Broadband multirate switching architecture
 A broadband ISDN communication system (10) comprises a plurality of bit-serial synchronous time-division multiplexed ring networks (15) interconnected by a circuit switch (11). In each network, terminal equipment (14) is interfaced to a fiber-optic ring bus (12) by add/drop multiplexers (13). Single time slots (201) on the ring function as independently-assignable channels. Each time slot carries one bit at an 8 Kbps rate. Ring bandwidth is 45 Mbps. The circuit switch is a time-division multiplexed time-space switch. The time stage (301) comprises a plurality of time slot interchangers (TSI 303), one for each switch output port (306). Each TSI unit is connected to all switch input ports (305) and through the space stage to its corresponding output port. The space stage (302) is a time-multiplexed space stage. The switch is fully non-blocking and has broadcast capability. System bandwidth is dynamically allocated to users in single time slot (8 Kbps) increments, under control of a network manager (16). 
AT&T Bell Laboratories
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John S. Scott E. Hung-San Allen L.
Helton Farleigh Chen Larson