Interconnect fabric providing connectivity between an input and arbitrary output(s) of a group of outlets
US4955016A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 29, 1989 |
| Grant date | Sep 4, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 29, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/55
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
This invention is an inventive N input by L output interconnect fabric. In operation, packets comprising an information field and an address are received at the N inputs to the interconnect fabric, and the address in each packet is mapped to a group of outputs, rather than to any particular output. Each packet is then routed to any available one of the interconnect fabric outputs associated with the group to which the packet is mapped. If a number of packets destined for the same group simultaneously arrive at the interconnect fabric inputs and the group to which they are all destined does not comprise enough outputs to accept them, then all packets in excess of the number that the destined group can accept are simply discarded. The probability of lost jackets due to such discarded packets is acceptably small. In one exemplary embodiment, the invention can be utilized to build arbitrarily large packet switches.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.