US 7,558,260 Byte-timeslot-synchronous, dynamically switched multi-source-node data transport bus system

3 defendants · 3 suits · updated October 6, 2026

Also cited as U.S. Patent No. 7,558,260 · US7558260B2 · US 7,558,260 B2 · 7558260 · the '260 patent

Optimum Communications Services, Inc. has filed 3 patent-infringement suits on US 7,558,260, "Byte-timeslot-synchronous, dynamically switched multi-source-node data transport bus system" since July 16, 2026, all in the D. Del., against 3 distinct defendants including Northwest Fiber, LLC, Cogeco US Finance, LLC and Connect Holding II LLC. The patent is held by Optimum Communications Services Inc A Delaware Corp and was granted July 7, 2009 on a priority date of March 7, 2003. Its abstract opens: "A self-optimizing digital communications network for transporting data among a set of nodes, such as routers, switches or terminal equipment, based on multi-source-node data transport channels, which have a framed carrier signal, and on which frame-slots are…" The examiner cited 16 references during prosecution.

Assignee: Optimum Communications Services Inc A Delaware Corp
Priority date: March 7, 2003
Granted: July 7, 2009
Expires: March 7, 2023
Status: Expired - Lifetime
Claims: 21 (2 independent)
Inventors: Mark Henrik Sandstrom
Full text: Google Patents

The suits

3 cases · D. Del. (3)

Filed	Defendant	Plaintiff	Court	Docket
2026-07-16	Northwest Fiber, LLC	Optimum Communications Services, Inc.	D. Del.	1:26-cv-00869
2026-07-20	Cogeco US Finance, LLC	Optimum Communications Services, Inc.	D. Del.	1:26-cv-00884
2026-07-22	Connect Holding II LLC	Optimum Communications Services, Inc.	D. Del.	1:26-cv-00897

Docket links open the public record on CourtListener. Filing dates are the complaint's.

Independent claims

What is actually asserted, verbatim.

Claim 1

1. A multi-node communications network system for maximizing communications traffic throughput through dynamic optimization of network capacity allocation, the network system comprising: a plurality of channel source nodes; a destination node; and at least one dynamically switched communications channel configured to transport data from the channel source nodes to the destination node, wherein said channel has a framed signal comprising a continuous sequence of signal frames, wherein, for each new signal frame in the sequence of signal frames, the network system is configured to assign one of the channel source nodes to transmit data on the channel, wherein said signal frames identify which one of the set of channel source nodes is assigned to transmit data on the channel on a following signal frame, and wherein at least one of the set of channel source nodes is configured I) to monitor specified overhead bitfields, referred to as Access Control Tags (ACTs), in successive signal frames on the channel, and II) based at least in part on the monitoring, to determine whether to transmit data on the channel on any given one of its successive signal frames associated with any given ACT.

Claim 12

12. A control process for dynamically sharing a digital communications channel bandwidth among multiple source nodes, said channel being able to transport data from multiple source nodes to a channel destination node and having a carrier signal consisting of a continuous sequence of signal frames, said process comprising: dynamically allocating the channel bandwidth among its multiple source nodes, by assigning channel signal frame transmission slots among the source nodes, through activating, via signal frame overhead information fields, individual source nodes of the channel to transmit data on the channel on future signal frames associated with said signal frame overhead information fields, and transmitting data on the channel by its individual source nodes on exactly those signal frames that were assigned to each individual source node via signal frame overhead information fields associated with said signal frames, wherein the process element of transmitting involves a sub-process performed by at least one of the set of channel source nodes that includes the below steps: I) monitoring specified overhead bitfields, referred to as Access Control Tags (ACTs), in each signal frame on the channel, and II) based at least in part on the step I), either transmitting or not transmitting data on the channel on the signal frame associated with a given ACT.

Art before the examiner

30 references of record, 16 cited by the examiner.

Everything listed here was before the Office and is what a challenge must go beyond. Art the examiner never saw is where an invalidity search starts.

