Ageing of data packets using queue pointers
US6594270B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 14, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 15, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 14, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2012/5681
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A packet memory system including a memory space having a multiplicity of addressable memory locations for the storage of data packets, pointer control means for generating a write pointer which progressively defines where data is to be written to the memory space and a read pointer which progressively defines where data is to be read from the memory space and an ageing clock which defines a succession of intervals. The pointer control means generates a ‘current’ pointer and a ‘discard’ pointer and for each interval is operative to cause the ‘current’ pointer to correspond to an immediately previous value of the write pointer and to cause the discard pointer to correspond to an immediately previous value of the said current pointer. In this manner the portion of the memory space between the ‘discard’ pointer and the read pointer denotes data which has been in said memory space for at least two of said intervals. The system thereby defines ageing by means of pointers and avoids the ambiguities or inconvenience of known recycling ageing schemes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.