Patent GB-1320941-A (GB)
Title: Communications switching system
IPC: H04M3/00
Filed: 1970-09-18
Abstract: 1320941 Automatic exchange systems WESTERN ELECTRIC CO Inc 18 Sept 1970 [19 Sept 1969] 44622/70 Heading H4K In an exchange comprising two (or more) suboffices each of which provides access to a limited number of directional trunks, a call originating in one sub-office that requires a trunk emanating from another sub-office is set up with the aid of a data link between the control circuits of the two sub-offices concerned. The trunk side control circuit is advised over the link of the call destination so as to select a free trunk and a free path thereto via its sub-offices switching network. The identity of the chosen inlet to the latter network i.e. an inter sub-office trunk, is advised to the calling side control circuit which then selects a path thereto. If no path is available the latter control selects a free path to another inter sub-office trunk and informs the other control accordingly. The process repeats until a connection is established. All dialled digits are repeated to the trunk side register/ sender for onward transmission.  Central control is provided by a No. 1 ESS type processor which has been amply described in the literature for example in the Bell System Technical Journal for September 1964. A brief comment on the Programme and Call Stores will not come amiss at this point however. In the programme store 102 (Fig. 6) location 1 contains instructions for implementing call processing and maintenance functions which are common to all offices of a certain class, instructions for generating tables which are frequently used and which are inserted in location A of the call store 103 (Fig. 7) and instructions for executing short-lived mutually exclusive operations. Longer lived operations which are mutually exclusive (e.g. those which depend on the particular concentration ratio adopted in the office) are provided for in location 2. Locations 3-5, as the legends indicate, provide instructions and data for packing the call store prior to cut-over of the exchange. The instructions in these locations 2-4 are only changed in the event of exchange growth and they occupy the same positions in store in all exchanges of a given class. Scanning of peripherals is effected every 10 msec. with programme sequences in locations 1 or 2 utilizing addresses provided in location B of the call store. (Fig. 12B, not shown). A row of 16 ferrols at a time are scanned by a word in location B and the results are temporarily recorded in 5 words devoted to last look, present state, change last look, permanent signal and activity functions prior to transfer of the data to unique positions in signal receiving registers each formed by three words in location C. (Fig. 12C, 12D, 12E, not shown). Depending on the activity state i.e. new cell etc., and the busy/free state-changes noted during scanning, the scanning programme may be interrupted so as to update one of the registers allotted to the call. These registers comprise words in location C of the call store and include among others an originating register of 16 words for receiving dialling or V.F. signalling data (Fig. 13, not shown), a ringing register, and a disconnect register. The registers are allotted on the basis of the longest idle one having the greatest preference, words in location B being provided for determining this criteria (c.f. part 1 of location B in Fig. 7). Another set of registers in location C are the call registers (Fig. 14, not shown) each of which contains service task information relating to a particular call. This information consists of the active/inactive state of the register, the call state i.e. awaiting answer or talking, and the identities of the incoming and outgoing network terminals as well as of the intervening path components. Each network outlet has a one word register in call store for recording the state of the outlet and the identity of a service register which is currently allocated to a call via the outlet. The call and outlet registers are accessed, via programme data in location 4 of the programme store. Access to the memory map which contains the current status of all components in the switching network and which is located in C of the call store is gained from part 2 of the fixed B location of the call store. Class of service data is retained in location 7 of the programme store, access thereto from generic programme (locations 1, 2) being by way of the pointers i.e. words defining the location of all the particular data pertaining to a general question raised by programme, located in programme store, 6, or call store, B. The data comprises directory/equipment number translation, PBX hunt, restricted outgoing calls, manual intervention necessary i.e. because the subscriber is handicapped, and trunk type i.e. originating outgoing, incoming, both-way, operator, special announcement. Trunking Network, consists of four stages of differentially round ferroods providing 4 paths between any of the 1024 inlets and the 1024 outlets, the network being folded in respect of intra office calls but being of the non-folded type for inter office calls. The AB stages consist of four trunk switch frames (Fig. 15) each consisting of four grids. The latter each comprise a set of of eight 8 Î 8A switches linked on a full availability basis to eight 8 x 8B switches. The CD trunking of the junctor switch frame is identical. The sixteen C switches in the bottom level have their lowermost inlets connected in order to the sixteen outlets of the two switches in the lowest and next-to-lowest levels of the first grid in the first frame of the B stage. The remainder of the BC linking is a logical progression from this (Fig. 19, not shown). Each matrix switch has one end of its series-connected column and row windings connected to a common conductor that can be marked with plus or minus pulse or steady battery while the other ends of the columns and rows are connected to marking conductors. The AB (and the CD) links incorporate selectively operable make contacts for completing marking paths for the two switches of a grid selected for a connection. (Figs. 8, 9 not shown). Further details of this arrangement an available in Specification 1,072,981 and 1,051,670. Memory map resides in call store and consists of a network map which records the busy/free states of the terminals and links of the network and a path memory which records the details of every established and reserved connection path through the network. Access to the map (whose size naturally depends on the size of the office) is effected from programme via pointers in location B. Path finding is effected on a purely logical basis and consists in hunting a free path from the calling inlet to a group of junctors then hunting a path from the called outlet to the same group of junctors. The condition of each A link is stored as one bit in a sixteen bit word allocated to the outlets from two adjacent A switches in a same grid (Fig. 16, 17, 18). Each inlet has access, via the eight A links from the switch to which it is connected, to 64 B links. In order to select a free B link, the status bits of two randomlychosen adjacent A links are extracted from the 16 bit word in memory and are expanded i.e. repeated 8 times each, to form a new 16 bit word. The status word corresponding to the 16 B links accessible to the two adjacent A links is then added, (logical AND) to the new word so as to provide and AB word which at each of its 1 positions denotes the possible routes from the calling terminal to the C-switches. Each B link has access to 8 C links. Their status bits are arranged in memory such that a bit for only one of the eight appears in each C link word so that if necessary the other seven C link words can be interchanged in turn with the first one in an endeavour to find a free path utilizing the particular two A links for which the search is currently in progress. Again by logical AND, an ABC word is obtained. Thereafter the word corresponding to a group of 16 junctors is added to the ABC word to provide an ABCJ word which at each of its 1 positions denotes a free path from the calling terminal to a free junctor. If necessary the other junctor group words can be substituted to find a path. A similar hunt then occurs for the terminating side connection to the same junctor group. Eventually, with idle paths being indicated in both the originating (incoming) and terminating (outgoing) ABCJ words involving a same junctor group, the originating word is rotated and shifted so that a final logical ANDing of the two words can be effected to obtain the full path. (The rotate/shift step is necessary to accommodate so-called "slip" in the bit positions of the two words). If more than one path is available, that path indicated by the rightmost one is selected, if none are available, the remaining pairs of A links are tested in turn using the same junctor group. If the test is still unsuccessful (although this is unlikely) a new junctor group is tested. It is arranged that at least those A, B links already in use for a serive connection i.e. incoming trunk to digit receiver, should be marked as available for a speech connection i.e. incoming trunk to outgoing trunk, and that reserved links for a speech connection should be made temporarily available for a service connection so as to minimize network blocking. Inter sub-office call.-Two basically different types of calls are possible with the office configuration shown in Figs. 1 and 2, namely, intra sub-office and inter sub-office. In the first type of call, both the incoming and outgoing terminals are terminated on a single sub-office network and conventional No. 1 ESS call processing procedures can be followed. Further description of the usual call handling procedures will not be presented herein. However, if the incoming and outgoing terminals are terminated on different sub-office networks which are controlled by different pr