ATM cell interface and method for dispatching an ATM cell
US5479401A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 17, 1994 |
| Grant date | Dec 26, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 17, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S370/911
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An ATM cell interface for dispatching an ATM cell having a header. The interface is comprised of N input ports, where N.gtoreq.1 and is an integer. The cell is also comprised of a table lookup mechanism that directs a cell from an input port to any desired destination. The table lookup mechanism has entries which identify desired destination for corresponding cells. The number of possible entries in the table lookup mechanism is less than a total number of entries supported by the ATM cell header. Preferably, a cell includes a VCI field having a value and a VPI field having a value. The table lookup mechanism preferably includes a first table which produces a first signal based on the value of the VPI field and a second level table which produces a second signal based on the value of the VCI field. The first and second signals are used to route the cell from an input port to a desired destination. Additionally, there is a method for dispatching an ATM cell. The method comprises the steps of locating a table entry in a first level table corresponding to a value of a VPI field of the cell. Then there is the step of producing a first signal corresponding to the table entry. Next, ther…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.