Patent ID: 8155148

Claim:
A telecommunications transport method for the transparent mapping/demapping of client data signals using one of Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH), and Optical Transport Network (OTN), comprising: using a mapper, mapping an incoming client data signal to and, using a demapper, demapping an outgoing client data signal from a transport frame, the transport frame comprising one of a Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH), and Optical Transport Network (OTN) transport frame, and a unitary payload portion of the transport frame comprising: a first segment of the payload portion that is dedicated to client data; a second segment of the payload portion that is dedicated to fixed stuff; a third segment of the payload portion that is dedicated to justification data for supporting a client data signal rate adaptation function; and a fourth segment of the payload portion that is dedicated to justification control information for indicating whether the third segment is used for client data or fixed stuff; wherein the configuration and distribution of each of the plurality of segments within the payload portion of the transport frame varies based on the content of the incoming client data signal; wherein the transport frame has a fixed size and the mapping/demapping is performed without the insertion/deletion of idle characters for client data signal rate adaptation; and transporting the transport frame directly over one of a Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH), and Optical Transport Network (OTN) telecommunications transport network.