Method for transmitting data packets between two communication modules and communication module for transmitting data packets, as well as communication module for receiving data packets

• US 20140133295A1
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: FROHNA, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,344,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/245 using preemption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/35 by embedding flow control information in regular packets, e.g. piggybacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method for transmitting data packets between two communication modules via a transmission medium interconnecting the two modules. To transmit a high-priority data packet in real time via the transmission medium, without causing erroneous transmissions of other packets, it is provided that, for an ongoing transmission of a first data packet, a transmitting communication module embeds a second data packet, which is to be sent urgently, directly into the ongoing first packet, buffers a remainder (not transmitted yet) of the first packet and transmits the remainder of the first packet after transmitting the second packet, and a receiving communication module buffers a beginning of a received first packet, receives the second packet and forwards it for further processing, and receives the remainder of the first packet after receiving the second packet, connects it with the buffered beginning of the first packet, and forwards the complete first packet for further processing.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data packets between two communication modules via a transmission medium, which interconnects the two communication modules, the method comprising:

(a) embedding, via a transmitting communication module, in the case of an ongoing transmission of a first data packet, a second data packet, which is to be sent urgently, directly into the ongoing first data packet;

(b) buffering a remainder, not transmitted yet, of the first data packet;

(c) transmitting the remainder of the first data packet after transmitting the second data packet; and

(d) buffering, via a receiving communication module, a beginning of a received first data packet;

(e) receiving the second data packet and forwarding it for further processing;

(f) receiving the remainder of the first data packet after receiving the second data packet;

(g) connecting it with the buffered beginning of the first data packet; and

(h) forwarding the complete first data packet for further processing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein it is initially checked prior to performing the other tasks of (a) to (h), as to whether the hardware of the communication modules involved is at all suitable for performing the other tasks, and wherein other tasks are only performed if the communication modules are capable of performing the other tasks.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received complete first data packet is forwarded for further processing at a predefined delay.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remainder of the first data packet to be transmitted by the transmitting communication module is provided with an identification field to mark it as a partial packet, and wherein the receiving communication module recognizes based on the content of the identification field that the received data are a partial packet containing the remainder of the first data packet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packets are formed according to the Ethernet specification and transmitted via the transmission medium.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identification field has a value which deviates at least partially from the conventional preamble of an Ethernet data packet.

7. A communication module for transmitting data packets to another communication module via a transmission medium, which interconnects two communication modules, comprising:

a transmitting communication module having a buffer for buffering a first data packet to be transmitted or a remainder of the first data packet, not yet transmitted; and

a multiplexer, situated between the buffer and the transmission medium, for switching the data to be stored for transmission via the transmission medium between the first data packet buffered in the buffer or the buffered remainder of the first data packet, not yet transmitted, and a second data packet to be urgently transmitted.

8. The communication module of claim 7, further comprising:

a transmitting device for the data packets;

a device for controlling access to the transmission medium; and

a device for implementing a bit transmission layer;

wherein the buffer and the multiplexer are situated between the device for controlling the access to the transmission medium and the device for implementing a bit transmission layer.

9. The communication module of claim 7, further comprising:

a transceiver device for the data packets;

a buffer for the data packets to be transmitted;

a second buffer for the received data packets;

a multiplexer for the data to be transmitted; and

a demultiplexer for the received data.

10. A communication module for receiving data packets from another communication module via a transmission medium, which interconnects the two communication modules, comprising:

a receiving communication module having a buffer for buffering a received first data packet; and

a demultiplexer, situated between the transmission medium and the buffer, for switching the data received via the transmission medium between the buffer for the first data packet and an arrangement for further processing a second data packet transmitted urgently via the transmission medium and received by the communication module.

11. The communication module of claim 10, further comprising:

a receiving device for the data packets;

a device for controlling the access to the transmission medium; and

a device for implementing a bit transmission layer;

wherein the buffer and the demultiplexer are situated between the device for controlling the access to the transmission medium and the device for implementing a bit transmission layer.

12. The communication module of claim 10, wherein the arrangement for further processing the second data packet, transmitted urgently via the transmission medium and received by communication module, are an integral part of the device for controlling the access to the transmission medium.

13. The communication module of claim 10, wherein the arrangement for further processing the second data packet, transmitted urgently via the transmission medium and received by communication module, are an integral part of the receiving device for the data packets.

14. The communication module of claim 10, further comprising:

a transceiver device for the data packets;

a buffer for the data packets to be transmitted;

a second buffer for the received data packets;

a multiplexer for the data to be transmitted; and

a demultiplexer for the received data.

15. The communication module of claim 10, wherein the communication module is implemented as hardware, programmable hardware, in the form of a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or as software.

16. The communication module of claim 11, wherein the device is integrated into an electronic component for implementing a bit transmission layer and an arithmetic unit, in the form of a central processing unit (CPU), of the communication module.