SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SWITCHING MULTI-RATE COMMUNICATIONS

1 - 24 . (canceled)

25 . A method for switching multi-rate communications within a communications format comprised of frames, each frame having multiple timeslots, using a network system that includes first and second timeslot interchanges, where the first and second timeslot interchanges output first and second frames, the method comprising:

obtaining a first data collection comprising m sets of data;

allocating p timeslots from a frame to the first data collection, where p is less than m;

providing at least one overflow timeslot from the frame for use with different data collections;

filling the p timeslots with p sets of data from the m sets of data within the first data collection; and

loading the at least one overflow timeslot with at least one overflow set of data from the m sets of data within the first data collection.

26 . A method in accordance with claim 25 further comprising:

filling a second set of p timeslots with p sets of data from a second data collection of the first type, wherein the second data collection includes m sets of data; and performing a first call packing in the first frame when a third data collection is of a different type.

27 . A method in accordance with claim 25 further comprising:

loading the at least one overflow timeslot with at least one overflow set of data from a second data collection.

28 . A method in accordance with claim 25 further comprising:

filling a second set of p timeslots with p sets of data from a second data collection, wherein the first and second data collections are of different types.

29 . A method in accordance with claim 25 further comprising:

filling a second set of p timeslots with p sets of data from a second data collection, wherein the second data collection is of a DS 1 type that is different than a type of the first data collection.

30 . A method in accordance with claim 25 wherein a network system includes a number of timeslot interchanges, said method further comprising determining whether a capacity of the timeslot interchanges to support a number of connections of a first type and of a second type is exceeded if a connection is routed via the timeslot interchanges.

31 . A method in accordance with claim 25 wherein a network system includes at least two timeslot interchanges coupled to at least one space switch, different first and second routes exist via the at least two timeslot interchanges and the at least one space switch, said method further comprising:

routing the p sets of data of the first data collection via the first route if the first route is unblocked; and

routing the p sets of data of the first data collection via the second route if the first route is blocked.

32 . A method in accordance with claim 25 wherein a network system includes at least two timeslot interchanges coupled to at least one space switch, different first route and second routes exist via the at least two timeslot interchanges and the at least one space switch, said method further comprising:

selecting p timeslots of the second route if the first route is blocked; and

performing a sequential search for the second route by identifying, in a consecutive fashion within the at least two timeslot interchanges, the p timeslots.

33 . A method in accordance with claim 25 wherein a network system includes at least two timeslot interchanges coupled to at least one space switch, different first route and second routes exist via the at least two timeslot interchanges and the at least one space switch, said method further comprising selecting an nth timeslot of the second route if the first route is blocked.

34 . A method in accordance with claim 25 wherein a network system includes at least two timeslot interchanges coupled to at least one space switch, different first route and second routes exist via the at least two timeslot interchanges and the at least one space switch, said method further comprising:

selecting an nth timeslot of the second route if the first route is blocked; and

performing a sequential search for the second route by identifying, in a consecutive fashion within the at least two timeslot interchanges, the nth timeslot.

35 . A method in accordance with claim 25 wherein a network system includes at least two timeslot interchanges coupled to at least one space switch, different first route and second routes exist via the at least two timeslot interchanges and the at least one space switch, said method further comprising:

selecting an nth timeslot of the second route if the first route is blocked; and

performing a uniform search for the second route by determining whether the nth timeslot has less load than loads of remaining timeslots within the at least two timeslot interchanges.

36 . A method for switching multi-rate communications, wherein a network system includes a first and a second timeslot interchange, and the first timeslot interchange outputs a first frame and the second timeslot interchange outputs a second frame, said method comprising:

filling a first set of p timeslots with p sets of data from a first data collection of a first type, wherein the first data collection includes m sets of data and p is less than m;

loading at least one overflow timeslot with at least one overflow set of data from the first data collection, wherein the overflow set of data exceeds a size of the first set of p timeslots, and

initializing to perform a first call packing in the second frame and then performing the first call packing in the first frame.

37 . A method for switching multi-rate communications, wherein a network system includes a first and a second timeslot interchange, and the first timeslot interchange outputs a first frame and the second timeslot interchange outputs a second frame, said method comprising:

filling a first set of p timeslots with p sets of data from a first data collection of a first type, wherein the first data collection includes m sets of data and p is less than m;

loading at least one overflow timeslot with at least one overflow set of data from the first data collection, wherein the overflow set of data exceeds a size of the first set of p timeslots,

deleting a first connection from the first frame, wherein the first connection occupies p timeslots in the first frame; and

moving a second connection from the second frame to the first frame, wherein the second connection occupies p timeslots in the second frame.

38 . A system for switching multi-rate communications comprising:

input side interfaces to synchronize an asynchronous inbound payload to generate synchronous payload and to map the synchronous payload into a frame, the frame comprising virtual tributaries (VTs);

a switch fabric comprised of time and space switch elements arranged to provide a non-blocking configuration, the switch fabric receiving the frame and manipulate the VTs within the frame such that any input virtual tributary (VT) of a given size is mapped to a free output VT of the given size; and

output side interfaces to demap the frame output from the switch fabric.

39 . The system of claim 38 , wherein the frame is arranged in columns of timeslots and the switch fabric comprises input side timeslot interchanges to reorder the columns of timeslots in the frame in a non-blocking manner.

40 . The system of claim 38 , wherein the switch fabric comprises multiple stages that include a time switched stage and a space switched stage, the time and space switched stages connect input and output VTs having a common size to one another.