INFORMATION COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND PROGRAM STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20120250671A1
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: KAWAMOTO, Yasutaka, KUBO, Yuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,008,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/624 Altering the ordering of packets in an individual queue
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An information communication apparatus may include a request buffer, a request sorting device, a sending device, a frame generating device, and a frame transmitting device. A request buffer may store transmission requests corresponding to frames. A request sorting device may sort the transmission requests. A sending device may send the sorted transmission requests in accordance with a transmission timing that is determined based on destinations of the frames and in which a receiving node can receive the frames. A frame generating device may generate frames based on the received transmission requests. A frame transmitting device configured to transmit the generated frames.

Claims

1. An information communication apparatus for transmitting frames to a receiving node, comprising:

a request buffer configured to store transmission requests corresponding to frames;

a request sorting device configured to sort the transmission requests;

a sending device configured to send the sorted transmission requests in accordance with transmission timings that are determined based on time periods during which destinations of the frames are able to receive the frames;

a frame generating device configured to receive the sent transmission requests and to generate frames based on the received transmission requests; and

a frame transmitting device configured to transmit the generated frames to the destinations.

2. The information communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the request sorting device sorts the transmission requests so that transmission requests that correspond to frames that have the same destination are sent continuously.

3. The information communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the request sorting device sorts the transmission requests based upon transmission timings of destinations of the corresponding frames, the transmission requests being sorted so that frames that have destinations with transmission timings earlier than destinations of other frames are transmitted before the other frames.

4. The information communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the request sorting device sorts the transmission requests so that one of the transmission requests corresponding to one frame that lacks information relating to a transmission timing of a destination of the one frame is arranged at a head of the sorted transmission requests.

5. The information communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the request sorting device sorts the transmission requests so that one of the transmission requests corresponding to one frame that lacks information relating to a transmission timing of a destination of the one frame is arranged last in the sorted transmission requests.

6. The information communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the request sorting device sorts the transmission requests so that transmission requests that correspond to frames that have the same destination as a frame corresponding to a transmission request that is at a head of the sorted transmission requests are arranged so that the frames are continuously transmitted with the head frame.

7. The information communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the request sorting device sorts the transmission requests when the request buffer stores the transmission requests.

8. The information communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the request sorting device sorts the transmission requests at a predetermined repeating timing.

9. The information communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the request sorting device sorts the transmission requests when one of the transmission requests is sent by the sending device.

10. An information communication apparatus for transmitting frames to a receiving node, comprising:

a request acquisition device configured to store transmission requests;

a frame generating device configured to generate frames that correspond respectively to transmission requests;

a frame sorting device configured to sort the generated frames;

a sending device configured to send the sorted frames in accordance with transmission timings that are determined based on time periods during which destinations of the frames are able to receive the frames; and

a frame transmitting device configured to receive the sent frames and transmit the received frames to the destinations.

11. The information communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the frame sorting device sorts the frames so that frames that have the same destination continue to be sent continuously.

12. The information communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the frame sorting device sorts the frames so that the frames are transmitted based upon transmission timings of destinations of the frames,

wherein frames that have destinations that have transmission timings earlier than destinations of other frames are transmitted before the other frames.

13. The information communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the frame sorting device sorts the frames so that one of the frames that lacks information relating to a transmission timing of a destination of the frame is arranged at a head of the sorted frames.

14. The information communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the frame sorting device sorts the frames so that one of the frames that lacks information relating to a transmission timing of a destination of the frame is arranged last in the sorted frames.

15. The information communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the frame sorting device sorts the frames so that frames that have the same destination as a frame that is at a head of the sorted frames are arranged to be continuously transmitted after the head frame.

16. The information communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the frame sorting device sorts the frames when the request buffer stores the frames.

17. The information communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the frame sorting device sorts the frames at a predetermined repeating timing.

18. The information communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the frame sorting device sorts the frames when one of the frames is sent by the sending device.

19. An information communication apparatus for transmitting frames to a receiving node, comprising:

a request acquisition device configured to store transmission requests corresponding to frames;

a frame generating device configured to generate frames that correspond respectively to transmission requests;

a frame buffer configured to store the generated frames;

a frame sorting device configured to sort the generated frames so that if the request acquisition device acquires a transmission request that corresponds to a frame that has the same destination as one or more others of the stored frames, all the frames are sorted so that the frames that have the same destination are consecutively arranged;

a sending device configured to send the sorted frames in accordance with transmission timings that are determined based on time periods during which destinations of the frames are able to receive the frames; and

a frame transmitting device configured to receive the sent frames and transmit the received frames to the destinations.

20. The information communication apparatus of claim 19, wherein

the frame sorting device sorts the stored frames so that frames that have the same destination as a head frame are arranged to be continuously transmitted with the head sorted frame.

21. A program storage medium having a computer program for an information communication apparatus for transmitting frames to a receiving node that when implemented executes the steps of:

storing transmission requests corresponding to frames;

sorting the transmission requests;

sending the sorted transmission requests in accordance with transmission timings that are determined based on time periods during which destinations of the frames are able to receive the frames;

generating frames based on the sent transmission requests; and

transmitting the generated frames to the destinations.

22. A program storage medium having a computer program for an information communication apparatus for transmitting frames to a receiving node, that when implemented executes the steps of:

storing transmission requests;

generating frames that correspond respectively to the stored transmission requests;

sorting the generated frames;

sending the sorted frames in accordance with transmission timings that are determined based on time periods during which destinations of the frames are able to receive the frames; and

transmitting the sent frames to the destinations.