Method and apparatus to provide data streaming over a network connection in a wireless MAC processor
First Claim
1. In a station of a wireless network, the station coupled to a network device by a network link, the network device including a memory, a method of streaming data over the network link from or to the network device memory during wirelessly transmitting or wirelessly receiving at the station, the method comprising:
- accepting information describing wherefrom to retrieve a data element including at least some of the data for a to-be-wirelessly-transmitted packet in the case of transmitting, or whereto write a data element including at least some of the data from a wirelessly received packet in the case of receiving, the accepted information including information defining a memory location and an amount data in the network device memory for said data element;
setting up a DMA transfer of said data element for the to-be-wirelessly-transmitted packet in the case of transmitting, or from the wirelessly received packet in the case of receiving, the setting up using the defining information; and
in the case of transmitting;
converting the defining information to a packet of a first type for transport over the network link;
sending the packet of the first type via the network link to the network device to be interpreted at the network device to set up sending said data element from the memory of the network device according to the defining information;
receiving in response to the sending of the packet of the first type, a packet of a second type that includes said data element;
converting the packet of the second type to said data element; and
incorporating said data element into the packet for transmission, or, in the case of receiving;
extracting said data element from the wirelessly received packet;
converting the defining information and encapsulating said data element into a packet of the second type for transport over the network link for said data element to be written into the memory of the network device; and
sending the packet of a second type to the network device to be interpreted at the network device to cause the encapsulated data to be written into the memory of the network device according to the defining information, such that, in the case of transmitting, the transfer over the network link of said data element for incorporation into a packet for wireless transmission occurs in real time during transmit time, or such that in the case of receiving, the transfer of said data element from a wirelessly received packet occurs in real time during receive time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of wirelessly transmitting or receiving a packet of information, and an apparatus to wirelessly transmit or receive a packet of information. In the case of transmitting, the method includes streaming a data element, including at least some of the contents of the packet, over a network link during transmit time. In the case of receiving, the method includes streaming a data element, including at least some of the contents of the received packet, over a network link during receive time. The transmitting or receiving is by a station of a wireless network and the streaming is to or from the station from or to a network device coupled to the station by the network link.
24 Citations
51 Claims
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1. In a station of a wireless network, the station coupled to a network device by a network link, the network device including a memory, a method of streaming data over the network link from or to the network device memory during wirelessly transmitting or wirelessly receiving at the station, the method comprising:
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accepting information describing wherefrom to retrieve a data element including at least some of the data for a to-be-wirelessly-transmitted packet in the case of transmitting, or whereto write a data element including at least some of the data from a wirelessly received packet in the case of receiving, the accepted information including information defining a memory location and an amount data in the network device memory for said data element;
setting up a DMA transfer of said data element for the to-be-wirelessly-transmitted packet in the case of transmitting, or from the wirelessly received packet in the case of receiving, the setting up using the defining information; and
in the case of transmitting;
converting the defining information to a packet of a first type for transport over the network link;
sending the packet of the first type via the network link to the network device to be interpreted at the network device to set up sending said data element from the memory of the network device according to the defining information;
receiving in response to the sending of the packet of the first type, a packet of a second type that includes said data element;
converting the packet of the second type to said data element; and
incorporating said data element into the packet for transmission, or, in the case of receiving;
extracting said data element from the wirelessly received packet;
converting the defining information and encapsulating said data element into a packet of the second type for transport over the network link for said data element to be written into the memory of the network device; and
sending the packet of a second type to the network device to be interpreted at the network device to cause the encapsulated data to be written into the memory of the network device according to the defining information, such that, in the case of transmitting, the transfer over the network link of said data element for incorporation into a packet for wireless transmission occurs in real time during transmit time, or such that in the case of receiving, the transfer of said data element from a wirelessly received packet occurs in real time during receive time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In a network device coupled by a network link to a wireless station of a wireless network, the network device including a memory, a method of streaming data over the network link from or to the network device memory during wirelessly transmitting or during wirelessly receiving at the station, the method comprising:
