Priority arbitration mechanism
US7187688B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 28, 2002 |
| Grant date | Mar 6, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 6, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L47/50
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method is provided for selecting a data source for transmission on one of several logical (virtual) lanes embodied in a single physical connection. Lanes are assigned to either a high priority class or to a low priority class. One of six conditions is employed to determine when re-arbitration of lane priorities is desired. When this occurs a next source for transmission is selected based on a the specification of the maximum number of high priority packets that can be sent after a lower priority transmission has been interrupted. Alternatively, a next source for transmission is selected based on a the specification of the maximum number of high priority packets that can be sent while a lower priority packet is waiting. If initialized correctly, the arbiter keeps all of the packets of a high priority packet contiguous, while allowing lower priority packets to be interrupted by the higher priority packets, but not to the point of starvation of the lower priority packets.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.