Module switching apparatus with status sensing and dynamic sharing of modules

Claim 2

An interface switching unit for switching interfaces between modules comprising; a switching matrix for providing electrical interconnections between modules and interfaces attached to said matrix; a switch controller associated with a module for controlling the nodes of said switch matrix pertaining to that module and for supplying module and interface responses; a configuration control unit connected to said module and said switch controller; means in said module for communicating commands to said configuration control unit to thereby exert control over the states of said switching unit; means in said configuration control unit for interpreting commands from said module, which commands specify the configuration states which said switch controller is authorized to make with respect to control of said nodes; and means in said configuration control unit for making responses to said module as to the configured state of said switching matrix.

Claim 3

An interface switching unit for switching interfaces between channels comprising: a switching matrix for providing electrical interconnections between at least one channel interface and control unit interfaces attached to said matrix; a switch controller connected to said channel interface responsive to signals on said channel interface, for controlling the nodes of said switch matrix pertaining to said channel and for supplying interface responses to said channel; a configuration control unit connected to said channel interface for interpreting commands from said channel, which commands specify the configuration states which said switch controller is authorized to make with respect to control of said nodes; and means in said configuration control unit for making responses to said channel as to the configured state of said switching matrix in response to sensing commands from said channel.

Claim 4

An interface switching unit for switching interfaces between channels comprising: a switching matrix for providing electrical interconnections between at least one channel interface and control unit interfaces attached to said matrix; a switch controller connected to said channel interface responsive to signals on said channel interface, for controlling the nodes of said switch matrix pertaining to said channel and for supplying interface responses to said channel; a configuration control unit connected to said channel interface for interpreting commands from said channel, which commands specify the configuration states which said switch controller is authorized to make with respect to control of said nodes; and means in said configuration control unit for making responses to said channel as to the configured state of said switching matrix in response to sensing commands from said channel.

Claim 5

Switching apparatus comprising: a bus portion having a plurality of bus inputs and bus outputs; a control portion having a plurality of control inputs and control outputs; means for controlling said bus portion to connect a selected bus input to a bus output; means connecting said bus portion and said control portion such that said control portion attains a state indicative of the corresponding connected state of said selected bus input and said bus output which state is capable of being sensed by sensing signals placed on selected ones of said control inputs which coact with said control portion to produce status signals on predetermined ones of said control outputs; means for placing a sense signal on predetermined inputs of said control portion; and means connected to said control outputs of said control portion responsive to said status signals produced on said control outputs in response to said sensing signals.

Claim 6

Switching apparatus comprising: a bus portion having a plurality of bus inputs and bus outputs; a control portion having a plurality of control inputs and control outputs; means for controlling said bus portion to connect a selected bus input to a bus output; means connecting said bus portion and said control portion such that said control portion attains a state indicative of the corresponding connected state of said selected bus input and said bus output which state is capable of being sensed by sensing signals placed on selected ones of said control inputs which coact with said control portion to produce status signals on predetermined ones of said control outputs; means for placing a sense signal on predetermined inputs of said control portion; and means connected to said control outputs of said control portion responsive to said status signals produced on said control outputs in response to said sensing signals.

Claim 7

Switching apparatus comprising: a switch matrix having one or more first levels of switching dedicated to providing switching between modules connected thereto, said first levels comprising a matrix of first cross-point switches arranged to provide connections between signal lines to and from said modules upon energization of appropriate cross-points in a selected pattern of energization, and one or more addItional levels of switching dedicated to providing status as to the state of said first levels, said second levels comprising a matrix of second cross-point switches adapted to attain a pattern of energization identical to the pattern of energization of said first cross-points; means connected to one of said modules for interrogating the status provided by the state of said cross-points in said additional levels; and means connected between said additional levels and said module for transmitting said status to said module.

Claim 8

Switching apparatus comprising: a switch matrix having one or more first levels of switching dedicated to providing switching between modules connected thereto, said first levels comprising a matrix of first cross-point switches arranged to provide connections between signal lines to and from said modules upon energization of appropriate cross-points in a selected pattern of energization, and one or more addItional levels of switching dedicated to providing status as to the state of said first levels, said second levels comprising a matrix of second cross-point switches adapted to attain a pattern of energization identical to the pattern of energization of said first cross-points; means connected to one of said modules for interrogating the status provided by the state of said cross-points in said additional levels; and means connected between said additional levels and said module for transmitting said status to said module.

