Importance

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Abstract

A telephone switching network including a remote line switch that couples digital voice signals from a plurality of subscriber lines onto a lesser number of communications links connected to a central office. The remote line switch also includes an intra-nodal switch that switches telephone calls between subscriber lines connected thereto, so that the digital voice signals for the calls need not be transmitted to the central office for switching. The line switch, on receiving a request from the central office for a termination connection to a called line, determines whether both the calling and called lines are connected to it. If they are, and if the line's classes of service as supplied by the central office permit, the line switch establishes a path through its intra-nodal switch to switch the call.

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First Claim