Importance

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Abstract

In a subrate-multiplexed communication system, a user channel whose data transmission rate fluctuates about a nominal rate from the viewpoint of a network--illustratively because the channel is timed independently from the network--is assigned a fixed amount of network bandwidth that defines a fixed transmission rate which exceeds the data signal rate of the user channel and is preferably equal to the maximum anticipated user-channel data signal rate plus the minimum acceptable control information transport rate. As much of the fixed transmission rate defined by the assigned network bandwidth as necessary to handle the current data rate of the user channel is used at any time for transport of data signals, and the full remaining amount of the fixed transmission rate defined by the assigned bandwidth is used to transport control signals, so that the alternation between data and control signals within the user channel's signal stream through the network is aperiodic over time and no assigned bandwidth ever remains idle. The multiplexed-transmission format is frames of one-byte time slots wherein each byte comprises six sequential information bits delineated at one end of the sequence by a framing bit and delinated at another end of the sequence by a control bit. A control bit value of one identifies the information bits as bits of data information, and a control bit value of zero together with all subsequent information bits in the sequence up to and including a first subsequent information bit having a value of one identify remaining information bits in the sequence as bits of control information.

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