Reconfigurable virtual backplane architecture

• US 7,421,526 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2005
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Black, Randall H., Fletcher, Mitchell S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Christopher E.
• Application Number:
  US11/211,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20070239912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 370/386, 370/388, 370/395.1, 370/412, 370/270, 370/257, 710/6, 710/104, 701/3, 701/14, 700/1, 709/203, 709/223, 711/118, 711/170, 712/226, 715/772, 361/736, 455/75.1, 455/575.7, 713/1, 713/322, 714/4, 379/156
• US Class Current: 710/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438

Abstract

A communication network comprises a communication bus and at least two line cards. Each of the line cards are coupled to the communication bus The line cards comprise a processor and a configuration memory coupled to the processor. The communication occurring on the communication bus is predetermined, but can be reconfigured during real time operation by events or by the addition or subtraction of line cards. The configuration memory comprising an array of configuration tables, each configuration table storing a listing of processes to run and data to be transmitted or received by the process. A current configuration table is selected from the array of configuration tables upon the occurrence of a predefined event.

Claims

1. A communication network comprising:

a communication bus;

at least two line cards, each line card coupled to the communication bus, and each line card comprising;

a processor, and

a configuration memory coupled to the processor, the configuration memory comprising an array of configuration tables, each configuration table storing a listing of processes to run and data to be transmitted or received by the process; and

wherein a current configuration table is selected from the array of configuration tables upon an occurrence of a predefined event.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein the predefined event is the passage of an amount of time.

3. The network of claim 1 wherein the predefined event is a change in the number of operating line cards.

4. The network of claim 1 wherein the predefined event is a change in software function.

5. The network of claim 1 wherein at least one of the line cards is a bridge controller in a modular unit, and wherein the line cards in the modular unit are non-proprietary line cards in communication with the bridge controller.

6. The network of claim 1 wherein additional tables can be added to the array of tables, each of the additional tables associated with a new predefined event.

7. The network of claim 1 wherein each line card further comprises a toggle memory for storing the predefined events and related configuration tables.

8. The network of claim 1 wherein the communication bus may be, at least partially, a wireless communication bus.

9. The network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the line cards are in a first network having a reconfigurable, virtual backplane and at least one of the line cards are in a second network having a reconfigurable, virtual backplane, the first network and second network combinable to form a third network having a reconfigurable, virtual backplane.

10. A method for operating a line card in a modular unit in a computer network comprising:

detecting a predefined event at a processor of the line card,

determining a configuration table to use based on the predefined event and a toggle memory; and

sending and receiving data from a network bus based on the configuration table.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of detecting a predefine event further comprises detecting a passage of a predetermined amount of time.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of detecting a predefine event further comprises detecting a change in the number of operating line cards.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of detecting a predefine event further comprises a change in software function.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of sending and receiving data from a network bus further comprises sending and receiving data from a network bus that is internal to one modular unit.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of sending and receiving data from a network bus further comprises sending and receiving data from a network bus that connects at least two modular unit.

16. A line card for use in a modular unit comprising:

a processor; and

a configuration memory coupled to the processor, the configuration memory comprising a plurality of configuration tables, each of the configuration tables comprising a plurality of configuration data; and

a toggle memory relating an occurrence of a predefined event to one of the configuration tables.

17. The line card of claim 16 wherein additional configuration tables can be added to the configuration memory.

18. The line card of claim 16 further comprising an input/output interface coupling the line card to a bus.

19. The line card of claim 18 wherein the bus is a bus internal to the modular unit.

20. The line card of claim 18 wherein the bus is bus connection the modular unit to another modular unit.