Data Packet, Method, And Device Of Transmitting Payload Information Within An Extendable Header

• US 20080151891A1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gibson Brands, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gibson Guitar Corporation (Gibson Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sallam, Hussein, Juszkiewicz, Henry E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,194,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

The invention pertains to utilizing a data packet with a header extended to contain information dealing with the payload. Specifically, IEEE 802.1Q standard contains an extendable header which is normally utilized to contain information regarding a VLAN. However, these fields can also be utilized to provide information about the payload of the data packet. In this manner, networking devices which are primarily concerned with layer 2 data-link layer protocols can transmit information according to the information being transmitted by the packet.

Claims

1. A method of providing payload information within a data packet:

creating the data packet wherein the data packet has an extendable header and a payload;

extending the header such that payload information bits fit within the header; and

providing the payload information bits within the header.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the data packet for transmission to a destination device;

receiving the data packet at an intermediary network device;

determining the contents of the data packet from the payload information bits;

determining a priority of transmission for the data packet according to the payload information bits; and

transmitting the data packet from the intermediary network device for transmission to the destination device according to the priority of transmission.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the data packet from the intermediary network device for transmission to the destination device according to the priority, further comprises:

creating a transmission data packet wherein the transmission data packet has a second extendable header and the payload;

extending the second extendable header such that the payload information bits fit within the second extendable header;

providing the payload information bits within the second extendable header; and

transmitting the transmission data packet from the intermediary network device according to the priority of transmission.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the payload information bits include a content serial number.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the payload information bits include a MAC address.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the payload information bits further include a content serial number.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the payload of the data packet contains audio/video content such that the content serial number indicates that the payload contains audio/video content and the MAC address indicates the source of the audio/video content.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting the data packet for transmission of the payload to a destination device;

receiving the data packet at an intermediary network device;

determining that the data packet contains audio/video content from the content serial number;

determining a priority of transmission for the data packet according to the payload information bits; and

transmitting the data packet from the intermediary network device for transmission to the destination device according to the priority of transmission.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the data packet from the intermediary network device for transmission to the destination device according to the priority of transmission further comprises:

creating a transmission data packet wherein the transmission data packet has a second extendable header and the payload;

extending the header such that the payload information bits fit within the second extendable header;

providing the payload information bits within the second extendable header; and

transmitting the transmission data packet according to the priority of transmission.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the data packet for transmission to a destination device;

receiving the data packet at an intermediary network device;

extracting the payload information bits;

determining whether to forward the data packet according to the payload information bits; and

transmitting the data packet for transmission from the intermediary network device to the destination device if forwarding is appropriate.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting the data packet for transmission from the intermediary network device to the destination device if forwarding is appropriate, further comprises:

creating a transmission data packet wherein the transmission data packet has a second extendable header and the payload;

extending the second extendable header such that the payload information bits fit within the second extendable header;

providing the payload information bits within the second extendable header; and

transmitting the transmission data packet from the intermediary network device if forwarding is appropriate.

12. A method of providing payload information within a data packet comprising:

creating the data packet formatted according to the IEEE 802.1Q protocol wherein the data packet contains an extendable header and a payload;

providing a tagged frame for the data packet such that a first tag is created containing a VLAN ID; and

configuring the data packet with sufficient additional tags to contain payload information bits; and

providing the payload information bits within the additional tags.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising

transmitting the data packet for transmission to a destination device;

receiving the data packet at an intermediary device;

extracting the payload information bits from the additional tags;

determining a priority of transmission for the data packet according to the payload information bits; and

transmitting the data packet for transmission from the intermediary network device to the destination device according to the priority of transmission.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the data packet for transmission from the intermediary network device to the destination device according to the priority of transmission further comprises:

creating a transmission data packet formatted according to the IEEE 802.1Q protocol wherein the transmission data packet contains a second extendable header and the payload;

providing a second tagged frame for the data packet such that a first transmission tag of the transmission data packet is created containing the VLAN ID; and

configuring transmission data packet with sufficient additional transmission tags to contain payload information bits.

providing the payload information bits within the additional transmission tags of the transmission data packet; and

transmitting the transmission data packet from the intermediary network device according to the priority of transmission.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the payload information bits include a content serial number.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the payload information bits include a MAC address.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the payload information bits further include a content serial number.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the payload of the data packet contains audio/video content such that the content serial number indicates that the payload contains audio/video content and the MAC address indicates the source of the audio/video content.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting the data packet for transmission to a destination device;

receiving the data packet at an intermediary device;

extracting the payload information bits from the additional tags;

determining a priority of transmission for the data packet according to the payload information bits; and

transmitting the data packet for transmission from the intermediary network device to the destination device according to the priority of transmission.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting the data packet for transmission to a destination device;

receiving the data packet at an intermediary network device;

extracting the payload information bits;

determining whether to forward the data packet according to the payload information bits; and

transmitting the data packet for transmission from the intermediary network device to the destination device if forwarding is appropriate.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein transmitting the data packet for transmission from the intermediary network device to the destination device if forwarding is appropriate further comprises:

creating a transmission data packet formatted according to the IEEE 802.1Q protocol wherein the transmission data packet contains a second extendable header and the payload;

providing a second tagged frame for the data packet such that a first transmission tag of the transmission data packet is created containing the VLAN ID; and

configuring transmission data packet with sufficient additional transmission tags to contain payload information bits.

providing the payload information bits within the additional transmission tags of the transmission data packet; and

transmitting the transmission data packet for transmission from the intermediary network device if forwarding is appropriate.

22. A data packet comprising:

a payload;

payload information bits; and

an extendable header having at least one packet handling field which contains bits for transmitting the data packet and at least one payload information field for containing the payload information bits wherein the extendable header is extended such that the payload information bits can be contained within the header.

23. The data packet of claim 22 wherein the payload information bits include a content serial number.

24. The data packet of claim 22 wherein the payload information bits include a MAC address.

25. The data packet of claim 24 wherein the payload information bits further include a content serial number.

26. The data packet of claim 25 wherein the payload of the data packet contains audio/video content such that the content serial number indicates that the payload contains audio/video content and the MAC address indicates the source of the audio/video content.

27. A data packet comprising:

the data packet being formatted according to the IEEE 802.1Q protocol with a tagged frame, the data packet having an extendable header and a payload;

at least one extra tag in the extendable header; and

payload information bits wherein the extendable header is extended with sufficient extra tags to contain the payload information bits.

28. The data packet of claim 27 wherein the payload information bits include a content serial number.

29. The data packet of claim 27 wherein the payload information bits include a MAC address.

30. The data packet of claim 29 wherein the payload information bits further include a content serial number.

31. The data packet of claim 30 wherein the payload of the data packet contains audio/video content such that the content serial number indicates that the payload contains audio/video content and the MAC address indicates the source of the audio/video content.

32. A networking device for receiving a data packet with an extendable header and a payload wherein the extendable header is extended to contain payload information bits comprising:

a port for receiving the data packet; and

a packet processor being configured to extract the payload information bits from the extendable header.

33. The networking device of claim 32 wherein the packet processor is capable of setting a priority of transmission according to the payload information bits.

34. The networking device of claim 32 wherein the packet processor is capable of making forwarding decisions based on the payload information bits.