Method and apparatus for maintaining an order of data packets
US6226687A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 5, 1996 |
| Grant date | May 1, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 5, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L12/56
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for maintaining an order of processing data packets. One embodiment of the invention includes a first stage of data packet processing, which sequentially receives a plurality of independent data packets. The data packet are to be processed at the first stage in parallel. The plurality of independent data packets are then permitted to continue processing at a separate stage only in the order the independent data packets were received at the first stage of the data packet processing. In one embodiment, the invention includes assigning a sequence number to a first independent data packet of the plurality of packets prior to the first stage of data packet processing. Thereafter, the invention includes comparing the sequence number assigned to the first independent data packet to a servicing number. In response to the sequence number and the servicing number being different by N, wherein N is an integer, the invention permits the first independent packet to continue processing at a separate stage. Thereafter, the servicing number is incremented by replacing the servicing number with the sequence number.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.