Independent Dispatch of Multiple Streaming Queues Via Reserved Time Slots

• US 20080240324A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sung, Ellick H., Sburlino, Egidio
• Application Number:
  US11/691,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20080240324A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/370
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/12 using hardware independent of the central processor, e.g. channel or peripheral processor

Abstract

Technologies for scheduling the dispatch of multi-channel isochronous constant-rate data, such as real-time and/or streaming audio data, video data, or the like. The technologies include systems and methods that provide for the independent dispatch of such data from each of multiple channels such that data delays in one channel have no adverse affect on the dispatch of data from another channel.

Claims

1. A multi-channel isochronous data transport scheduling system including a constant-rate data transmission clock, the system comprising:

a channel scheduler associated with an isochronous data channel, and with a transport buffer including a read pointer, and with a write pointer associated with frames of the transport buffer that are allocated to the isochronous data channel, the channel scheduler operating independent of other channel schedulers; and

a read monitor associated with the read pointer, the read monitor operable to determine if the read pointer has advanced past the write pointer prior to data becoming available via the isochronous data channel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the channel scheduler writes the data into a frame of the frames, the frame pointed to by the write pointer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the channel scheduler writes the data if the read pointer has not advanced past the write pointer as determined by the read monitor

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the read pointer is a constant-rate read pointer advancing through the transport buffer in lock-step with timing signals from the constant-rate data transmission clock.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the isochronous data channel is a Bluetooth synchronous connection oriented link or extended synchronous connection oriented link.

6. The system of claim 1, where in the data is divided into packets.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data includes streaming audio data or streaming video data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data includes real-time audio data or real-time video data.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless means for transmitting the data.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second channel scheduler associated with a second isochronous data channel, and with the transport buffer, and with a second write pointer associated with frames of the transport buffer allocated for the second isochronous data channel, the second channel scheduler operating independent of the channel scheduler.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a third channel scheduler associated with a third isochronous data channel, and with the transport buffer, and with a third write pointer associated with frames of the transport buffer allocated for the third isochronous data channel, the third channel scheduler operating independent of the channel scheduler and the second channel scheduler.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the frames of the transport buffer are allocated to isochronous data channels in a repeating sequential fashion.

13. A method of dispatching multi-channel isochronous data in a constant-rate fashion, the method comprising:

receiving an indication upon allocation of an isochronous data channel;

establishing a channel scheduler associated with the isochronous data channel, and with a transport buffer including a read pointer, and with a write pointer associated with frames of the transport buffer that are allocated to the isochronous data channel, the channel scheduler operating independent of other channel schedulers;

the channel scheduler dispatching a data packet from the isochronous data channel to a frame of the frames, the frame pointed to by the write pointer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the channel scheduler dispatches the data packet if the read pointer has not advanced beyond the write pointer.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the read pointer is a constant-rate read pointer advancing through the transport buffer in lock-step with timing signals from a constant-rate data transmission clock.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the isochronous data channel is a Bluetooth synchronous connection oriented link or extended synchronous connection oriented link.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the data packet includes streaming audio data or streaming video data.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the data packet includes real-time audio data or real-time video data.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the frames of the transport buffer are allocated to isochronous data channels in a repeating sequential fashion.

20. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing a method of dispatching multi-channel isochronous data in a constant-rate fashion, the method comprising:

receiving an indication upon allocation of an isochronous data channel;

establishing a channel scheduler associated with the isochronous data channel, and with a transport buffer including a read pointer, and with a write pointer associated with frames of the transport buffer that are allocated to the isochronous data channel, the channel scheduler operating independent of other channel schedulers, wherein the read pointer is a constant-rate read pointer advancing through the transport buffer in lock-step with timing signals from a constant-rate data transmission clock;

the channel scheduler dispatching a data packet from the isochronous data channel to a frame of the frames, the frame pointed to by the write pointer, if the read pointer has not advanced beyond the write pointer.