System and method for ordering data messages having differing levels of priority for transmission over a shared communication channel
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A method comprising:
- directing to a first output queue at a first station of a communication network, message data units to be transmitted over a communication medium and having a first traffic classification;
directing to a second output queue at the first station, message data units to be transmitted over the communication medium and having a second traffic classification; and
sensing the communication medium for an opportunity to transmit message data units without interference from message data units transmitted by a second station, according to sets of rules that vary by traffic classification yet are common to the first station and the second station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Stations of a communication network have internal queues for accumulating and transmitting data messages over a shared communication channel. Each queue within a station accumulates and transmits data messages that have a different level of priority than those accumulated and transmitted by other internal queues of that station. While preferential access to the shared channel is given to data messages having higher levels of priority, data messages having the same priority are transmitted according to a set of rules common to all of the stations. That is, a queue in one of the stations is configured to delay and/or transmit data messages of a given priority level according to a set of rules that applies identically to the queue of any other station that handles data messages of that same priority level. Transmission opportunities are thus fairly allocated between all queues containing data messages of the same priority level.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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directing to a first output queue at a first station of a communication network, message data units to be transmitted over a communication medium and having a first traffic classification; directing to a second output queue at the first station, message data units to be transmitted over the communication medium and having a second traffic classification; and sensing the communication medium for an opportunity to transmit message data units without interference from message data units transmitted by a second station, according to sets of rules that vary by traffic classification yet are common to the first station and the second station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for media access control in a communication network which includes a plurality of communication stations adapted to communicate over a shared communication medium and to support quality of service classes of communication sessions wherein message data units corresponding to one of said quality of service classes has a different priority level than message data units corresponding to another of said quality of service classes, comprising:
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directing to a first output queue at a first station of the communication network, message data units to be transmitted and having a first level of priority; directing to a second output queue at the first station, message data units to be transmitted and having a second level of priority; sensing the communication medium for an opportunity to transmit data message units without colliding with data message units transmitted by any other station, based on a set of rules that are specific to each priority; and if the first and second output queues each contain message data units to be transmitted during a particular opportunity to transmit, invoking a mechanism that preferentially transmits a message data unit by priority level and said sets of rules. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A system for exchanging message data units over a communication medium shared by other systems in a local area network, comprising:
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a first output queue adapted to receive message data units having a first traffic classification, said first output queue being operable to release message data units for transmission over a communication medium in accordance with a first set of rules corresponding to the first traffic classification; a second output queue adapted to receive message data units having a second traffic classification, said second output queue being operable to release message data units for transmission over a communication medium in accordance with a second set of rules corresponding to the second traffic classification; and a transceiver operative to sense the communication medium for an opportunity to transmit the message data units from each of the first and second output queues, without interference from message data units transmitted by a second station, and to transmit the message data units from each of said first and second output queues according to said first and second sets of rules. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system comprising:
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means for directing to a first output queue at a first station of a communication network, message data units to be transmitted over a communication medium and having a first traffic classification; means for directing to a second output queue at the first station, message data units to be transmitted over the communication medium and having a second traffic classification; and means for sensing the communication medium for an opportunity to transmit message data units without interference from message data units transmitted by a second station, according to sets of rules that vary by traffic classification yet are common to the first station and the second station. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification