Nodal switching network arrangement and control

Claim 2

A switching network for establishing interconnections amongst any of a plurality of termination circuits comprising a plurality of switching nodes, each of said nodes being associated with a respective one of said termination circuits, a plurality of links for equi-interconnectably linking any of said switching nodes, common control means for controlling the extension of a connection between a calling and called one of said nodes, said connection extension controlling means including means for finding an idle path among said plurality of links between said calling one and said called one of said nodes, means for ascertaining the number of busy links of each of the nodes located between the coordinates of said calling and called ones of said nodes, and means for extending said connection path amongst the least busy ones of said nodes.

Claim 3

A switching network according to claim 1 wherein said busy links ascertaining means includes a plurality of memory cells corresponding to the number of said nodes located between the coordinates of said calling and called ones of said nodes, and means for accumulating in said memory cells a count of the busy links of the nodes located in the rows and columns of said nodes between the coordinates of said calling and called ones of said nodes.

Claim 4

A switching network according to claim 2 wherein said connection controlling means inclUdes means operable incident to the selection of the next node from a given node for determining the next node lying in the shortest direction path between said calling and called nodes.

Claim 5

A switching network according to claim 3 wherein said connection controlling means includes means for sequentially testing said next node for idle links lying in said shortest direction path between said calling and called nodes.

Claim 6

A switching network according to claim 4 wherein said connection controlling means includes means for extending said connection path to a tested one of said next nodes indicated as having the least number of busy links and having an idle link in said shortest direction path.

Claim 7

A switching network according to claim 5 wherein said connection controlling means includes means for nevertheless extending said connection path to a more busy one of said tested nodes which has an idle link available in said shortest direction path when said least busy node does not have an idle link lying in said shortest direction connection path.

Claim 8

A switching network according to claim 4 wherein said connection controlling means includes means operable incident to said testing of said nodes and incident to the selection of a next node from a given node for determining whether a tested next one of said nodes has a link accessible to said given one of said nodes.

Claim 9

A switching network according to claim 7 wherein said connection controlling means includes means for extending said connection path to a next one of said nodes having a link accessible to said given node and not lying in said shortest direction connection path when said least-busy node and said more-busy one of said tested nodes have no idle links available in said shortest direction path.

Claim 10

A switching network according to claim 1 wherein said means for finding an idle path among said links includes means for ascertaining the busyness of nodes adjoining a given one of said nodes to which said connection path has been extended and means for selecting a least busy one of said adjoining nodes lying in the shortest direction path between said calling and called ones of said nodes.

Claim 11

An arrangement according to claim 9 wherein said connection controlling means includes means for forcing release of said connection path when none of said adjoining nodes can be selected.

Claim 12

An arrangement according of claim 10 wherein said means for forcing said release of said connection path is operated from said calling one of said nodes after said connection has been extended to said given one of said nodes.

Claim 13

A switching network according to claim 7 wherein said connection controlling means further includes means for applying respective marking potentials at said given node and at said tested next one of said nodes having a link accessible to said given one of said nodes.

Claim 14

A switching network according to claim 12 wherein said means for applying said respective marking potentials to said given and to said tested next one of said nodes includes means for applying alternate polarity marking potentials to said nodes.

Claim 15

A marking circuit for controlling the extension of a switching path in a switching network having a plurality of switching nodes, each of said switching nodes having a crosspoint and a controlling conductor therefor, said crosspoint being operable to extend said switching path over a link to one of a plurality of further ones of said switching nodes, comprising means operable incident to the selection of a first one of said nodes for applying a particular polarity marking potential to the crosspoint controlling conductor thereof, means operable incident to the selection of one of said further ones of said nodes for applying an opposite polarity marking potential to the crosspoint control conductor thereof associated with a link to said first one of said nodes, means at said first one of said nodes connected between said first and said one of said further ones of saId nodes controlling conductors for operating said first node crosspoint when said opposite polarity marking potential appears on said link, and means controlled by the operation of said first node crosspoint for removing said opposite polarity marking potential.

Claim 16

A marking circuit for controlling the extension of a switching path in a switching network having a plurality of switching nodes, each of said switching nodes having a crosspoint and a controlling conductor therefor, said crosspoint being operable to extend said switching path over a link to one of a plurality of further ones of said switching nodes, comprising means operable incident to the selection of a first one of said nodes for applying a particular polarity marking potential to the crosspoint controlling conductor thereof, means operable incident to the selection of one of said further ones of said nodes for applying an opposite polarity marking potential to the crosspoint control conductor thereof associated with a link to said first one of said nodes, means at said first one of said nodes connected between said first and said one of said further ones of saId nodes controlling conductors for operating said first node crosspoint when said opposite polarity marking potential appears on said link, and means controlled by the operation of said first node crosspoint for removing said opposite polarity marking potential.

Claim 17

A switching network for establishing interconnection amongst any of a plurality of termination circuits comprising a plurality of switching nodes, predetermined ones of said nodes being associated with respective ones of said termination circuits; a plurality of links useable in extending a connection path between a calling and called one of said nodes; means for finding a connection path between a calling and called one of said nodes, said idle connection path finding means including means operable incident to the selection of the next nodes from a given node for determining that next node which lies in the shortest direction path between said calling and called nodes; means for ascertaining whether said next node has an idle link accessible to said given node; means for determining whether said next node has an idle link outgoing in the direction of said called node; means for determining the next node having the least number of busy links; and means for preferring the extension of the connection to a next node having the least number of busy links which node lies in the shortest direction path between said calling and called nodes and which has an idle outgoing link in said shortest direction path.

