METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PHYSICAL LAYER AGGREGATION

• US 20080095189A1
• Filed: 10/03/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frazier, Howard, Thaler, Patricia, Baumer, Howard, Ghiasi, Ali
• Granted Patent: US 7,986,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/469
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Aspects of a system for physical layer aggregation may include one or more switch ICs and/or physical (PHY) layer ICs that enable reception of data packets via a medium access control (MAC) layer protocol entity. Each of the received data packets may be fragmented into a plurality of fragment payloads. Each of the plurality of fragment payloads may be sent to a PHY layer protocol entity instance a physical layer protocol entity instance selected from a plurality of physical layer protocol entity instances.

Claims

1. A method for communication in a data communication system, the method comprising:

receiving data packets via a medium access control (MAC) layer protocol entity;

fragmenting each of said received data packets into a plurality of fragment payloads; and

sending each of said plurality of fragment payloads to a physical layer protocol entity instance selected from a plurality of physical layer protocol entity instances.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising transmitting said plurality of fragment payloads via a plurality of physical links corresponding to at least a portion of said plurality of physical layer protocol entity instances.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of physical links is associated with a single logical link.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising generating a fragment header corresponding to each of said plurality of fragment payloads.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising generating a sequence number within each said generated fragment header.

6. The method according to claim 4, comprising generating an indication within said generated fragment header when said each of said plurality of fragment payloads comprises a first fragment from said each of said received data packets.

7. The method according to claim 4, comprising generating an indication within said generated fragment header when said each of said plurality of fragment payloads comprises a last fragment from said each of said received data packets.

8. The method according to claim 4, comprising generating an error check field based on said generated fragment header.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising generating a fragment by combining said generated fragment header, said generated error check field and said corresponding each of said plurality of fragment payloads.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising encapsulating said each of said plurality of fragment payloads in a corresponding said fragment when sending said each of said plurality of fragment payloads to said physical layer protocol instance.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising receiving each of said data packets at an aggregation at the physical layer (APL) protocol entity via said MAC layer protocol entity.

12. The method according to claim 1, comprising fragmenting each of said received data packets at said APL protocol entity.

13. The method according to claim 1, comprising sending each of said plurality of fragment payloads from said APL protocol entity to a physical coding sublayer (PCS) instance within said physical layer protocol entity.

14. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for communication in a data communication system, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

receiving data packets via a medium access control (MAC) layer protocol entity;

fragmenting each of said received data packets into a plurality of fragment payloads; and

sending each of said plurality of fragment payloads to a physical layer protocol entity instance selected from a plurality of physical layer protocol entity instances.

15. The machine-readable storage according to claim 14, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for transmitting said plurality of fragment payloads via a plurality of physical links corresponding to at least a portion of said plurality of physical layer protocol entity instances.

16. The machine-readable storage according to claim 15, wherein said plurality of physical links is associated with a single logical link.

17. The machine-readable storage according to claim 14, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for generating a fragment header corresponding to each of said plurality of fragment payloads.

18. The machine-readable storage according to claim 17, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for generating a sequence number within each said generated fragment header.

19. The machine-readable storage according to claim 17, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for generating an indication within said generated fragment header when said each of said plurality of fragment payloads comprises a first fragment from said each of said received data packets.

20. The machine-readable storage according to claim 17, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for generating an indication within said generated fragment header when said each of said plurality of fragment payloads comprises a last fragment from said each of said received data packets.

21. The machine-readable storage according to claim 17, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for generating an error check field based on said generated fragment header.

22. The machine-readable storage according to claim 21, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for generating a fragment by combining said generated fragment header, said generated error check field and said corresponding each of said plurality of fragment payloads.

23. The machine-readable storage according to claim 22, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for encapsulating said each of said plurality of fragment payloads in a corresponding said fragment when sending said each of said plurality of fragment payloads to said physical layer protocol instance.

24. A system for communication in a data communication system, the system comprising:

one or more circuits comprising at least a switch IC and a physical (PHY) layer IC that enable reception of data packets via a medium access control (MAC) layer protocol entity;

said one or more circuits enable fragmentation of each of said received data packets into a plurality of fragment payloads; and

said one or more circuits enable sending of each of said plurality of fragment payloads to a physical layer protocol entity instance selected from a plurality of physical layer protocol entity instances.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein said one or more circuits enable transmission of said plurality of fragment payloads via a plurality of physical links corresponding to at least a portion of said plurality of physical layer protocol entity instances.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein said plurality of physical links is associated with a single logical link.

27. The system according to claim 24, wherein said one or more circuits enable generation of a fragment header corresponding to each of said plurality of fragment payloads.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein said one or more circuits enable generation of a sequence number within each said generated fragment header.

29. The system according to claim 27, wherein said one or more circuits enable generation of an indication within said generated fragment header when said each of said plurality of fragment payloads comprises a first fragment from said each of said received data packets.

30. The system according to claim 27, wherein said one or more circuits enable generation of an indication within said generated fragment header when said each of said plurality of fragment payloads comprises a last fragment from said each of said received data packets.

31. The system according to claim 27, wherein said one or more circuits enable generation of an error check field based on said generated fragment header.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein said one or more circuits enable generation of a fragment by combining said generated fragment header, said generated error check field and said corresponding each of said plurality of fragment payloads.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein said one or more circuits enable encapsulation of said each of said plurality of fragment payloads in a corresponding said fragment when sending said each of said plurality of fragment payloads to said physical layer protocol instance.