Method and apparatus for the fair and efficient transfer of variable length packets using fixed length segments
US6356561B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 28, 2000 |
| Grant date | Mar 12, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 28, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2012/5652
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for the fair and efficient transfer of variable length packets using fixed length “segments” utilizes a modified UTOPIA interface with three additional signals added, i.e. start of packet (SOP), end of packet (EOP), and most significant byte (MSB). Packets are broken into “segments” of fixed, but programmable, length. The start of a segment is marked by a pulse on the UTOPIA start of cell (SOC) signal line. The start of a packet is marked by a pulse on the SOP signal line. The end of a packet is marked by a pulse on the EOP signal line. According to a presently preferred embodiment, bytes are transferred via a 16-bit bus. When a packet ends with a single byte on the bus, the MSB signal line is asserted to distinguish it from a packet which ends with two bytes on the bus. The invention can be expanded to accommodate buses wider than 16-bits by making the EOP a multiple bit signal. The extra signals added to the standard UTOPIA interface by the invention are not involved in segment transfer. Segments are transferred in the same manner that ATM cells are transferred using standard UTOPIA technology. Rather, the extra signals are used by a PHY device to…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.