into four portions. Each of the four subscribers S connected to one demultiplexer receives 8 H4-channels and also 4 H12-channels and one 2B + D16-channel from the total of 32 H4-channels and 4 mixed (H12, B, D) channels. This represents a bit rate on the subscribers line of 9 x 34.688 = 312 Mbit/s. Figure 8 shows a portion of the outgoing time switching stage of Figure 7 in greater detail. As many TV-signal sources as there are inputs can be connected to the inputs DTV₁, ... DTV₆₄ of information stores IM. An input DTV i of each information store IM i is connected to a bus line BUS i to which a TV-signal can be applied. Consequently, all 64 TV-signals are available at each information store IM. In addition to the 64 memory locations for the TV-signals, each information store has, for example, also 36 memory locations for the signals originating from the space switching stage S which are applied to the inputs I out,1 , ... I out,36 of the outgoing time switching stage via the series-parallel converter SPT₁, ... SPT₂₅₆. The time slot control TC (Figure 7) and the addressing arrangement AT (Figure 7) are each arranged for switching 36 time slots. On the basis of the data applied to the time slot control it is determined in each cycle which 36 from the 100 possible memory locations must be addressed. The information contained in those 36 locations are switched through to the output multiplex line OMT. Since each information store IM has all the TV-signals available, blocking is prevented from occuring. Figure 8 outlines a situation in which the TV-signals are connected to the last stage (the outgoing time switching stage) bypassing the (first portion, the T-S portion of the) switching system. This method should of course be preferred if the TV-sources are available in the region of the switching system. If these TV-signals are not available there then they can of course be supplied via the broadband network. In that cas the TV-sources in the form of 34 Mbit/s signals will be switched through by the ingoing time switching stage and the space time switching stage. Predetermined channels can be used for that purpose. The TV-signals which then become available at (predetermined) outputs of the series-parallel converters SPT₁, SPT₂, ... SPT₂₅₆ are applied to the bus lines BUS₁, ... BUS₆₄ and switched through in the manner already described hereinbefore. Switching through of, more specifically, the TV-signals via the switching system has a number of advantages. In the first place flexibility, since the geographical location of the TV-sources is not important any longer. A second advantage is that because of the fact that predetermined channels are used the demand on the switching capacity is not larger than strictly necessary. A further advantage is, that if it appears that there is a great deal of interest (by the subscriber) for a given signal (for example a TV-documentary for which the general interest was estimated too low), a predetermined channel is adjusted for this specific signal, so that the load on the switching system can be reduced, as the different time slots intended for different subscribers but filled with the same information can be replaced by one time slot. The information in that specific time slot is distributed in said last stage, the outgoing time switching stage, of all the information stores and can consequently be made available for any subscriber.

Claims: A TST (time-space-time) switching system for distributing broadband and small band signals comprising an outgoing time switching network (T) with n switching stages (T out ), each time switching stage (T out ) comprising an information store (IM) having N memory locations respectively connected with p broadband datainputs (DTV) and q datainputs (I out ), whereby p <N and p+q=N, and comprising an addressing arrangement (AT) connected to the information store (IM) which addressing arrangement (AT) is controlled by a time slot control (TC), whereby p possible broadband signal sources are during each time slot connectable via a p-channel bus line to the corresponding p datainputs (DTV) of each information store (IM), and wherein the information store (IM) of each time switching stage (T out ) has the q datainputs (I out ) for individually receiving signals from a total of n*q further signal sources, the further signal sources comprising a combination of broadband and multiplexed smallband signals, via an incoming time switching network (T in ) and a space switching network (S), and the time switching stages (T out ) are each arranged for switching N1 time slots with N1<N.

Inventors: BOS, MARINUS ANTON, VAN BAARDEWIJK, JOHANNES
Applicants: AT&T NETWORK SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL B.V., AT&T NETWORK SYSTEMS NEDERLAND B.V.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: H04Q11
IPC codes: H04Q11