Patent ID: 7006536

Claim:
A method for transporting a plurality of client data signals via a single server signal comprising: receiving a plurality of input client data signals; generating timing data for each of the plurality of input client data signals and constructing the corresponding output client data signals, wherein generating the client timing data for each of the plurality of input client data signals comprises, for each input client data signal, counting the bits of the input client data signal and determining the number of bits of the input client data signal which are counted in a predetermined interval, and wherein constructing the corresponding output client data signals comprises, for each output client data signal, counting the bits of the output client data signal, determining the number of bits of the output client data signal which are counted in the predetermined interval and adjusting a data rate of the output client data signal to cause the number of bits of the output client data signal which are counted in the predetermined interval to match the number of bits of the input client data signal which are counted in the predetermined interval; mapping client payload data from the plurality of input client data signals to a payload of a server signal; mapping client overhead data from the plurality of input client data signals to a first portion of unused overhead data in the server signal; mapping client timing data to a second portion of unused overhead data in the server signal; transporting the server signal; extracting the client payload data, client overhead data and client timing data from the server signal; and constructing a plurality of output client data signals from the client payload data, client overhead data and client timing data.