Claim 9

For use with a data processing system, apparatus for connecting any one of a plurality of input/output channels to any one of a plurality of addressable I/0 interfaces via energizable cross-point switches, each cross-point switch having an input and an output, comprising: a switch matrix comprising a bus portion including cross-point switches for connecting interface signal lines via an energizable cross-point switch to an input/output channel connected to said switch, and a control portion including cross-point switches for providing means for sensing an energized state of the cross-point switches of said bus portion; a switch controller including means for activating a direct out line which energizes cross-points in said bus portion to thereby connect an addressed I/O interface to a channel, said direct out line also energizing corresponding cross-points in said control portion of said switch matrix; control out lines energizable by said switch controller, said control out lines connected to the inputs to the cross-point switches of said control portion of said switch matrix; and a direct in line connected to the outputs of the cross-point switches of said control portion for transmitting a signal on said direct in line to said switch controller for those cross-points for which a corresponding control out line is energized.

Claim 10

For use with a data processing system, apparatus for connecting any one of a plurality of input/output channels to any one of a plurality of addressable I/0 interfaces via energizable cross-point switches, each cross-point switch having an input and an output, comprising: a switch matrix comprising a bus portion including cross-point switches for connecting interface signal lines via an energizable cross-point switch to an input/output channel connected to said switch, and a control portion including cross-point switches for providing means for sensing an energized state of the cross-point switches of said bus portion; a switch controller including means for activating a direct out line which energizes cross-points in said bus portion to thereby connect an addressed I/O interface to a channel, said direct out line also energizing corresponding cross-points in said control portion of said switch matrix; control out lines energizable by said switch controller, said control out lines connected to the inputs to the cross-point switches of said control portion of said switch matrix; and a direct in line connected to the outputs of the cross-point switches of said control portion for transmitting a signal on said direct in line to said switch controller for those cross-points for which a corresponding control out line is energized.

Claim 11

Apparatus for switching input/output interfaces between a plurality of controlling modules and a plurality of controlled modules comprising: a module control unit; a switch matrix; direct out signal lines connected between said module control unit and said switch matrix, each direct out signal line energizable to condition cross-points in said matrix common to a controlling module and to a particular input/output interface to be selected; means for extracting status from said module control unit as to the state of connection or disconnection of said input/output interfaces, including direct in signal lines connected from said switch matrix to said module control unit; control out signal lines connected between said module control unit and said matrix; and, means at said matrix responsive to energization of said control out signal lines for causing signals corresponding to the conditioned state of cross-points associated with specified input/output interface connections to be placed on said direct in lines.

Claim 12

Apparatus for switching input/output interfaces between a plurality of controlling modules and a plurality of controlled modules comprising: a module control unit; a switch matrix; direct out signal lines connected between said module control unit and said switch matrix, each direct out signal line energizable to condition cross-points in said matrix common to a controlling module and to a particular input/output interface to be selected; means for extracting status from said module control unit as to the state of connection or disconnection of said input/output interfaces, including direct in signal lines connected from said switch matrix to said module control unit; control out signal lines connected between said module control unit and said matrix; and, means at said matrix responsive to energization of said control out signal lines for causing signals corresponding to the conditioned state of cross-points associated with specified input/output interface connections to be placed on said direct in lines.

Claim 13

The apparatus as set forth in claim 6 above including means within said module control unit responsive to said direct in lines for monitoring input/output interface connections made by said plurality of controlling modules, said means including further means which, if one of said plurality of modules connects to an input/output interface selected by said module control unit, causes a forced disconnect to said particular interface to occur by deenergizing the appropriate direct out signal line.

Claim 14

Apparatus for switching input/output interfaces between a plurality of channels and a plurality of control units comprising: a switch control unit; a switch matrix; direct out signal lines connected between said switch control unit and said switch matrix, each direct out signal line energizable to condition cross-points in said matrix common to a channel and to a particular control unit input/output interface to be selected; means for extracting status from said switch control unit as to the state of connection or disconnection of said iNput/output interfaces, including a direct in signal bus connected from said switch matrix to said switch control unit and control out signal lines connected from said switch control unit to said matrix; and means at said matrix responsive to said control out signal lines for causing signals corresponding to the state of connection or disconnection of said input/output interfaces to be placed on said direct in bus.

Claim 15

Apparatus for switching input/output interfaces between a plurality of channels and a plurality of control units comprising: a switch control unit; a switch matrix; direct out signal lines connected between said switch control unit and said switch matrix, each direct out signal line energizable to condition cross-points in said matrix common to a channel and to a particular control unit input/output interface to be selected; means for extracting status from said switch control unit as to the state of connection or disconnection of said iNput/output interfaces, including a direct in signal bus connected from said switch matrix to said switch control unit and control out signal lines connected from said switch control unit to said matrix; and means at said matrix responsive to said control out signal lines for causing signals corresponding to the state of connection or disconnection of said input/output interfaces to be placed on said direct in bus.

Claim 16

The apparatus as set forth in claim 8 above including means within said switch control unit responsive to said direct in lines for monitoring input/output interface connections made by said plurality of channels, said means including further means which, if one of said plurality of channels connects to an input/output interface selected by said channel, causes a forced disconnect of said particular interface to occur.

