Transmission apparatus and transmission method

• US 20040170182A1
• Filed: 02/06/2004
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitani, Hiroshi, Morioka, Yoshihiro, Hamai, Shinji, Higashida, Masaaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]

Abstract

A transmission apparatus for stably transmitting or receiving data of high priority is provided. In the transmission apparatus of the present invention, processing of the priority packet to be transmitted and processed by priority and processing of the non-priority packet are conducted separately. At transmission side, the above-mentioned priority packet is transmitted by priority by making its average transmission interval shorter than its average generation interval, and said non-priority packet is transmitted during the transmit margin period caused by the above-mentioned processing. At receive side, in the layer of processing the receive frame as a layer lower than the layer of processing the priority packet and non-priority packet, the priority packet and the non-priority packet is sorted based on the communication protocol header of the receive packet stored in the receive frame, and processing of the priority packet and that of the non-priority packet are conducted separately.

Claims

1. A transmission apparatus comprising:

a priority packet generating part of generating a priority packet from priority data to be transmitted by priority;

a non-priority packet processing part of generating a non-priority packet having a lower transmission priority than said priority packet;

a transmit packet control part of deciding transmission timing of said priority packet and said non-priority packet and

a transmit frame processing part of performing transmission processing of said priority packet and said non-priority packet, wherein

said transmit packet control part permits transmission of said non-priority packet during a transmit margin period of said priority packet.

2. A transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmit packet control part comprises a transmit packet selecting part, a priority packet buffer and a non-priority packet buffer, and outputs a non-priority packet transmit request signal to said transmit packet selecting part in the case where said non-priority packet buffer holds said non-priority packet to be transmitted, and said transmit packet selecting part permits transmission of said non-priority packet during the transmit margin period of said priority packet.

3. A transmission apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said transmit packet control part defines the period during which real-time characteristic of said priority data is not impaired as said transmit margin period.

4. A transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmit packet control part transmits said priority packet at a shorter transmission interval than average transmission interval of said priority packet and defines the surplus time caused by said processing as said transmit margin period.

5. A transmission apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said transmit packet selecting part permits said non-priority packet buffer to transmit said non-priority packet in the case where there is no said priority packet to be transmitted in said priority packet buffer.

6. A transmission apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said transmit packet selecting part permits said non-priority packet buffer to transmit said non-priority packet in the case where there is no said priority packet to be transmitted in said priority packet buffer and said priority packet is not being written into said priority packet buffer.

7. A transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmit packet control part permits transmission of said non-priority packet within a predetermined time after request to transmit said non-priority packet.

8. A transmission method of distinguishing a priority packet to be transmitted by priority from a non-priority packet having a lower transmission priority than said priority packet and transmitting said non-priority packet during the transmit margin period of said priority packet.

9. A transmission method according to claim 8, wherein said non-priority packet is transmitted during the transmit margin period as the time during which real-time characteristic of said priority packet is not impaired.

10. A transmission method according to claim 8, wherein the surplus time caused by making the transmission interval of said priority packet shorter than average transmission interval of said priority packet is defined as said transmit margin period.

11. A transmission method according to claim 8, wherein the time during which there is no said priority packet to be transmitted is defined as said transmit margin period.

12. A transmission method according to claim 8, wherein the time during which there is no said priority packet to be transmitted and the priority packet to be transmitted is not in preparation for transmission is defined as said transmit margin period.

13. A transmission method according to claim 8, wherein transmission of at least one non-priority packet is ensured within a predetermined time.

14. A transmission apparatus comprising:

a priority packet generating part of generating a priority packet from priority data transmitted by priority;

a non-priority packet processing part of processing a non-priority packet having a lower transmission priority than said priority packet;

a transmit packet control part of deciding transmission timing of said priority packet and said non-priority packet;

a transmit frame processing part of performing transmission processing of said priority packet and said non-priority packet;

a receive frame processing part of performing receipt processing of a receive frame received from a network; and

a receive packet sorting part of sorting a receive packet and transferring said non-priority packet to said non-priority packet processing part, wherein

said non-priority packet processing part acquires header information of said priority packet from said receive packet and sets said header information in said priority packet generating part.

