METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROXY A/V BRIDGING ON AN ETHERNET SWITCH

• US 20080285574A1
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Teener, Michael Johas
• Granted Patent: US 8,077,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/10 Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

Aspects of a system for proxy AN bridging on an Ethernet switch may include an AV switch enables reception of incoming PDUs from a legacy device via an AV block network, wherein each incoming PDU contains an AV stream identifier (which consists of a destination address and may also consist of a traffic class designation and/or higher level protocol identifiers). The destination address may identify a destination AV device within the AV block network. The AV switch may enable generation of outgoing PDUs by inserting or modifying a corresponding traffic class designation within each of the incoming PDUs. The AV switch may enable transmission using a specific traffic shaping process of each of the outgoing PDUs to a destination AV device within the AV block network based on the AV stream identifier and corresponding QoS parameters.

Claims

1. A method for communicating data, the method comprising:

receiving at least one incoming protocol data unit via a network, wherein each of said at least one incoming protocol data unit comprises a destination address;

generating a corresponding at least one outgoing protocol data unit by inserting a traffic class designation within each of said at least one incoming protocol data unit; and

transmitting said corresponding at least one outgoing protocol data unit based on said destination address, said inserted traffic class designation and/or higher layer protocol identifiers.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising generating said traffic class designation based on a received reservation message.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising transmitting said received reservation message.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising generating quality of service descriptors based on said received at least one incoming protocol data unit.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising estimating timing jitter and/or bandwidth in said received at least one incoming protocol data unit.

6. The method according to claim 5, comprising adjusting said generated quality of service descriptors based on said estimated timing jitter and/or bandwidth.

7. The method according to claim 4, comprising generating a reservation message based on said generated quality of service descriptors.

8. The method according to claim 7, comprising transmitting said generated reservation message.

9. The method according to claim 7, comprising generating said traffic class designation based on said generated reservation message.

10. A system for communicating data, the system comprising:

one or more circuits that enable reception of at least one incoming protocol data unit via a network, wherein each of said at least one incoming protocol data unit comprises a stream identifier;

said one or more circuits enable generation of a corresponding at least one outgoing protocol data unit by inserting a traffic class designation within each of said at least one incoming protocol data unit; and

said one or more circuits enable transmission of said corresponding at least one outgoing protocol data unit based on said stream identifier and/or said inserted traffic class designation.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said one or more circuits enable generation of said traffic class designation based on a received reservation message.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits enable transmission of said received reservation message.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein said one or more circuits enable generation of quality of service descriptors based on said received at least one incoming protocol data unit.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said one or more circuits enable estimation of timing jitter and/or bandwidth in said received at least one incoming protocol data unit.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits enable adjustment of said generated quality of service descriptors based on said estimated timing jitter and/or bandwidth.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein said one or more circuits enable generation of a reservation message based on said generated quality of service descriptors.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said one or more circuits enable transmission of said generated reservation message.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein said one or more circuits enable generation of said traffic class designation based on said generated reservation message.

19. A method for communicating data, the method comprising:

receiving a link discovery message via a port;

labeling said port based on the contents of said received link discovery message; and

determining whether a communicating device may utilize AV Bridging services for transmitting and/or receiving protocol data units via said port based on said labeling.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said communicating device is enabled to utilize said AV Bridging services via said port when said link discovery message comprises a time-synchronization-enabled attribute and an AV-enabled attribute.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein said port is labeled as a legacy port when said link discover message does not comprise a time-synchronization-enabled attribute and an AV-enabled attribute.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said communicating device is enabled to utilize said AV Bridging services via said port when said link discovery message comprises a proxy request attribute and when said port is labeled as said legacy port.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said port is labeled as a proxy enabled port when said link discovery message comprises said proxy request attribute.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein a single said communicating device transmits and/or receives said protocol data units via said labeled proxy enabled port.

25. A system for communicating data, the system comprising:

one or more circuits that enable reception of a link discovery message via a port;

said one or more circuits enable labeling of said port based on the contents of said received link discovery message; and

said one or more circuits enable determination of whether a communicating device may utilize AV Bridging services for transmitting and/or receiving protocol data units via said port based on said labeling.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein said communicating device is enabled to utilize said AV Bridging services via said port when said link discovery message comprises a time-synchronization-enabled attribute and an AV-enabled attribute.

27. The system according to claim 25, wherein said port is labeled as a legacy port when said link discover message does not comprise a time-synchronization-enabled attribute and an AV-enabled attribute.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein said communicating device is enabled to utilize said AV Bridging services via said port when said link discovery message comprises a proxy request attribute and when said port is labeled as said legacy port.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said port is labeled as a proxy enabled port when said link discovery message comprises said proxy request attribute.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein a single said communicating device transmits and/or receives said protocol data units via said labeled proxy enabled port.