Claim 17

For use with a cross-point switching apparatus for attaching controlling modules to controlled module interface lines which includes, a bus portion having a plurality of planes of two-dimensional cross-point switch matrices, each matrix having row and column signal lines; one plane of said plurality of planes for each interface line to be switched, a particular row in a plane assigned to a controlling module, a particular column in a plane connected to the interface line of a controlled module, and a cross-point switch element at the intersection of said particular row and particular column, said element energizable by said controlling module, the combination comprising: a control portion including one or more control planes of two-dimensional cross-point switch matrices, having signal lines arranged in rows and columns, each control plane assigned to a particular controlling module, each row of a control plane connected to a control out signal line from said particular controlling module, each column of a control plane connected to a direct in signal line returned to said particular module, a cross-point switch element at the intersection of each row and column of said control plane; and, means connected to cross-point switches in said planes of said bus portion responsive to said controlling module to energize said cross-point switches to thereby connect said module to an interface by means of said cross-point switches, said means also connected to energize cross-point switches in said control planes, such that a signal placed on said control out signal line is transmitted via an energized cross-point switch in said control plane to a connected direct in signal line to thereby indicate by a signal on said direct in signal line which cross-point switches in said bus portion are energized.

Claim 18

For use with a cross-point switching apparatus for attaching controlling modules to controlled module interface lines which includes, a bus portion having a plurality of planes of two-dimensional cross-point switch matrices, each matrix having row and column signal lines; one plane of said plurality of planes for each interface line to be switched, a particular row in a plane assigned to a controlling module, a particular column in a plane connected to the interface line of a controlled module, and a cross-point switch element at the intersection of said particular row and particular column, said element energizable by said controlling module, the combination comprising: a control portion including one or more control planes of two-dimensional cross-point switch matrices, having signal lines arranged in rows and columns, each control plane assigned to a particular controlling module, each row of a control plane connected to a control out signal line from said particular controlling module, each column of a control plane connected to a direct in signal line returned to said particular module, a cross-point switch element at the intersection of each row and column of said control plane; and, means connected to cross-point switches in said planes of said bus portion responsive to said controlling module to energize said cross-point switches to thereby connect said module to an interface by means of said cross-point switches, said means also connected to energize cross-point switches in said control planes, such that a signal placed on said control out signal line is transmitted via an energized cross-point switch in said control plane to a connected direct in signal line to thereby indicate by a signal on said direct in signal line which cross-point switches in said bus portion are energized.

Claim 19

For use with a cross-point switching apparatus for attaching channels to control unit interface lines which includes, a bus portion having a plurality of planes of two-dimensional cross-point switch matrices, each matrix having row and column signal lines; one plane of said plurality of planes for each interface line to be switched, a particular row in a plane assigned to a channel, a particular column in a plane connected to the interface of a control unit and a cross-point switch element at the intersection of said particular row and particular column said element energizable by a switch controller responsive to said channel, the combination comprising: a control portion including one or more control planes of two-dimensional cross-point switch matrices, having signal lines arranged in rows and columns, each control plane assigned to a particular channel, each row of a control plane connected to a control out signal line from said switch controller, each column of a control plane connected to a direct in signal line returned to said switch controller, a cross-point switch element at the intersection of each row and column of said control plane; and, means connected to cross-point switches in said planes of said bus portion responsive to said switch controller to energize sAid cross-point switches to thereby connect said channel to an interface by means of said cross-point switches, said means also connected to energize cross-point switches in said control planes, such that a signal placed on said control out signal line is transmitted via an energized cross-point switch in said control plane to a connected direct in signal line to thereby indicate by a signal on said direct in signal line which cross-point switches in said bus portion are energized.

Claim 20

For use with a cross-point switching apparatus for attaching channels to control unit interface lines which includes, a bus portion having a plurality of planes of two-dimensional cross-point switch matrices, each matrix having row and column signal lines; one plane of said plurality of planes for each interface line to be switched, a particular row in a plane assigned to a channel, a particular column in a plane connected to the interface of a control unit and a cross-point switch element at the intersection of said particular row and particular column said element energizable by a switch controller responsive to said channel, the combination comprising: a control portion including one or more control planes of two-dimensional cross-point switch matrices, having signal lines arranged in rows and columns, each control plane assigned to a particular channel, each row of a control plane connected to a control out signal line from said switch controller, each column of a control plane connected to a direct in signal line returned to said switch controller, a cross-point switch element at the intersection of each row and column of said control plane; and, means connected to cross-point switches in said planes of said bus portion responsive to said switch controller to energize sAid cross-point switches to thereby connect said channel to an interface by means of said cross-point switches, said means also connected to energize cross-point switches in said control planes, such that a signal placed on said control out signal line is transmitted via an energized cross-point switch in said control plane to a connected direct in signal line to thereby indicate by a signal on said direct in signal line which cross-point switches in said bus portion are energized.