Claim 18

A switching network for establishing interconnection amongst any of a plurality of termination circuits comprising a plurality of switching nodes, predetermined ones of said nodes being associated with respective ones of said termination circuits; a plurality of links useable in extending a connection path between a calling and called one of said nodes; means for finding a connection path between a calling and called one of said nodes, said idle connection path finding means including means operable incident to the selection of the next nodes from a given node for determining that next node which lies in the shortest direction path between said calling and called nodes; means for ascertaining whether said next node has an idle link accessible to said given node; means for determining whether said next node has an idle link outgoing in the direction of said called node; means for determining the next node having the least number of busy links; and means for preferring the extension of the connection to a next node having the least number of busy links which node lies in the shortest direction path between said calling and called nodes and which has an idle outgoing link in said shortest direction path.

Claim 19

A switching network for establishing interconnections among any of a plurality of termination circuits comprising a plane of switching nodes and links each of said switching nodes being connected to a plurality of others of said switching nodes of said plane according to an iterative pattern of said links which is substantially the same for each of said nodes, means for accruing a count of the number of busy links at each of the nodes subtended by the coordinates of a calling and called one of said nodes in said plane, means operable incident to the extension of a connection path between said calling and called nodes for preferring the selection of a node for inclusion in an incremental portion of said connection path being extended which node has the least number of busy links and which node possesses an idle outgoing link in the shortest distance path between said calling and called nodes.

Claim 20

A switching network for establishing interconnections among any of a plurality of termination circuits comprising a plane of switching nodes and links each of said switching nodes being connected to a plurality of others of said switching nodes of said plane according to an iterative pattern of said links which is substantially the same for each of said nodes, means for accruing a count of the number of busy links at each of the nodes subtended by the coordinates of a calling and called one of said nodes in said plane, means operable incident to the extension of a connection path between said calling and called nodes for preferring the selection of a node for inclusion in an incremental portion of said connection path being extended which node has the least number of busy links and which node possesses an idle outgoing link in the shortest distance path between said calling and called nodes.

Claim 21

In a switching network having a plurality of switching nodes, a plurality of links between said nodes and crosspoints at each node selectively operable to connect the node to said links, a sleeve lead marking circuit for controlling the extension of switching paths over said links, comprising means operable incident to the selection of any one node for applying a particular polarity marking potential to a sleeve lead of said node, and means operable incident to the selection of the next node in said switching path for applying the opposite polarity marking potential to the sleeve lead of said next node associated with a link from said one node.

Claim 22

In a switching network having a plurality of switching nodes, a plurality of links between said nodes and crosspoints at each node selectively operable to connect the node to said links, a sleeve lead marking circuit for controlling the extension of switching paths over said links, comprising means operable incident to the selection of any one node for applying a particular polarity marking potential to a sleeve lead of said node, and means operable incident to the selection of the next node in said switching path for applying the opposite polarity marking potential to the sleeve lead of said next node associated with a link from said one node.

Claim 23

A sleeve lead marking circuit according to claim 17 wherein said sleeve lead of said one and of said next node are serially connected and wherein said particular and said opposite polarity marking potential are additively connected to said serially connected sleeve leads.

Claim 24

A switching network having a marking circuit according to claim 18 wherein each of said nodes includes threshold voltage means connected between each pair of sleeve leads connectible by one of said crosspoints and wherein said additively connected marking potentials equal the threshold voltage of one of said crosspoints.

Claim 25

A switching system for establishing interconnections between a first and a second termination comprising a network having a plurality of switching points each having links to a predetermined number of surrounding switching points arranged in a convoluted array, and a central network control haviNg: means for ascertaining whether each of the least number of intervening switching points includable between the switching points of the first and second terminations have idle links for inclusion in the interconnection, means for selecting said least number of intervening switching points when each has said idle links, and means for selecting additional intervening switching points when a fully busy switching point is encountered by said ascertaining means.

Claim 26

A switching system for establishing interconnections between a first and a second termination comprising a network having a plurality of switching points each having links to a predetermined number of surrounding switching points arranged in a convoluted array, and a central network control haviNg: means for ascertaining whether each of the least number of intervening switching points includable between the switching points of the first and second terminations have idle links for inclusion in the interconnection, means for selecting said least number of intervening switching points when each has said idle links, and means for selecting additional intervening switching points when a fully busy switching point is encountered by said ascertaining means.

Claim 27

A switching system according to claim 20 wherein said ascertaining means includes means for ascertaining the busyness of a subarray of the links of the switching points between the switching points of the first and second terminations and wherein said selecting means select said switching points in accordance with said busyness.

Claim 28

A switching system according to claim 21 wherein said selecting means is arranged to select switching points having the lowest busyness for inclusion in the interconnection.

Claim 29

A switching system for establishing interconnections between a first and second of a plurality of terminations characterized by a switching network in which each termination is assigned to a switching point which has links to a predetermined number of surrounding switching points and by a central control for the network which makes up a switching path between the first and second termination by selecting the least number of intervening switching points having idle links includable in the switching path and by selecting additional switching points when a switching point having all includable links busy is encountered.

Claim 30

A switching system for establishing interconnections between a first and second of a plurality of terminations characterized by a switching network in which each termination is assigned to a switching point which has links to a predetermined number of surrounding switching points and by a central control for the network which makes up a switching path between the first and second termination by selecting the least number of intervening switching points having idle links includable in the switching path and by selecting additional switching points when a switching point having all includable links busy is encountered.

Claim 31

A switching network according to claim 23 further characterized in that the arrangement for making up the switching path of said switching points ascertains the busyness of a subarray of the switching points between the first and second termination and which attempts to make up the switching path by interconnecting least-busy switching points in the subarray.