Network packet receiver with buffer logic for reassembling interleaved data packets
US5303302A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 18, 1992 |
| Grant date | Apr 12, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 18, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2012/5682
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A network controller receives encrypted data packets in the form of interleaved streams of cells, and stores the received cells in a buffer until the end of each packet is received, at which time the complete packet is decrypted, error checked, and then transmitted to a host computer. The network controller's buffer includes a data storage array in which data packets are stored as linked lists, and a packet directory having a entry for each data packet stored in the buffer. Each directory entry contains a pointer to the first and last location in the buffer where a corresponding data packet is stored, as well as status information for the data packet. When free space in the network controller's buffer falls below a specified threshold, the network controller transmits selected partial packets to the host computer without decrypting or error checking, and also stores in its packet directory entry for each transmitted partial packet a "partial transfer" status flag. Additional portions of the partial packets may be sent to the host computer with an indication of the packet to which they belong. Upon receiving the end of a data packet that was partially transferred to the host compute…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.