Patent · US Expired

High-speed mesh connected local area network

US5088091A · kind A · utility

205Cited by
18References
32Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 22, 1989
Grant dateFeb 11, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 22, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L2012/445
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A mesh connected local area network provides automatic packet switching and routing between host computers coupled to the network. The network has a multiplicity of cut-through, nonblocking switches, each capable of simultaneously routing a multiplicity of data packets. Low host-to-host latency is achieved through the use of cut-through switches with separate internal buffers for each packet being routed. The switches are interconnected with one another and are coupled to the host computers of the network by point to point full duplex links. While each switch can be coupled to ten or more network members, i.e., switches and hosts, each link is coupled to only two network members and is dedicated to carrying signals therebetween. Whenever a new switch or link is added to the network, and whenever a switch or link fails, the switches in the network automatically reconfigure the network by recomputing the set of legal paths through the network.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.