Scalable synchronous packet transmit scheduler

• US 20030086439A1
• Filed: 11/08/2001
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, John, Chen, Paris
• Granted Patent: US 7,151,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information

Abstract

A baseband controller system creates and maintains a schedule of synchronized events and reviews the schedule as a part of determining whether to initiate a transmission of a non-synchronous event (one that is not time sensitive, e.g., e-mail). One aspect of the present invention is to create a system and method that avoids a possibility of collision between synchronized and non-synchronized communication events. A synchronized event is a scheduled transmission of time sensitive data such as what is often known as continuous bit rate data. Examples include video and voice wherein a collision (inability to transmit the continuous bit rate data) may result in degradation of signal quality at the receiving end. The inventive system and method evaluate the schedule of synchronized events in relation to the present time and determine whether a non-synchronized event may be transmitted without the likelihood of a collision. Making the determination that such a transmission may occur includes evaluating future time periods to see if a synchronized event is scheduled during a time period in which the non-synchronized event would continue to be transmitted for those non-synchronized events that span two or more defined time periods in length.

Claims

1. A wireless transceiver device, comprising:

memory for storing synchronous and non-synchronous data; and

circuitry defining logic for determining whether transmission of non-synchronous data packets may be initiated without conflicting with a packet of synchronous data that is to be transmitted in the future.

2. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the circuitry further defines logic that generates a bit string whose logic states define whether, for a given time slot, a synchronous event is to be transmitted.

3. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the synchronous data comprises continuous bit rate data.

4. The wireless transceiver of claim 3 wherein the continuous bit rate data comprises one of video or voice data.

5. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the circuitry further defines logic that evaluates a time value with respect to a bit stream modulo to determine what bit in the bit stream corresponds to the present time.

6. A method for determining whether to initiate non-synchronous event transmission, comprising:

determining whether a synchronous event is scheduled for transmission during the present defined time period; and

if not, determining whether to initiate the transmission of a non-synchronous event.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein a synchronous event comprises transmitting continuous bit rate data.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein a synchronous event comprises transmitting voice data.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein a synchronous event comprises transmitting video data.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of determining whether to transmit non-synchronous data includes determining how many defined periods of time are required for transmitting the non-synchronous data.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the step of determining whether a collision between a synchronous and non-synchronous transmission could occur.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining whether a collision could occur includes determining whether there exists a sufficient number of defined periods for which no synchronized events are scheduled for transmission following the present period to enable the initiation of transmitting the present non-synchronous event without a likelihood of a collision.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of determining whether a synchronous event is schedule comprises dividing the present time by a modulo number which module number reflects the length of a bit stream in which each bit of the bit stream represents a time period for transmitting synchronized and unsynchronized events.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein a remainder is determined during the dividing step is evaluated to determine a group of bits of the bit stream that include a bit that represents the present time period.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein a remainder is determined during the dividing step is evaluated to determine which bit of the stream of bits represents the present time period.

16. The method of claim 15 further including the step of determining the length (number of time periods) of a non-synchronized event that is to be transmitted.

17. The method of claim 16 further including the step of determining whether a synchronized event is scheduled for transmission during the time period that would be utilized for transmitting the non-synchronous event if the non synchronous event were to be initiated in the present time period.

18. A method for transmitting non-synchronous events, comprising:

building a fixed length user bit stream that reflects when synchronized events are to be transmitted;

copying the user bit stream into a real time bit stream;

determining what bit of the real time bit stream relates to the present time; and

determining whether to initiate transmission of a non-synchronous communication event.

19. The method of claim 18 further including copying the user bit stream into the real time bit stream on a periodic basis.

20. The method of claim 18 further including performing a mathematical operation as a part of determining what bit of the real time bit stream relates to the present time.

21. The method of claim 18 further including performing a mathematical operation to determine a group of bits of the real time bit stream that include what bit relates to the present time.

22. The method of claim 18 including the step of dividing the present time by a modulo number as a part of determining what bit in the real time bit stream relates to the present time.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the modulo number is equal to the number of bits in the user and the real time bit streams.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the modulo number is equal to number “

8”

.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein a remainder determined during the dividing step identifies the specific bit of the bit stream that represents the present time.