MULTIPLEXED DATA STREAM PROTOCOL

• US 20080304486A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chinn, Paul, Galloway, Curtis C., Wright, John Andrew, GRAESSLEY, JOSHUA VERWEYST
• Application Number:
  US11/770,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20080304486A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures

Abstract

Multiplexed data stream protocols are described. In one embodiment, a method to provide a multiplexed data stream protocol includes packetizing a data stream to provide packets with headers and transmitting the packets through an interface which is not designed to use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. The headers contain data for flow control and sequencing and are associated with a port for an application, and the headers allow multiple applications to maintain an arbitrary and changeable number of multiple concurrent sessions through the interface. The headers may be Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) like headers and may not include IP like headers. Systems, computer readable media, software architectures and other methods are also described.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions which cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

packetizing a data stream to produce packets with headers;

transmitting the packets through an interface, which is not designed to use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, to another device, wherein the headers contain data for flow control and sequencing and are associated with a port for an application, and wherein the headers allow multiple applications to maintain an arbitrary number of multiple concurrent sessions through the interface.

2. The medium as in claim 1 wherein a standard protocol of the interface does not use IP addresses and wherein the interface is one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) compliant wired serial interface or a BLUETOOTH compliant wireless interface.

3. The medium as in claim 2 wherein the packets comprise Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) compliant headers and no IP compliant headers.

4. The medium as in claim 3 wherein the flow control is provided on an application by application basis and wherein the arbitrary number can change dynamically over time.

5. The medium as in claim 3 wherein the TCP compliant headers are associated with a socket which is not part of an IP network.

6. The medium as in claim 5 wherein the packetizing is performed after the data stream has been packetized and wrapped with TCP/IP headers in which he IP header specifies a loopback address and after the TCP/IP headers have been removed to provide the data stream.

7. The medium as in claim 6 wherein the packetizing is performed by a TCP stack software component and the data stream is packetized and wrapped with TCP/IP headers by a TCP/IP stack software component which is operatively coupled to an interface for connecting to the Internet through an IP protocol.

8. A machine implemented method comprising:

packetizing a data stream to produce packets with headers;

transmitting the packets through an interface, which is not designed to use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, to another device, wherein the headers contain data for flow control and sequencing and are associated with a port for an application, and wherein the headers allow multiple applications to maintain an arbitrary number of multiple concurrent sessions through the interface.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein a standard protocol of the interface does not use IF addresses and wherein the interface is one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) compliant wired serial interface or a BLUETOOTH compliant wireless interface.

10. The method as in claim 9 wherein the packets comprise Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) compliant headers and no IP compliant headers.

11. The method as in claim 10 wherein the flow control is provided on an application by application basis and wherein the arbitrary number can change dynamically over time.

12. The method as in claim to wherein the TCP compliant headers are associated with a socket which is not part of an IP network.

13. The method as in claim 12 wherein the packetizing is performed after the data stream has been packetized and wrapped with TCP/IP headers in which the IP header specifies a loopback address and after the TCP/IP headers have been removed to provide the data stream.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein the packetizing is performed by a TCP stack software component and the data stream is packetized and wrapped with TCP/IP headers by a TCP/IP stack software component which is operatively coupled to an interface for connecting to the Internet through an IP protocol.

15. A data processing system comprising:

means for packetizing a data stream to produce packets with headers;

means for transmitting the packets through an interface, which is not designed to use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, to another device, wherein the headers contain data for flow control and sequencing and are associated with a port for an application, and wherein the headers allow multiple applications to maintain an arbitrary number of multiple concurrent sessions through the interface.

16. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions to be executed on a data processing system, the medium comprising:

a first network stack software to create packets for transmission through a first interface on a device and to extract data from packets received through the first interface;

a second network stack software to create packets for transmission through a second interface on the device and extract data from packets received though the second interface, the second network stack software being configured to communicate with the first network stack software, wherein the second interface is configured to be coupled to a third interface on another system, the second network stack software being configured to send data extracted from packets, received through the second interface, through the first network stack software, and wherein the second network stack software is configured to transmit and receive packets using a protocol designed for the second interface.

17. The medium as in claim 16 wherein the second network stack software is configured to send data extracted from packets, received though the second interface, through the first network stack software to a plurality of receiving software applications which are allowed to maintain multiple concurrent sessions through the second interface.

18. The medium as in claim 16 wherein the first network stack software and the second network stack software are configured to allow multiple applications on the device to maintain multiple concurrent sessions through the second interface.

19. The medium as in claim 18 wherein the first interface is designed to be coupled to the Internet and the second interface is not designed to use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and wherein the first network stack software comprises a TCP/IP stack and the second network stack software comprises a TCP compliant stack which does not create IP headers.

20. The medium as in claim 19 wherein the second network stack software is configured to extract data from packets received through the second interface and to send the data through the first network stack software to one of the plurality of multiple applications on the device.

21. The medium as in claim 20 wherein the second interface is one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) compliant wired serial interface or a BLUETOOTH compliant wireless interface and wherein the second interface and the third interface use the same protocol which does not use IP addresses.