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sending information over the network link to the wireless station describing wherefrom to retrieve a data element including at least some of the data for a to-be-wirelessly-transmitted packet in the case of transmitting, or whereto write a data element including at least some of the data from a wirelessly received packet in the case of receiving, the accepted information including information defining a memory location and an amount data in the network device memory for said data element; and
in the case of data for a to-be-transmitted packet, in response to the receiving of a packet of a first type;
receiving from the wireless station via the network link a packet of the first type, the packet of the first type including information describing wherefrom to retrieve said data element;
retrieving said data element from the memory;
forming a packet of a second type that includes the retrieved data; and
sending the packet of a second type to the wireless station in response to the receiving, or, in the case of data from a received packet;
receiving a packet of a second type from the wireless station encapsulating said data element and including information describing whereto write said data element;
extracting the encapsulated data from the packet of the second type;
writing the extracted data into the memory according to information in the received packet of the second type, such that, in the case of transmitting, the transfer of data over the network link for incorporation into a packet for wireless transmission occurs in real time during transmit time, or such that in the case of receiving, the transfer of data over the network link from a wirelessly received packet occurs in real time during receive time. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus in a wireless station operable in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:
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a local memory able to receive information describing a location wherefrom a data element including at least some of the data for a to-be-wirelessly transmitted packet is to be obtained, the location being in a memory of a network device coupled by a network link to the wireless station;
a packet/DMA engine coupled to the local memory, the packet DMA engine able to set up a DMA transfer of data for the to-be-wirelessly-transmitted packet, the setting up using the received information in the memory and forming information defining a set of at least one location in the memory of the network device; and
a network interface coupled to the packet/DMA engine, the network interface including a network DMA engine able to accept DMA requests for transfer of data, the network DMA engine able to convert defining information to a packet of a first type and to cause the network interface to send the packet of the first type over a network link to which the network interface is coupled, such that a compatible network device can interpret and retrieve the data defined by the defining information, the network interface further able to recognize and provide the network DMA engine a packet of a second type received over the network link, the packet of the second type including data defined by defining information, the network DMA engine further able to convert the provided packet of the second type to data included therein, such that, in the case that the station is coupled to a first network, and a first packet of the second type is received over the first network from a first network device also coupled to the first network, said receiving of the first packet of the second type being in response to the sending of a first packet of the first type and said sending of the first packet is as a result of the network DMA engine accepting a first DMA request that defines data to be retrieved from a memory of the first network device, the network DMA engine responds to the first DMA request with the data defined in the first DMA request, and such that the transfer of data over the first network for incorporation into a packet for wireless transmission can occur in real time during transmit time. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of wirelessly transmitting a packet of information, the method comprising:
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streaming a data element including at least some of the contents of the packet over a network link during transmit time; and
transmitting the packet of information. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of wirelessly receiving a packet of information, the method comprising:
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wirelessly receiving a packet of information; and
streaming a data element including at least some of the contents of the packet over a network link during receive time. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. An apparatus to wirelessly transmit a packet of information, the apparatus including:
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means for wirelessly transmitting a packet of information; and
means for streaming a data element, including at least some of the contents of the packet, over a network link during transmit time. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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46. A carrier medium carrying a set of machine readable instructions to instruct a machine to carry out a method of wirelessly transmitting a packet of information, the method including:
streaming a data element, including at least some of the contents of the packet, over a network link during transmit time. - View Dependent Claims (47)
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48. An apparatus to wirelessly receive a packet of information, the apparatus including:
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means for wirelessly receiving a packet of information; and
means for streaming a data element, including at least some of the contents of the received packet, over a network link during transmit time. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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50. A carrier medium carrying a set of machine readable instructions to instruct a machine to carry out a method of wirelessly receiving a packet of information, the method including:
streaming a data element, including at least some of the contents of the received packet, over a network Link during transmit time. - View Dependent Claims (51)
Specification