Patent ID: 7457390

Claim:
In a data tributary mapping system, a timeshared method for mapping information into Synchronous Payload Envelopes (SPEs), the method comprising: buffering data from a plurality of tributaries; providing a clock with a system clock frequency (Fsys); storing current buffer-fill information at a rate of about one tributary per Fsys clock cycle; updating an accumulation of buffer-fill information for the plurality of tributaries with current buffer-fill information, every Fsys clock cycle; sampling the accumulation of buffer-fill information for the plurality of tributaries at a sample rate frequency (Fsample), where Fsample<Fsys; using the sampled buffer-fill information to calculate a data rate control word for each of the plurality of tributaries; serially calculating stuff bit opportunities responsive to the control word; regulating the rate of data being mapped into outgoing tributaries; and, combining the outgoing mapped tributaries in a SPE.