22. The medium as in claim 21 wherein the headers created by the second network stack software comprise data for flow control and sequencing and a port identifier for a receiving application.

23. The medium as in claim 22 wherein the data extracted from packets by the second network stack software is provided to the first network stack software which adds TCP/IP headers to the data to create further packets and then removes the TCP/IP headers from the further packets and then provides the data to the receiving application.

24. The medium as in claim 23 wherein the TCP/IP headers include an IP address corresponding to a loopback interface operatively coupled with the first network stack software.

25. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions to be executed on a data processing system, the medium comprising:

a first network stack software to create packets for transmission through a first interface on a device and to extract data from packets received through the first interface;

a second network stack software to create packets for transmission through a second interface on the device and extract data from packets received though the second interface, the second network stack software being configured to communicate with the first network stack software, wherein the second interface is configured to be coupled to a third interface on another system, the second network stack software being configured to create packets containing data received from the first network stack software and being configured to transmit the packets, containing data received from the first network stack software, through the second interface, and wherein the second network stack software is configured to transmit and receive packets using a protocol designed for the second interface.

26. The medium as in claim 25 wherein the first network stack software and the second network stack software are configured to allow multiple applications on the device to maintain multiple concurrent sessions through the second interface.

27. The medium as in claim 26 wherein the first interface is designed to be coupled to the Internet and the second interface is not designed to use Internet Protocol (I) addresses and wherein the first network stack software comprises a TCP/IP stack and the second network stack software comprises a TCP compliant stack which does not create IP headers.

28. The medium as in claim 27 wherein the second interface is one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) compliant wired serial interface or a BLUETOOTH compliant wireless interface and wherein the second interface and the third interface use the same protocol which does not use IP addresses.

29. The medium as in claim 28 wherein headers created by the second network stack software comprise data for flow control and sequencing and a port identifier for a receiving application.

30. The medium as in claim 29 wherein the data received from the first network stack software had been packetized with TCP/IP headers and unpacketized before being delivered to the second network stack software.

31. The medium as in claim 30 wherein the TCP/IP headers include an IP address corresponding to a loopback interface operatively coupled with the first network stack software.

32. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions which cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving packets with headers at a first network stack software, the packets being received through an interface;

extracting data from the packets, wherein the extracting is performed by the first network stack software, wherein the interface is not designed to use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and wherein the headers contain data for flow control and sequencing and are associated with a port for an application, and wherein the headers allow multiple applications to maintain an arbitrary number of multiple concurrent sessions through the interface.

33. The medium as in claim 32 wherein a standard protocol of the interface does not use IP addresses and wherein the interface is one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) compliant wired serial interface or a BLUETOOTH compliant wireless interface.

34. The medium as in claim 33 wherein the packets comprise Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) compliant headers and no IP compliant headers.

35. The medium as in claim 34 wherein the flow control is provided on an application by application basis.

36. The medium as in claim 35 where the TCP compliant headers are associated with a socket which is not part of an IP network.

37. The medium as in claim 36 wherein the method further comprises:

creating further packets to contain the data extracted from the packets, the further packets comprising TCP/IP headers in which the IP header specifies a loopback address;

extracting the data from the further packets and providing the data extracted from the further packets to a receiving application.

38. The medium as in claim 37 wherein the creating of the further packets and the extracting of the data from the further packets is performed by a TCP/IP stack software which is operatively coupled to an interface for connecting to the Internet through an IP protocol.

39. A machine implemented method comprising:

receiving packets with headers at a first network stack software, the packets being received through an interface;

extracting data from the packets, wherein the extracting is performed by the first network stack software, wherein the interface is not designed to use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and wherein the headers contain data for flow control and sequencing and are associated with a port for an application, and wherein the headers allow multiple applications to maintain an arbitrary number of multiple concurrent sessions through the interface.

40. The method as in claim 39 wherein a standard protocol of the interface does not use IP addresses and wherein the interface is one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) compliant wired serial interface or a BLUETOOTH compliant wireless interface.

41. The method as in claim 40 wherein the packets comprise Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) compliant headers and no IP compliant headers.

42. The method as in claim 41 wherein the flow control is provided on an application by application basis.

43. The method as in claim 42 where the TCP compliant headers are associated with a socket which is not part of an IP network.

44. The method as in claim 43 wherein the method further comprises:

creating further packets to contain the data extracted from the packets, the further packets comprising TCP/IP headers in which the IP header specifies a loopback address;

extracting the data from the further packets and providing the data extracted from the further packets to a receiving application.

45. The method as in claim 44 wherein the creating of the further packets and the extracting of the data from the further packets is performed by a TCP/IP stack software which is operatively coupled to an interface for connecting to the Internet through an IP protocol.

46. A data processing system comprising:

means for receiving packets with headers at a first network stack software, the packets being received through an interface;

means for extracting data from the packets, wherein the extracting is performed by the first network stack software, wherein the interface is not designed to use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and wherein the headers contain data for flow control and sequencing and are associated with a port for an application, and wherein the headers allow multiple applications to maintain an arbitrary number of multiple concurrent sessions through the interface.