Powerline network flood control restriction

• US 7,120,847 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intellon Corporation (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Earnshaw, William E., Kostoff, Stanley J. II
• Primary Examiner(s): DILDINE JR, R STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US10/180,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20040003338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 714748-749, 714/776
• US Class Current: 714/748
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/188 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A transmit process that limits the time during which a reduced network bandwidth exists between two powerline nodes because a receiving node fails to respond to frame transmission attempts by a transmitting node is described. The transmit process restricts the number of retries that occur in a lower date rate transmission mode and, for a predetermined time period to follow, drops all subsequent frames destined for the non-responding node.

Claims

1. In a network of nodes, each node having a transmitter and a receiver, a method of operating a transmitter in a node comprises:

transmitting, in at least one transmission attempt, a frame over a shared channel to a receiver in another node, the frame being of the type for which a response is expected;

determining if no response is received from the receiver;

discarding the frame; and

discarding any subsequent frames destined for the receiver without any transmission attempt for a predetermined time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the frame to the receiver in reduced data rate transmission attempts until a threshold number of such reduced data rate transmission attempts have occurred without a response from the receiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared channel is a powerline-based communications channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared channel is an Ethernet-based communications channel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a timer to run for the duration of the predetermined time interval when the frame is discarded; and

causing a flag associated with the address of the receiver to be set while the timer is running.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein discarding any subsequent frames comprises:

determining that each such subsequent frame is destined for the receiver;

determining, for each such subsequent frame destined for the receiver, if the flag is set for the receiver; and

discarding each such subsequent frame when it is determined that the flag is set for the receiver.

7. A computer program residing on a computer-readable medium for operating a transmitter in a node in a network of nodes each having a transmitter and a receiver, the computer program comprising instructions causing a computer to:

transmit, in at least one transmission attempt, a frame over a shared channel to a receiver in another node, the frame being of the type for which a response is expected;

determine if no response is received from the receiver;

discard the frame; and

discard any subsequent frames destined for the receiver without any transmission attempt for a predetermined time interval.

8. In a network of nodes, each node having a transmitter and a receiver, a transmitter in a node comprising:

means for transmitting, in at least one transmission attempt, a frame over a shared channel to a receiver in another node, the frame being of the type for which a response is expected;

means for determining if no response is received from the receiver;

means for discarding the frame; and

means for discarding any subsequent frames destined for the receiver without any transmission attempt for a predetermined time interval.

9. The transmitter of claim 8, further comprising:

means for transmitting the frame to the receiver in reduced data rate transmission attempts until a threshold number of such reduced data rate transmission attempts have occurred without a response from the receiver.

10. The transmitter of claim 8, wherein the shared channel is a powerline-based communications channel.

11. The transmitter of claim 8, wherein the shared channel is an Ethernet-based communications channel.

12. The transmitter of claim 8, further comprising:

means for setting a timer to run for the duration of the predetermined time interval when the frame is discarded; and

means for causing a flag associated with the address of the receiver to be set while the timer is running.

13. The transmitter of claim 12, wherein means for discarding any subsequent frames comprises:

means for determining that each such subsequent frame is destined for the receiver;

means for determining, for each such subsequent frame destined for the receiver, if the flag is set for the receiver; and

means for discarding each such subsequent frame when it is determined that the flag is set for the receiver.

14. A media access control device for use in nodes in a powerline network, comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting frames onto the powerline network;

a control block coupled to the transmitter, the control block including a timer and a table for associating nodes on the powerline network with control information, the control information including a flag to indicate that the timer is running;

wherein the transmitter is operable to transmit, in at least one transmission attempt, a frame over a shared channel to a receiver in another node, the frame being of the type for which a response is expected;

wherein the transmitter is operable to set the timer and flag associated with the node in which the receiver resides if the frame is to be discarded for lack of a response from the receiver; and

wherein the transmitter is operable to determine from the flag if a subsequent frame destined for the receiver is to be discarded without any transmission attempt.