Method and system for communicating information in a network

• US 6,317,415 B1
• Filed: 09/28/1998
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems LP (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Reddy, Praveen S., Jennings, William T., Lengel, Bradley D., Darnell, B. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/162,317
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 370/258, 370/400, 370/401, 370/422, 370/449, 370/452, 370/455, 370/458, 370/460, 370/461, 370/462, 370/463, 370/468, 370/230-235, 370/406
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/423 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6459 Multiplexing, e.g. TDMA, CDMA

Abstract

A communications system includes a plurality of network nodes including a first node having an interface unit. The interface unit includes a scheduler operable to schedule periodic transmission of a plurality of frames at respective designated times. Each of the plurality of frames includes a plurality of slots. The interface unit also includes an access system operable to designate which of the plurality of slots of a frame are accessible by each of the plurality of nodes and to access the designated slots.

Claims

1. A method for communicating information in a network having a plurality of nodes, comprising:

designating one of the plurality of nodes as a master node;

scheduling, by the master node, transmission of one of a plurality of types of frames in a sample window bandwidth, the frame having a plurality of slots;

receiving, at a first node of the plurality of nodes, a transmitted frame;

determining from the type of frame the slots of the frame available for access at the first node;

accessing by the first node, a slot of the frame determined to be accessible at the first node;

transmitting the frame to a second node of the plurality of nodes according to a schedule determined by the master node; and

scheduling, by the master node, based on available space in a sample window bandwidth, aperiodic transmission of an additional frame.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising transmitting the additional frame to one of the plurality of nodes.

3. A method for communicating information in a network having a plurality of nodes, comprising:

providing a frame from a plurality of frame types for storing information, the frame comprising a plurality of slots;

for each of the plurality of nodes, designating based on frame type the slots for extraction of information by the node and designating slots for insertion of information by the node;

scheduling in a sample window bandwidth transmission of the frame to one of the plurality of nodes at a designated time;

transmitting the frame at the designated time to one of the plurality of nodes; and

after arrival of the frame at one of the plurality of nodes, initiating insertion of information into a slot designated by frame type for insertion of information or extraction of information from a slot designated by frame type for extraction of information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein designating slots for insertion of information comprises producing a table indicating, for each slot, whether the node has been identified to insert information into the slot.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein designating slots for extraction of information comprises producing a table indicating, for each slot, whether the node has been identified to extract information from the slot.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein initiating insertion or extraction of information comprises initiating insertion of information to a slot designated as a slot for insertion of information and further comprising:

writing the information to a buffer before initiating insertion of information into the designated slot; and

inserting the information into the designated slot from the buffer.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein initiating insertion or extraction of information comprises extracting information from a slot designated as a slot for extraction of information and further comprising transmitting the extracted information to a data port.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein providing a frame having a plurality of slots comprises providing a frame capable of storing thirty-two bits of data.

9. The method of claim 3, and further comprising retransmitting the frame at a periodic rate.

10. A network for information communication having a plurality of nodes serially connected in a loop topology for transmission of frames of data, each node having an interface unit comprising:

an input/output port receiving a plurality of types of isochronous frames of data transmitted to the nodes of the serially connected loop, the input/output port decoding the received data for processing, said input/output port also transmitting the plurality of types of frames of data to other nodes on the serially connected loop;

a scheduler receiving a frame of decoded data from the input/output port to establish timing of transmission or retransmission of the plurality of types of frames of data in a sample window bandwidth to establish periodic communication between the plurality of nodes;

an extraction/insertion unit receiving a frame of data from the scheduler for further processing the frame of data in accordance with a designated frame type from the plurality of frame types; and

a selector receiving data from the extraction/insertion unit for transmitting to the input/output port for encoding and transmission of the frame of data to the plurality of nodes.

11. The network for information communication as in claim 10 further comprising a memory for receiving a copy of the frame of data from the input/output port for availability to the scheduler as required for retransmission.

12. The network for information communication as in claim 10 further comprising a multiplexer receiving the decoded data for determining the processing path for the data for transmission to either the scheduler or the extraction/insertion unit.

13. The network for information communication as in Claim 11 wherein frames of data comprise asynchronous frames in addition to isochronous frames, the interface unit further comprising:

a routing control unit receiving the decoded information from the input/output port for processing isochronous frames to said memory for further processing by said scheduler or for transmission to the extraction/insertion unit.

