Method of and circuit arrangement for freeing communications resources, particularly for use by a switching element

US5535366A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Alcatel N.V. · NL

Inventors

• Bodo Pfeiffer · Bad Buchau, DE
• Thomas-Rolf Banniza · Hemmingen, DE
• Bozo Cesar · Kornwestheim, DE
• Stefan Wahl · Hemmingen, DE
• Klaus-Dieter Menk · Hemmingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 6, 1991
• Grant date: Jul 9, 1996
• Expiry date: Mar 6, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04L49/108
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A buffer or other communications resource in, e.g., an ATM switch element receives random data which is then used by different data sinks. After the data has been outputted to the data sinks, the communications resource (e.g., the memory locations of the buffer) are released, i.e., labeled as free again. However, a resource which is not marked as free as a result of an error (whether erroneously the data is not retrieved or whether the release procedure is erroneous) remains blocked. To avoid permanent blockage of those memory locations whose contents have been in the buffer so long that they definitely (or at least very likely) should have been called for, information on the time of entry is stored together with the data. All memory locations are checked at regular intervals for the age of their contents. Upon attainment of a predetermined age, the location is labeled as free.