Examiner-cited

US5315596A — Digital multiplexer with logically allocatable channels and bit rates (Canadian Institute For Broadband & Information Network Technologies, Inc. (Cibint))
US5461622A — Method and apparatus for using SONET overheat to align multiple inverse multiplexed data streams (Bell Communications Research, Inc.)
US5646758A — Optical time compression multiplexing transmission system (Nippon Telegraph And Telephone Corporation)
US5719858A — Time-division multiple-access method for packet transmission on shared synchronous serial buses (Paradyne Corporation)
US6411410B1 — Wavelength-division multiplexing in passive optical networks (Fujitsu Limited)
US6667990B1 — Transmission terminal station apparatus and network system (Fujitsu Limited)
US6782007B1 — TDM bus synchronization circuit and protocol and method of operation (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.)
US20050152349A1 — Packet transmission system and a terminal apparatus (Osamu Takeuchi)
US20050174948A1 — Received path trace detection apparatus (Ritsuko Isonuma)
US6975649B1 — Hyper-concatenation across independent pointer processors (Nortel Networks Limited)
US7042892B2 — Voice-over IP communication without echo cancellation (Radisys Corporation)
US7072361B1 — System and method for the transport of backwards information between simplex devices (Applied Micro Circuits Corporation)
US7075944B1 — Accommodation frame and transmission device of different data traffics on common carrier wave (Nec Corporation)
US20060182144A1 — Backplane bus (Calix Networks, Inc.)
US7130276B2 — Hybrid time division multiplexing and data transport (Turin Networks)
US20070053369A1 — System apparatus and method for interconnecting TDM and frame/packet communication networks (Hitachi Communication Technologies, Ltd.)

Applicant-cited and other (14)

US4587651A — Distributed variable bandwidth switch for voice, data, and image communications
US6108306A — Apparatus and method in a network switch for dynamically allocating bandwidth in ethernet workgroup switches
US6157656A — Method and arrangement for dynamic signalling
US6195332B1 — Rate-based flow control protocol on an ethernet-over-ring communications network
US6246692B1 — Packet switching fabric using the segmented ring with resource reservation control
US6542511B1 — Programmable transport and network architecture
US6556548B1 — Method of allocating resources in a telecommunications network
US6631128B1 — Core network optimization of topology and technology for traffic handling
US6667956B2 — Multi-class network
US6697373B1 — Automatic method for dynamically matching the capacities of connections in a SDH/SONET network combined with fair sharing of network resources
US6741572B1 — Architectures for communication networks
US6813277B2 — Method and apparatus enabling multiple access on a broadband communication network
US6826160B1 — Dynamic bandwidth allocation through multi-channel time slot assignment and migration for broadband access
US6973504B2 — Method for allocating network aggregation bandwidth and a network system using the same

Classification

G06F13/387primary — Information transfer, e.g. on bus using universal interface adapter for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system

Family

US7558260B2 — B2 (2009)
US20040174891A1 — A1 (2004)

Abstract

A self-optimizing digital communications network for transporting data among a set of nodes, such as routers, switches or terminal equipment, based on multi-source-node data transport channels, which have a framed carrier signal, and on which frame-slots are dynamically assigned among the individual source nodes of the channel using channel access control signaling in signal frame overhead. Per each such multi-source-node channel, each individual source node is identified with a unique channel access number called Local Node Identifier, and a control information field called Active Node Identifier carried in the overhead of each frame selects one of the channel source nodes to transmit data on the channel on the next frame period. With the present invention, all nodes along such channels access the channel synchronously using the same frame-timeslot phase, so that the channel can have a different active source node even for every new frame period, without any channel down-time.

Also asserted by Optimum Communications Services, Inc.

US 10,567,474 — Direct binary file transfer based network management system free of messaging, commands and data format conversions (3 defendants)
US 10,848,546 — Direct binary file transfer based network management system free of messaging, commands and data format conversions (3 defendants)
US 7,333,511 — Dynamically channelizable packet transport network (3 defendants)

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This page is assembled from public records — federal court dockets and the patent's own file — and is updated as the case list changes. It states what the record shows and is not an opinion on the validity or infringement of any claim. Patent data via Google Patents; docket data via CourtListener.