Patent ID: 7809022

Claim:
A system for transporting a plurality of payload signals efficiently over a SONET based network, comprising: a plurality of data input ports configured to receive said plurality of payload signals transmitted at a first data transfer rate, said plurality of payload signals comprising payload information; a plurality of signaling input ports configured to receive a plurality of signaling signals transmitted at a second data transfer rate different from the first data transfer rate, said plurality of signaling signals including signaling information; and at least one data processing circuit configured to map said plurality of payload signals and said plurality of signaling signals directly into a SONET SPE of a SONET STS-1 frame exclusive of virtual tributaries, said mapping achieved by transferring a plurality of bytes of said payload information in sequence from each of said plurality of payload signals, breaking said payload information into a plurality of byte segments, each byte segment comprising a predetermined number of bytes of said payload information, mapping said plurality of byte segments to said SONET SPE in a byte by byte manner into a plurality of cells of said SONET SPE proceeding row by row, in a left to right manner, and proceeding from top to bottom of said SONET SPE, inserting at least one stuff byte segment into said SONET SPE if any one of said plurality of data input ports is determined to be inactive, said stuff byte segment comprising said predetermined number of bytes; inserting a plurality of bytes of path overhead data into a plurality of cells in rows one through nine, column one of said SONET SPE or at a SONET SPE starting location defined by at least one SONET transport overhead pointer byte, and inserting bytes of non-payload information into cells in at least one column of the SONET SPE other than said column one containing said plurality of bytes of path overhead data; wherein said non-payload information is selected from the group comprising said signaling information, stuff information and control information, and said first and second data transfer rates are less than a third data transfer rate of said SONET STS-1 frame.