Packet-switched communications network for efficiently switching non-burst signals.

摘要

In a packet-switched communications network wherein multiple node stations are interconnected by a transmission medium and each service user terminals, each station is responsive to a request for a circuit-switched call from a source user terminal of the own station to transmit to the transmission medium a control packet containing a source address, a destination address, a unique address and a time slot number identifying the position of a time slot in which a circuit-switched signal from the source user terminal is to be contained. The control packet is followed by a message packet which contains the same unique address as that sent with the control packet and a plurality of time slots which are identified by the time slot numbers of a plurality of such control packets. The destination station receives the control packet and a message packet having the same unique address as that contained in the control packet and extracts the circuit-switched signal from the received message packet in accordance with the time slot number contained in the received control packet and applying the extracted signal to the user terminal identified by the destination address.