15. A transmission apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said header information is information that varies depending on destination address.

16. A transmission apparatus according to claim 14, wherein processing of acquiring said header information in said non-priority packet processing part is processing of obtaining MAC address as a physical address of ethernet from an IP address.

17. A transmission method comprising:

a step of transmitting a priority packet to be transmitted by priority and

steps of transmitting and receiving a non-priority packet having a lower transmission priority than said priority packet, wherein

in the steps of transmitting and receiving said non-priority packet, header information of said priority packet is acquired and

in the step of transmitting said priority packet, header information of said priority packet is set at said priority packet and transmitted.

18. A transmission apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said header information is information that varies depending on destination address.

19. A transmission apparatus according to claim 17, wherein processing of acquiring said header information is processing of obtaining MAC address as a physical address of ethernet from an IP address.

20. A transmission apparatus comprising:

a receive frame processing part of receiving a priority packet to be processed by priority and a non-priority packet having a lower processing priority than said priority packet and performing receipt processing of a receive frame and

a receive packet sorting part of sorting the receive packet stored in said receive frame processing part into said priority packet and said non-priority packet by inspecting a communication protocol header stored in said receive packet.

21. A transmission apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said receive packet sorting part sorts said receive packet into said priority packet and said non-priority packet based on at least information by type of communication protocol stored in said receive packet.

22. A transmission apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said receive packet sorting part sorts said receive packet into said priority packet and said non-priority packet by inspecting at least a port number stored in said receive packet.

23. A transmission apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said receive packet sorting part sorts said receive packet into said priority packet and said non-priority packet by inspecting at least a flow label stored in said receive packet.

24. A transmission apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said receive packet sorting part inspects a protocol layer (protocol layer 2) upper than a protocol layer (protocol layer 1) constituting said receive packet, said priority packet is subject to termination processing of said protocol layer 2, and said non-priority packet is transferred as it is in said protocol layer 1 to the non-priority packet processing part.

46. A transmission apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said receive packet sorting part inspects communication protocol headers of different layers at the same time.

25. A transmission method comprising:

a receiving step of receiving a receive packet consisting of a priority packet to be transmitted by priority and a non-priority packet having a lower processing priority than said priority packet;

a sorting step of sorting said receive packet into said priority packet and said non-priority packet by inspecting a communication protocol header stored in said receive packet; and

a processing step of processing said priority packet and said non-priority packet separately.

26. A transmission method according to claim 25, wherein in said sorting step, said priority packet and said non-priority packet are separated by inspecting at least communication protocol type of said communication protocol header.

27. A transmission method according to claim 25, wherein in said sorting step, said priority packet and said non-priority packet are separated by inspecting at least a port number of said communication protocol header.

28. A transmission method according to claim 25, wherein in said sorting step, said priority packet and said non-priority packet are separated by inspecting at least a flow label of said communication protocol header.

29. A transmission method according to claim 25, wherein in said sorting step, a protocol layer (protocol layer 2) upper than a protocol layer (protocol layer 1) constituting said receive packet is inspected, said priority packet is subject to termination processing of said protocol layer 2, and said non-priority packet is transferred as it is in said protocol layer 1 to the next step.

47. A transmission method according to claim 25, wherein in said sorting step, communication protocol headers of different layers are inspected simultaneously.

30. A transmission apparatus comprising:

a receive frame processing part of receiving a priority packet to be processed by priority and a non-priority packet having a lower processing priority than said priority packet; and

plural defragment processing parts that contain a first defragment processing part of performing defragment processing of said priority packet and a second defragment processing part of performing defragment processing of said non-priority packet.

31. A transmission apparatus according to claim 30 further comprising a receive packet sorting part of sorting the receive packet stored in said receive frame processing part into said priority packet and said no-priority packet, wherein

said non-priority packet processing part of processing said non-priority packet includes said second defragment processing part.