Claim 21

For use with a switching system for dynamically sharing controlled modules attached to interfaces with one or more controlling modules, a controller comprising: means for monitoring control lines from said controlling module for the occurrence of a selection or polling sequence initiated by said controlling module; further means connected to said control lines responsive to the occurrence of said selection sequence for selecting an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said controller from said controlling module; means for returning a controlled module busy status to said controlling module if said addressed interface is unavailable for connection; and means connected to said control lines responsive to the occurrence of said polling sequence for selecting an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said controller from a controlled module corresponding to the highest priority available interface of all said controlled modules which signal a request for service.

Claim 22

For use with a switching system for dynamically sharing controlled modules attached to interfaces with one or more controlling modules, a controller comprising: means for monitoring control lines from said controlling module for the occurrence of a selection or polling sequence initiated by said controlling module; further means connected to said control lines responsive to the occurrence of said selection sequence for selecting an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said controller from said controlling module; means for returning a controlled module busy status to said controlling module if said addressed interface is unavailable for connection; and means connected to said control lines responsive to the occurrence of said polling sequence for selecting an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said controller from a controlled module corresponding to the highest priority available interface of all said controlled modules which signal a request for service.

Claim 23

For use with a switching system for dynamically sharing control units attached to interfaces with one or more channels, a controller comprising: selection means for monitoring control lines from said channel for the occurrence of a selection or polling sequence initiated by said channel; means connected to said control lines responsive to the occurrence of a selection sequence for selecting an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said controller from said channel; means for returning a control unit busy status to said channel if said addressed interface is unavailable for connection; and means connected to said control lines responsive to the occurrence of said polling sequence for selecting an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said controller from said control unit corresponding to the highest priority available interface of all said control units which signal a request for service.

Claim 24

For use with a switching system for dynamically sharing control units attached to interfaces with one or more channels, a controller comprising: selection means for monitoring control lines from said channel for the occurrence of a selection or polling sequence initiated by said channel; means connected to said control lines responsive to the occurrence of a selection sequence for selecting an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said controller from said channel; means for returning a control unit busy status to said channel if said addressed interface is unavailable for connection; and means connected to said control lines responsive to the occurrence of said polling sequence for selecting an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said controller from said control unit corresponding to the highest priority available interface of all said control units which signal a request for service.

Claim 25

A switching system for dynamically sharing controlled modules attached to interfaces, with one or more controlling modules comprising: a switch matrix; means associated with a controlling module for monitoring control lines from said controlling module for the occurrence of a first or second sequence of energization of said control lines initiated by said controlling module; means in said monitoring means responsive to the occurrence of said first sequence for energizing said matrix to select an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said monitoring means from said controlling module; and means in said monitoring means for returning a busy status to said controlling module upon the condition that said addressed interface is unavailable for connection.

Claim 26

A switching system for dynamically sharing controlled modules attached to interfaces, with one or more controlling modules comprising: a switch matrix; means associated with a controlling module for monitoring control lines from said controlling module for the occurrence of a first or second sequence of energization of said control lines initiated by said controlling module; means in said monitoring means responsive to the occurrence of said first sequence for energizing said matrix to select an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said monitoring means from said controlling module; and means in said monitoring means for returning a busy status to said controlling module upon the condition that said addressed interface is unavailable for connection.

Claim 27

The switching system as set forth in claim 14 above including: means in said monitoring means responsive to said second sequence for selecting an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said monitoring means from a controlled module corresponding to the highest priority available interface of all said controlled modules which signal a request for service.

Claim 28

A switching system for dynamically sharing control units attached to interfaces, with one or more channels comprising: a switch matrix; means associated with a channel for monitoring control lines from said channel for the occurrence of an initial selection or a polling sequence of energization of said control lines initiated by said channel; Means in said monitoring means responsive to the occurrence of said initial selection sequence for energizing said matrix to select an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said monitoring means from said channel; and means in said monitoring means for returning a control unit busy status to said channel upon the condition that said addressed interface is unavailable for connection.

Claim 29

A switching system for dynamically sharing control units attached to interfaces, with one or more channels comprising: a switch matrix; means associated with a channel for monitoring control lines from said channel for the occurrence of an initial selection or a polling sequence of energization of said control lines initiated by said channel; Means in said monitoring means responsive to the occurrence of said initial selection sequence for energizing said matrix to select an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said monitoring means from said channel; and means in said monitoring means for returning a control unit busy status to said channel upon the condition that said addressed interface is unavailable for connection.

Claim 30

The switching system as set forth in claim 16 above including: means in said monitoring means responsive to the occurrence of said polling sequence for selecting an addressed interface specified by an address supplied to said monitoring means from a control unit corresponding to the highest priority available interface of all said control units which signal a request for service.