ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF ENSURING GUARANTEED SERVICES

• US 20100197248A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: ST-Ericcson SA (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Radulescu, Andrei, Balakrishnan, Bipin
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/101
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1877 for semi-reliable protocols, e.g. for less sensitive applications like streaming video buffer level management for video bitstream control arrangements H04N21/44004
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/188 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0098 Unequal error protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/245 using preemption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/28 in relation to timing considerations

Abstract

A method for ensuring guaranteed services for real-time traffic on an interconnect with errors is provided. The real-time traffic comprises a first and second traffic class (HRT, SRT). Real-time traffic of the first and/or second traffic class (HRT, SRT) is transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver. It is detected by the receiver whether an error has occurred during the transmission of the real-time traffic and the error is reported to the transmitter. At least part of the real-time traffic of the second traffic class (SRT) is re-transmitted by the transmitter if the transmitter has received an error report from the receiver within a predetermined time period.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. Method for ensuring guaranteed services for real-time traffic on an interconnect with errors, wherein the real-time traffic comprises a first and a second traffic class, comprising the steps of:

transmitting real-time traffic of the first and/or second traffic class from a transmitter to a receiver;

detecting by the receiver whether an error has occurred during the transmission of the real-time traffic and reporting the error to the transmitter, and passing on the real-time traffic of the first traffic class regardless of errors without waiting for a re-transmission; and

re-transmitting at least part of the real-time traffic of the second traffic class by the transmitter if the transmitter has received an error report from the receiver within a predetermined time period.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein the communication over the interconnect is based on connections each with at least a guaranteed communication bandwidth.

14. Method according to claim 12, wherein the communication over the interconnect is based on connections each with at least a guaranteed communication bandwidth and comprises a variable bit rate, the method comprising the steps of:

associating at least one first bandwidth to each of the connections;

providing a common pool bandwidth unit for associating additional at least one second bandwidth to the at least one first bandwidth if required, and/or for providing at least one third bandwidth for re-transmissions of at least part of at least one of the connections if the at least one of the connections comprises traffic of the second traffic class and for providing bandwidth for third traffic.

15. Method according to claim 12, wherein the traffic comprises hard real-time traffic as first traffic class, soft real-time traffic as second traffic class, control traffic and/or best-effort traffic,

wherein the control traffic, the first traffic class, re-transmissions of second class traffic, second class traffic and the best-effort traffic, have priorities associated to them in decreasing order, respectively.

16. Electronic device, comprising:

an interconnect for real-time traffic communication, wherein errors may occur at the interconnect, wherein the real-time traffic comprises a first and a second traffic class and for the traffic of the first traffic class, the traffic is passed on from the interconnect regardless of errors at the interconnect without waiting for a re-transmission over the interconnect;

re-transmission processing unit for initiating a re-transmission of at least part of the real-time traffic of the second traffic class if an error report has been received, and

a real-time traffic arbiter for performing an arbitration of the re-transmission of at least part of the real-time traffic of the second class.

17. Electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the real-time traffic arbiter comprises a common pool bandwidth counter for associating additional second bandwidth to the first bandwidth if required, for providing third bandwidth for re-transmissions of at least part of the traffic if the at least part of the traffic comprises traffic of the second traffic class and for providing bandwidth for third traffic.

18. Method for ensuring guaranteed services for real-time traffic on an interconnect with errors, wherein communication over the interconnect is based on connections each with at least a guaranteed communication bandwidth, comprising the steps of:

associating a first bandwidth to each first connection; and

providing a common pool bandwidth unit for associating additional second bandwidth to the first bandwidth if required, for providing third bandwidth for re-transmissions of at least part of one or more of the connections and/or for providing bandwidth for third traffic.

19. Method according to claim 18, wherein the communication over the interconnect comprises a variable bit rate, wherein the real-time traffic comprises a first and a second traffic class,

wherein the common pool bandwidth unit is adapted for providing third bandwidth for re-transmissions of at least part of the one or more of the connections if the one or more of the connections comprises traffic of the second traffic class.

20. Method of claim 18, wherein the real-time traffic comprises a first and a second traffic class, and the traffic of the second traffic class is re-transmitted only if there is bandwidth available in the common pool bandwidth unit.

21. Electronic device, comprising:

an interconnect for real-time traffic communication based on connections, wherein the real-time traffic comprises a first and a second traffic class;

connection processing module unit for processing the connections;

re-transmission processing unit for initiating a re-transmission of at least part of the real-time traffic of the second traffic class if an error has occurred during the transmission; and

a real-time traffic arbiter for performing an arbitration of the re-transmission of at least part of the real-time traffic of the second class wherein the real-time traffic arbiter comprises a common pool bandwidth unit for associating additional second bandwidth to the first bandwidth if required, for providing third bandwidth for re-transmissions of at least part of one or more of the connections if the one or more of the connections comprises traffic of the second traffic class and for providing bandwidth for third traffic.

22. Electronic device of claim 21, wherein the re-transmission processing unit initiates a request for re-transmission to the real-time traffic arbiter only if sufficient bandwidth is available in the common pool.

23. Electronic device according to claim 21, wherein for each of the first and the second traffic classes, the real-time traffic arbiter comprises a contention resolution and grant distribution unit, which is used to resolve the contention among the requests from connections belonging to the first and second traffic classes, respectively, and to distribute the grant to the winner of the contention.