32. A transmission apparatus according to claim 31, wherein in the case where said receive packet is not fragmented, said receive packet sorting part determines whether said receive packet is said priority packet or said non-priority packet and outputs it separately;

and in the case where said receive packet is fragmented, when said receive packet can be determined to be said non-priority packet, said receive packet sorting part transfers said receive packet to said non-priority packet processing part and stores the identifier of said receive packet, and when said receive packet can be determined to be said priority packet, said receive packet sorting part transfers said receive packet to said first defrgament processing part and stores the identifier of said receive packet, and when said receive packet cannot be determined to be said priority packet or said non-priority packet according to information of said receive packet, said receive packet sorting part determines it by using said identifier and when it cannot be determined even if said identifier is used, transfers said receive packet to said first defragment processing part;

said first defragmenr processing part performs defragment processing of at least priority packet and when said receive packet is determined to be said non-priority packet, transfers all packets relating to said receive packet to said non-priority packet processing part; and

said non-priority packet processing part performs defragment processing of said non-priority packet.

33. A transmission apparatus comprising:

a priority packet generating part of generating a priority packet by adding an error correction code to priority data to be transmitted by priority;

a non-priority packet processing part of generating a non-priority packet having a lower transmission priority than said priority packet;

a transmit packet control part of deciding transmission timing of said priority packet and said non-priority packet;

a transmit frame processing part of performing transmission processing of said priority packet and said non-priority packet; and

a receive frame processing part of detecting transmission failure from network and notifying it to said transmit frame processing part, wherein

in the case where transmission of said priority packet is delayed due to said transmission failure, said transmit packet control part thins out and transmits said priority packet in which said error correction code is stored.

34. A transmission apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said transmission failure is a transmit suspension request from network.

35. A transmission apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said transmit packet control part suspends transmission of the packet within a predetermined period at the time of detection of said transmission failure.

36. A transmission apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said transmission failure is detection of collision between packets in network.

37. A transmission apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said transmit packet control part retransmits the packet, said transmission failure of which is detected.

38. A transmission method comprising:

a priority packet transmitting step of transmitting priority packet by adding an error correction code to priority data to be transmitted by priority and transmitting it as a priority packet; and

a non-priority packet transmitting step of transmitting non-priority packet by transmitting a packet having a lower transmission priority than said priority packet as a non-priority packet, wherein

in the case where transmission failure occurs on a transmission path, in said priority packet transmitting step, said priority packet in which said error correction code is stored is thinned out and transmitted.

39. A transmission method according to claim 38, wherein said transmission failure is a transmit suspension request from network.

40. A transmission method according to claim 38, wherein said transmission failure is detection of collision between packets in network.

41. A transmission apparatus comprising:

a receive frame processing part of receiving a priority packet which stores priority data to be processed by priority and a non-priority packet having a lower processing priority than said priority packet and performing receipt processing of a receive frame;

a receive packet sorting part of sorting the receive packet stored in said receive frame into said priority packet and said non-priority packet;

a defragment processing part of performing defragment processing of at least said priority packet; and

a priority data processing monitoring part of issuing a priority data processing completion notice that notifies completion of processing of said priority data, wherein

said defragment processing part finishes defragment processing of said priority packet needed to have been processed by the time of receipt of said priority data processing completion notice.

42. A transmission apparatus according to claim 41, wherein said priority data processing completion notice is generated based on identification information of the communication protocol header.

43. A transmission apparatus according to claim 41 or 42, wherein in the case where said receive frame processing part, said receive packet sorting part or said defragment processing part receives said priority packet needed to have been processed by the time of receipt of said priority data processing completion notice, it abandons the priority packet.

44. A transmission method comprising:

a receiving step of receiving a priority packet that stores priority data be processed by priority therein and a non-priority packet having a lower processing priority than said priority packet; and

a defragment processing finishing step of finishing defragment processing of said priority packet needed to have been processed by the time of completion of the processing, in the case where processing of said priority data is finished.

45. A transmission method according to claim 44 further comprising an abandoning step, wherein the priority packet is abandoned in the case where said priority packet needed to have been processed by the time of completion of the processing is received.