14. The network for information communication as in claim 13 wherein the scheduler processes asynchronous frames of data on a bandwidth available basis.

15. The network for information communications as in claim 13 wherein said scheduler includes a schedule for timing the transmission and retransmission of isochronous frames of data to the extraction/insertion unit.

16. The network for information communication as in claim 15 wherein said scheduler creates the schedule based on a scheduling algorithm in conjunction with a schedule table.

17. The network for information communication as in claim 10 wherein the extraction/insertion unit reads data from or inserts data into slots of isochronous frames of data according to the type of frame.

18. The network for information communication as in claim 17 wherein the extraction/insertion unit includes an access table defining nodes designated for reading or inserting data into designated slots of a frame of data.

19. A network for information communication comprising a plurality of nodes serially connected in a loop topology for transmission of isochronous and asynchronous frames of data, each node having an interface unit comprising:

one or more input/output ports receiving frames of data transmitted to the nodes of the serially connected loop, an input/output port decoding the received data for processing, said input/output port also transmitting frames of data to other nodes of the serially connected loop;

a main path and an auxiliary path, the main path providing both isochronous and asynchronous processing of data, the auxiliary path providing asynchronous and loop processing of data;

one or more multiplexers receiving the decoded data for selecting the main path or the auxiliary path for processing the received decoded data;

said main path comprising;

a memory for receiving a copy of the decoded frame of data routed to the main path;

an extraction/insertion unit receiving a frame of data either from one or more multiplexers or from the memory;

a scheduler generating a multiplexer select signal to direct a frame of decoded data from an input/output port to the extraction/insertion unit or to direct a frame of decoded data from the memory to the extraction/insertion unit;

said auxiliary path comprising;

auxiliary path logic receiving frames of decoded data from an input/output port for processing of frames of data for transmission to the plurality of nodes serially connected in the loop topology; and

one or more selection multiplexers receiving decoded frames of data from the extraction/insertion unit or from the auxiliary path logic for transmitting to an input/output port for encoding and transmission of a frame of data to the plurality of nodes serially connected.

20. The network for information communication as in claim 19 wherein each interface unit further comprises a routing control unit receiving the decoded information from an input/output port for processing to the main path or the auxiliary path.

21. The network for information communication as in claim 20 wherein the extraction/insertion unit of each interface unit further comprises inserting data into slots of an isochronous frame of data or extracting data from identified frames of data.

22. The network for information communication as in claim 19 wherein the scheduler of each interface unit further comprises a timing controller for timing of transmission or retransmission of frames of data to establish transmission of isochronous nodes between the plurality of nodes and further controlling the transmission of asynchronous frames of data based on available bandwidth.

23. The network for information communication as in claim 20 wherein the routing control unit of each interface unit processes decoded information from an input/output port to the extraction/insertion unit or for storage in the memory.

24. A method for communicating information in a network having a plurality of nodes serially connected in a loop topology, comprising:

designating for each of a plurality of frame types for each of the plurality of nodes slots of a frame for extraction of information and slots of the designated frame for insertion of information;

scheduling in a sample window bandwidth for each of the plurality of frame types transmission of a frame to the plurality of nodes at a designated transmission time;

transmitting the frame at the designated time to the plurality of nodes serially connected; and

initiating insertion of information into a slot at a designated node and/or extraction of information from a slot at a designated node after arrival of the frame at one of the plurality of nodes.

25. The method for communicating information as in claim 24 further comprising:

designating slots of a frame for a designated node for insertion of information and/or extraction of information.

26. A method for communicating information in a network having a plurality of nodes serially connected in a loop topology, comprising:

designating for each of a plurality of frame types a node for extraction of information from slots of a frame for storing information and for insertion of information into the slots of a frame, wherein designating a node for insertion of information into a slot comprises generating a table indicating, for each frame, whether the node has been identified to insert or extract information into a slot of the frame;

scheduling during a sample window bandwidth transmission of the frame to the plurality of nodes at a scheduled transmission time;

transmitting the frame at the scheduled time to the plurality of nodes serially connected; and

initiating insertion of information into a slot at a designated node and/or extraction of information from a slot at a designated node.