US 7,321,558 B2
Method and apparatus in a computer network
Gunnar Karlsson, Ruddammsbacken 42, SE-114 21 Stockholm (Sweden)
Appl. No. 10/181,448
PCT Filed Jan. 19, 2001, PCT No. PCT/SE01/00095
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Sep. 05, 2002,
PCT Pub. No. WO01/54449, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 26, 2001.
Claims priority of application No. 0000176 (SE), filed on Jan. 21, 2000.
Prior Publication US 2003/0076561 A1, Apr. 24, 2003
Int. Cl. H04J 3/04 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 370—235  [370/539] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for multiplexing data flows from a number of transmission units, comprising the steps of:
sending signals from the transmission units;
detecting the signals from the transmission units at inputs of a switching unit;
forwarding the detected signals, which are detected at a point of time when no other signal is forwarded to an output from the switching unit, to said output;
blocking the detected signals, which are detected at a point of time when another signal is forwarded to said output; and
for each blocked signal, informing a transmission unit which sent a detected signal that the detected signal has been blocked, said detected signal being an optical signal and the informing step further comprising the step of
the switching unit reflecting blocked signals back to the respective transmission units that sent the signals.