Priority aware MAC flow control
US7990857B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 9, 2009 |
| Grant date | Aug 2, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 9, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F15/17368
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Solutions are provided that allow a network device to apply flow control on the MAC layer while taking into account the priority of the frame of traffic. This may be accomplished by generating a frame indicating that traffic flow should be paused, while utilizing a new opcode value, or alternatively by utilizing a new type/length value (possibly combined with a new opcode value). A receiving device may then examine the fields of the frame to determine whether it should use priority-based pausing, and then examine other fields to determine which priority-levels to pause and for how long. This allows for improved efficiency in flow control on the MAC layer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.