Scheduling token-controlled data transmissions in communication networks
First Claim
1. An optical node comprising:
- a data interface operable to receive data for transmission to a plurality of destinations;
a buffer operable to store the data;
a transmitting unit operable to couple to an optical transmission medium having a plurality of data channels and to selectively transmit optical signals on the data channels; and
a controller operable to receive a token authorizing transmission on one of the data channels, to determine a transmission allocation, wherein the transmission allocation represents an amount of time that the authorized data channel may be utilized to transmit the data, to determine a destination allocation, wherein the destination allocation represents a proportion of the transmission allocation that may be utilized to transmit the data to a particular destination, and to transmit the data on the authorized data channel in accordance with the transmission allocation and the destination allocation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network includes multiple nodes interconnected to form a ring topology. These nodes support data transmissions over the network using tokens. To send and receive data over the network, nodes may process control messages. A node can receive a token authorizing transmission on one of multiple data channels, determine a transmission allocation, which represents an amount of time that the authorized data channel may be utilized to transmit data, and determine a destination allocation, which represents a proportion of the transmission allocation that may be utilized to transmit the data to a particular destination. The node can also transmit the data on the authorized data channel in accordance with the transmission allocation and the destination allocation.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. An optical node comprising:
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a data interface operable to receive data for transmission to a plurality of destinations;
a buffer operable to store the data;
a transmitting unit operable to couple to an optical transmission medium having a plurality of data channels and to selectively transmit optical signals on the data channels; and
a controller operable to receive a token authorizing transmission on one of the data channels, to determine a transmission allocation, wherein the transmission allocation represents an amount of time that the authorized data channel may be utilized to transmit the data, to determine a destination allocation, wherein the destination allocation represents a proportion of the transmission allocation that may be utilized to transmit the data to a particular destination, and to transmit the data on the authorized data channel in accordance with the transmission allocation and the destination allocation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An optical communication system comprising:
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a plurality of optical communication nodes;
optical transmission media interconnecting the optical communication nodes, the optical transmission media having a plurality of data channels; and
a plurality of logical tokens corresponding to the data channels;
wherein each of the optical communication nodes is operable to;
receive data for transmission to a destination one of the optical communication nodes;
receive one of the logical tokens;
identify one of the data channels associated with the logical token;
determine a transmission allocation, wherein the transmission allocation represents the amount of time that the identified data channel may be utilized to transmit the data;
determine a destination allocation, wherein the destination allocation represents a proportion of the transmission allocation that may be utilized to transmit the data to a particular destination; and
transmit the data to the destination optical communication node using the identified data channel in accordance with the transmission allocation and the destination allocation. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for token-controlled data transmission comprising:
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receiving data for transmission to a plurality of destinations;
storing the data in a buffer;
coupling to an optical transmission medium having a plurality of data channels;
receiving a token authorizing transmission on one of the data channels;
determining a transmission allocation, wherein the transmission allocation represents an amount of time that the authorized data channel may be utilized to transmit the data;
determining a destination allocation, wherein the destination allocation represents a proportion of the transmission allocation that may be utilized to transmit the data to a particular destination; and
transmitting the data on the authorized data channel in accordance with the transmission allocation and the destination allocation. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. Logic for token-controlled data transmission, the logic encoded in media and operable when executed to:
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receive data for transmission to a plurality of destinations;
store the data in a buffer;
couple to an optical transmission medium having a plurality of data channels;
receive a token authorizing transmission on one of the data channels;
determine a transmission allocation, wherein the transmission allocation represents an amount of time that the authorized data channel may be utilized to transmit the data;
determine a destination allocation, wherein the destination allocation represents a proportion of the transmission allocation that may be utilized to transmit the data to a particular destination; and
transmit the data on the authorized data channel in accordance with the transmission allocation and the destination allocation. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An optical node comprising:
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means for receiving data for transmission to a plurality of destinations;
means for storing the data in a buffer;
means for coupling to an optical transmission medium having a plurality of data channels;
means for receiving a token authorizing transmission on one of the data channels;
means for determining a transmission allocation, wherein the transmission allocation represents an amount of time that the authorized data channel may be utilized to transmit the data;
means for determining a destination allocation, wherein the destination allocation represents a proportion of the transmission allocation that may be utilized to transmit the data to a particular destination; and
means for transmitting the data on the authorized data channel in accordance with the transmission allocation and the destination allocation. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A method for token-controlled data transmission on an optical communication ring comprising:
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receiving data for transmission to a plurality of destinations;
storing the data in a plurality of virtual queues in a buffer, each virtual queue associated with a unique destination node;
coupling to an optical transmission medium having a plurality of data channels;
receiving topology information when the optical communication ring is configured to modify communications equipment, the topology information comprising a propagation delay associated with a segment of the optical communication ring and token-processing times and transmission-control-message processing times associated with a plurality of nodes on the optical communication ring;
analyzing the topology information to calculate a transmission allocation, wherein the transmission allocation represents an amount of time that the authorized data channel may be utilized to transmit the data;
analyzing the topology information to calculate a destination allocation, wherein the destination allocation represents a proportion of the transmission allocation that may be utilized to transmit the data to a particular destination;
receiving a plurality of transmission control messages, each transmission control message including information identifying a node, a data channel, and transmission timing;
building a network schedule based on the information;
receiving a token authorizing transmission on one of the data channels;
analyzing the network schedule to determine an appropriate time period to transmit the data on the authorized data channel;
determining which virtual queue to service using a weighted round robin scheduler;
generating a transmission control message identifying a destination node and the authorized data channel;
communicating the transmission control message to a next node;
transmitting data from the selected virtual queue on the authorized data channel to the destination node in accordance with the transmission allocation and the destination allocation and during the appropriate time period; and
communicating the token to the next node.
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Specification