System and method for transmitting a sequence of messages in an interconnection network

• US 20050141505A1
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Arteris SAS (Arteris Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boucard, Philippe, Douady, Cesar
• Granted Patent: US 8,031,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/565 Sequence integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports

Abstract

Method for transmitting a sequence of messages in a point-to-point interconnection network comprising message initiating agents, message destination agents and message transmission agents. During a transmission of an indivisible sequence of messages from an initiating agent to a destination agent, an output of a message transmission agent is locked onto an input of the transmission agent, the other inputs of the said transmission agent being able to transmit messages to the other outputs of the said transmission agent.

Claims

1. Method for transmitting a sequence of messages in a point-to-point interconnection network comprising message initiating agents, message destination agents and message transmission agents, in which, during a transmission of an indivisible sequence of messages from an initiating agent to a destination agent, an output of a message transmission agent is locked onto an input of the transmission agent, the other inputs of the said transmission agent being able to transmit messages to the other outputs of the said transmission agent.

2. Method according to claim 1, in which an indivisible sequence of messages generated by an initiating agent and destined for a destination agent starts with a locking message comprising an address identifying the destination agent, and an operation code containing the information that the sequence is indivisible.

3. Method according to claim 2, in which the said operation code being interpreted as a locking is also interpreted as a command.

4. Method according to claim 2, in which the locking message propagates, to the successive transmission agents between the initiating agent and the destination agent, a locking of a specified output of each of the said successive transmission agents onto the input through which the locking message has arrived.

5. Method according to claim 4, in which the messages of the said indivisible sequence of messages following the locking message are transmitted by the successive transmission agents through a path that is therefore locked, a message coming from another initiating agent not being able to be inserted in the said indivisible sequence of messages.

6. Method according to claim 5, in which the said indivisible sequence of messages is terminated by an unlocking message comprising an address identifying the destination element and an operation code interpreted as an unlocking code.

7. Method according to claim 6, in which the unlocking message propagates, to the successive transmission agents between the initiating agents and the destination agent, an unlocking of the successive outputs locked onto their respective input.

8. Method according to claim 6, in which the said operation code interpreted as an unlocking is interpreted as a command.

9. Method according to claim 5, in which the said locking message also comprises the number of messages in the indivisible sequence of messages.

10. Method according to claim 1, in which each message of an indivisible sequence of messages generated by an initiating agent and destined for a destination agent comprises information indicating that it is linked in an indivisible manner with the following message, the first message in the said sequence furthermore comprising an address identifying the destination agent.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein:

on the successive transmission agents between the initiating agent and the destination agent, a specified output of each of the said successive transmission agents onto the input through which has arrived the first message of the indivisible sequence comprising information that it is linked in an indivisible manner with the following message, is locked;

the following messages of the indivisible sequence are transmitted, through the locked path; and

the said locked outputs are unlocked on transmission of the last message of the indivisible sequence, which contains information indicating that it is not linked in an indivisible manner with the following message.

12. System for transmitting a sequence of messages in a point-to-point interconnection network comprising message initiating agents, message destination agents and message transmission agents, wherein it comprises a transmission agent which comprises at least one output comprising a means of authorization capable of locking the said output onto an input of the transmission agent, the other inputs of the said transmission agent being able to transmit messages to the other outputs of the said transmission agent, and to unlock the said locked output.