APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR REDUCTION OF TRANSMISSION DELAY IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20080298241A1
• Filed: 03/03/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Klein, Philippe, Ohana, Yitshak, Palm, Stephen, Kliger, Avi
• Granted Patent: US 8,345,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/206 Real Time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for reducing latency in coordinated networks. The apparatus and methods relate to a protocol that may be referred to as the Persistent Reservation Request (“p-RR”), which may be viewed as a type of RR (reservation request). p-RR'"'"'s may reduce latency, on average, to one MAP cycle or less. A p-RR may be used to facilitate Ethernet audiovisual bridging. Apparatus and methods of the invention may be used in connection with coaxial cable based networks that serve as a backbone for a managed network, which may interface with a package switched network.

Claims

1. A method for managing transmission of data over a shared media communication network, the method comprising:

receiving from a node a first reservation request, the node being in communication with the network and the reservation request requesting allocation of network resources for transmitting the data; and

establishing a data flow based on the request;

wherein, in the data flow, the node transmits at least two data frames before a second reservation request is received.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the flow has a duration that is greater than the duration of one medium access plan cycle.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the reservation request comprises a traffic specification.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising canceling the flow based on information included in the traffic specification.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising canceling the flow based on the execution of a link maintenance operation process.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the establishing comprises allocating network resources during a portion of at least one medium access plan cycle, the portion having a duration that is less than the duration of the medium access plan cycle.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein communication over the shared media network is performed in accordance with protocols defined by a specification available under the trademark MoCA.

8. A device for managing transmission of data over a shared media communication network, the device comprising:

a receiver module in communication with the network, the receiver module configured to receive a first reservation request from a node in communication with the network;

a processor module in communication with the receiver module, the processor module configured to allocate network resources based on the request; and

a transmitter module configured to inform the node of a grant of the request, the grant authorizing the node to transmit at least two data frames before the node transmits a second reservation request.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the receiver and the transmitter communicate over the shared media network in accordance with protocols defined by a specification available under the trademark MoCA.

10. A method for transmitting multicast information from a first node to a second node, the first node residing in a packet mode network and the second node residing in a packet-switched network, the method comprising:

receiving at the first node a registration request from the second node, the registration request requesting receipt of the multicast information, the registration request including a traffic specification; and

transmitting, using the first node, a reservation request to a network coordinator residing in the packet mode network, the reservation request conforming to the traffic specification.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first node transmits at least two frames of multicast data before transmitting a second reservation request to the network coordinator.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising, when the network coordinator generates medium access plan cycles and the reservation request corresponds to one of the cycles, transmitting at least one additional reservation request, each of the at least one additional reservation requests being transmitted in a respective subsequent cycle.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein communication over the packet mode network is performed in accordance with protocols defined by a specification available under the trademark MoCA.

14. A method for using a packet mode network to transmit data from a first packet-switched network segment to a second packet-switched network segment, the method comprising:

receiving the data from the first segment using a packet mode network ingress port; and

transmitting the data to the second segment using a packet mode network egress port.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising, using the ingress port, transmitting to a network coordinator a data flow request for data flow from the ingress port to the egress port.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising, using the ingress port:

transmitting to the network coordinator a reservation request for the allocation of network resources for transmitting the data to the egress port; and

transmitting at least two frames of the data before transmitting a second reservation request to the network coordinator.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising, when the network coordinator generates medium access plan cycles:

transmitting to the network coordinator a reservation request for the allocation of network resources for transmitting the data to the egress port, the reservation request corresponding to one of the cycles; and

transmitting at least one additional reservation request, each of the at least one additional reservation requests being transmitted in a respective subsequent cycle.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein communication over the packet mode network is performed in accordance with protocols defined by a specification available under the trademark MoCA.