Data throttling system for a communications network
First Claim
1. A station connected to a network having a shared transmission medium for transmitting and receiving first and second types of data packets having different priorities, comprising:
- a memory for maintaining a plurality of queues, including one queue for each type of data packet, for storing the corresponding data packets,a media access controller, which is unable to differentiate among said first and second types of data packets having different priorities, for enabling said first and second types of data packets stored in Said queues of said memory to access said transmission medium, anda CPU in communication with said memory and said media access controller, and separate from said media access controller, for maintaining one or more protocols for processing said first and second types of data packets, for determining priority of the data packets and for executing a throttling algorithm for controlling the submission of data packets based on said determined priority from said queues to said media access controller depending on the type of data packets, to provide an appropriate amount of bandwidth to, and to limit an access delay of said first type of data packets in said shared transmission medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A station is provided which is connected to a network segment via a shared transmission medium. The station includes one or more protocol stacks for processing each type of data packet which the station may transmit to or receive from the shared transmission medium. A queue is associated with each protocol for storing corresponding data packets. The station is also provided with a media access controller, which is unable to differentiate among the different types of data packets. The media access controller is provided for enabling data packets of the different types stored in the queues to access the transmission medium with arbitrary priority. A throttler is also provided for controlling the submission of data packets from the queues to the media access controller, depending on the type of the data packets, to provide an appropriate amount of bandwidth in, and to limit the access delay of, a particular type of data packets in the shared transmission medium.
141 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A station connected to a network having a shared transmission medium for transmitting and receiving first and second types of data packets having different priorities, comprising:
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a memory for maintaining a plurality of queues, including one queue for each type of data packet, for storing the corresponding data packets, a media access controller, which is unable to differentiate among said first and second types of data packets having different priorities, for enabling said first and second types of data packets stored in Said queues of said memory to access said transmission medium, and a CPU in communication with said memory and said media access controller, and separate from said media access controller, for maintaining one or more protocols for processing said first and second types of data packets, for determining priority of the data packets and for executing a throttling algorithm for controlling the submission of data packets based on said determined priority from said queues to said media access controller depending on the type of data packets, to provide an appropriate amount of bandwidth to, and to limit an access delay of said first type of data packets in said shared transmission medium.
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2. A station connected to a network having a shared transmission medium for transmitting and receiving a first type of data packet and one or more other types of data packets having different priorities, comprising:
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at least;
one protocol stack containing a plurality of protocols including one for processing each of said first and said other types of data packets,a plurality of queues including a queue for each protocol for storing corresponding data packets, a media access controller, which is unable to differentiate among said first type and said other types of data packets having different priorities stored in said queues to access said transmission medium with arbitrary priority, and a throttler, separate from said media access controller, for ascertaining priority of the data packets and for controlling the submission of said first and said other data packets from said queues to said media access controller depending on said ascertained priority and the types of data packets, to provide an appropriate amount of bandwidth to and to limit an access delay of said first type of data packets in said shared transmission medium. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A network segment comprising:
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a shared transmission medium, and at least one station connected to said shared transmission medium for transmitting and receiving first and second types of data packets having different priorities, comprising; one or more protocol stacks for maintaining first and second protocols for processing said first and second types of data packets, a plurality of queues including at least one queue for each protocol for storing the corresponding data packets, a media access controller, which is unable to differentiate among said first and second types of data packets having different priorities, for enabling said first and second types of data packets stored in said queues to access said shared transmission medium with arbitrary priority, and a throttler, separate from said media access controller, for determining priority of the data packets and for controlling the submission of data packets from said queues to said media access controller depending on said determined priority and the types of data packets, to provide an appropriate amount of bandwidth to and to limit an access delay of said first type of data packets in said shared transmission medium. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A network adaptor for interconnecting a shared transmission medium of a network segment on which different types of data packets having different priorities are transmitted and a station, said adaptor comprising:
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a first media access controller, which is unable to differentiate among different types of data packets having different priorities, for receiving data packets from and transmitting data packets to said station, a second media access controller, which is unable to differentiate among said types of data packets having different priorities, for enabling data packets received from said first media access controller to access said transmission medium, and a throttler, separate from said media access controllers, for determining priority of the data packets and for controlling the submission of data packets based on said determined priority from said first media access controller to said second media access controller, to provide an appropriate amount of bandwidth to and to limit an access delay of particular types of data packets in said shared transmission medium. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A network adaptor for interconnecting data packets between a shared transmission medium of a network segment on which different types of data packets having different priorities are transmitted and at least one station, said adaptor comprising:
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a first media access controller, which is unable to differentiate among different types of data packets having different priorities, for receiving data packets from and transmitting data packets to said at least one station, a second media access controller, which is unable to differentiate among different types of data packets having different priorities, for enabling data packets received from said at least one station to access said transmission medium, and a CPU, separate from said media access controllers, for determining priority of the data packets and for executing a throttling algorithm for controlling the submission of said data packets from the first media access controller to said second media access controller depending on said determined priority and the type of data packets, to provide an appropriate amount of bandwidth in and to limit an access delay of one or more types of data packets in said shared transmission medium.
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37. A station for transmitting to and receiving from a shared transmission medium of a network different types of data packets having different priorities, said station comprising:
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a memory for maintaining a plurality of queues including at least one queue for storing each type of packet, a media access controller, which is unable to differentiate among said types of packets having different priorities, for enabling said packets stored in said queues to access said transmission medium, and a CPU, separate from said media access controller, for determining priority of the data packets and for executing a throttling algorithm for controlling the submission of data packets from said queues to said media access controller depending on said determined priority and the type of packet to provide an amount of bandwidth in and to limit an access delay of one or more types of data packets in said shared transmission medium.
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Specification