Communication network apparatus and method
US6584102B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 9, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jun 24, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 9, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L45/62
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A communication network apparatus and method for routing communication signals from a source device to a receiving device. The apparatus performs only local processing on communication signals to thereby increase the speed of processing the signals. A plurality of the processing nodes are combined into a plurality of sub-networks that comprise the network apparatus. Each processing node of a sub-network need only process address information pertaining to the node's current layer, one layer above it, if any, and one layer below it, if any. Additionally, each processing node has associated communication signal frequencies/wavelengths that identify the processing node as the intended recipient of the communication signal. When a communication signal having a carrier signal with a frequency/wavelength corresponding to the processing node is received, the processing node demodulates the carrier signal and forwards the communication signal data to a processing module used to process address information to determine how to route the communication signal through the network. Communication signals may be assigned “express” frequencies/wavelengths, in which case, all of the proce…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.