System and method for multiplexing data from multiple sources

• US 6,804,251 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1999
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sala, Dolors, Gummalla, Ajay Chandra V., Howard, Daniel, Protus, Richard, Limb, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOANG, THAI D
• Application Number:
  US09/427,792
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: 370/450, 370/458, 370/459, 370/461, 370/444, 370/442, 370/443, 370/447, 370/470-473
• US Class Current: 370/444
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]

Abstract

A multi-source data multiplexing system that accepts information packets from a plurality of signal sources, evaluates the relative efficiencies of data transmission, and transmits the information packets in provided grant regions for maximum efficiency. The multi-source data multiplexing system may accept any form of information packet from any form of signal source. The system receives a grant region, typically comprising a transmission time on a data channel, and inserts a information packet into the grant region. The actual information packet placed in the grant region may be one other than the packet for which the grant region was intended. Further, the multi-source data multiplexing system may fragment an information packet and transmit only a portion of the information packet in the grant region. Alternately, the multi-source data multiplexing system may concatenate multiple information packets, or information packet fragments, from any combination of signal sources and transmit the concatenated result in the grant region. As long as any signal source is active, the composite flow of information packets remains active, and the composite flow then serves as the primary mechanism for requesting and transmitting additional bandwidth on the network.

Claims

1. A method for allocating a grant region between a first signal source and a second signal source accessing a shared access network, comprising:

receiving a first information packet from a first signal source;

requesting a grant region from a central controller;

receiving a second information packet from a second signal source;

receiving the grant region;

evaluating the priority of the first information packet and the priority of the second information packet;

allocating the entire grant region to the second information packet;

determining whether the size of the second information packet exceeds the size of the grant region;

in the event that the size of the second information packet exceeds the size of the grant region, fragmenting the second information packet into a first packet fragment and a second packet fragment, the first packet fragment and the second packet fragment each having an appended header, the size of the first packet fragment plus the first appended header being equal in size to the grant region;

transporting the first packet fragment and the first appended header in the grant region;

requesting a second grant region; and

transporting the second packet fragment and the second appended header in the second grant region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the portions of the first appended header reproduced in the second appended header; and

removing the portions of the first appended header reproduced in the second appended header from the second appended header prior to transporting the second packet fragment and the second appended header in the second grant region.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

requesting a third grant region from a central controller;

receiving the third grant region;

allocating the third grant region to the first information packet;

determining whether the size of the first information packet exceeds the size of the grant region;

in the event that the size of the first information packet exceeds the size of the grant region, fragmenting the first information packet into a first packet fragment and a second packet fragment, the first packet fragment and the second packet fragment each having an appended header, the size of the first packet fragment plus the first appended header being equal in size to the third grant region;

transporting the first packet fragment and the first appended header in the grant region;

requesting a fourth grant region; and

transporting the second packet fragment and the second appended header in the fourth grant region.