Unified data packet for encapsulating data packets having diverse formats

• US 20090185582A1
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tellabs Reston, Inc. (Infinera Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Tellabs Reston, Inc. (Infinera Corp.)
• Inventors: Roller, Christopher D., Cordani, Joseph M., Fang, Rong C., Tozer, David John, Wisniewski, James J., Labana, Paramjit S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,135,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/474
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the specification and drawings facilitate the transportation of data packets having diverse formats through a general packet switching system. Due to the diverse formats of the data packets used by various common communications protocols, it is has been difficult to produce general packet switching systems that are able to switch multiple protocols. Embodiments of the present invention provide a Unified Data Packet for encapsulating data packets having diverse formats. Through encapsulation, embodiments of the present invention improve switching system efficiency by providing a single data packet format for handling by the switching system while enabling data packets in diverse formats to pass through the switch.

Claims

1. A method for transporting data, comprising:

encapsulating data in a frame, wherein the frame comprises a header section, a payload section, and a trailer section, and wherein the header section comprises a Segment Type field and a Final Payload Count Valid field, and wherein the payload section contains the data;

setting, responsive to the data, the Segment Type field and the Final Payload Count Valid field;

transporting the frame through a communication system; and

extracting from the transported frame, responsive to the Segment Type field and the Final Payload Count Valid field, the data from the payload section.

2. The method for transporting data of claim 1, wherein the contents of the payload section comprise, responsive to the Final Payload Count Valid field, a Final Payload Count field, and wherein extracting the data from the payload section is further responsive to the Final Payload Count field.

3. An apparatus for transporting data, comprising:

means for encapsulating data in a frame, wherein the frame comprises a header section, a payload section, and a trailer section, and wherein the header section comprises a Segment Type field and a Final Payload Count Valid field, and wherein the payload section contains the data;

means for setting, responsive to the data, the Segment Type field and the Final Payload Count Valid field;

means for transporting the frame through a communication system; and

means for extracting from the transported frame, responsive to the Segment Type field and the Final Payload Count Valid field, the data from the payload section.

4. The apparatus for transporting data of claim 3, wherein the contents of the payload section comprise, responsive to the Final Payload Count Valid field, a Final Payload Count field, and wherein extracting the data from the payload section is further responsive to the Final Payload Count field.

5. A computer-readable data structure, encoded on a computer-readable medium, for organizing data for transport, the structure comprising:

a frame comprising a header section, a payload section, and a trailer section; and

wherein the header section comprises a Segment Type field and a Final Payload Count Valid field, and wherein the contents of the Segment Type field and the contents of the Final Payload Count Valid field are responsive to the contents of the payload section.

6. The computer-readable data structure for organizing data for transport of claim 5, wherein the contents of the payload section comprise, responsive to the Final Payload Count Valid field, a Final Payload Count field.