Data structures with amortized control overhead and methods and networks using the same
First Claim
1. A method of transmitting data in a networked system including a shared transmission medium, comprising:
- generating a plurality of virtual packets each containing information for delivery to at least one selected terminal in the networked system via the shared medium;
generating a control field having control information for controlling the delivery of the virtual packets; and
forming a physical packet for transmission across the shared transmission medium, the physical packet including the control field and the plurality of virtual packets such that overhead associated with the control field and medium access is amortized over the plurality of virtual packets, the physical packet having a map field for allowing a receiving terminal to identify and decode only those virtual packets within the physical packets addressed to the receiving terminal and including a plurality of entries each controlling the delivery of a corresponding one of the virtual packets, each entry including a first field for identifying the selected terminal for delivery of the corresponding virtual packet, a second field indicating a size of the corresponding virtual packet, and a third field for reconstructing a larger data structure from the corresponding virtual packet.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and data structure for transmitting data in a networked system having a shared transmission medium that includes generating a plurality of virtual packets each containing information for delivery to at least one selected terminal in the networked system via the shared medium and generating a map field having control information for controlling the delivery of the virtual packets. The method and data structure also include forming a physical packet for transmission across the shared transmission medium, the physical packet including a control field and the plurality of virtual packets such that overhead associated with the control field and medium access is amortized over the plurality of virtual packets.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of transmitting data in a networked system including a shared transmission medium, comprising:
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generating a plurality of virtual packets each containing information for delivery to at least one selected terminal in the networked system via the shared medium; generating a control field having control information for controlling the delivery of the virtual packets; and forming a physical packet for transmission across the shared transmission medium, the physical packet including the control field and the plurality of virtual packets such that overhead associated with the control field and medium access is amortized over the plurality of virtual packets, the physical packet having a map field for allowing a receiving terminal to identify and decode only those virtual packets within the physical packets addressed to the receiving terminal and including a plurality of entries each controlling the delivery of a corresponding one of the virtual packets, each entry including a first field for identifying the selected terminal for delivery of the corresponding virtual packet, a second field indicating a size of the corresponding virtual packet, and a third field for reconstructing a larger data structure from the corresponding virtual packet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of transmitting data across a shared medium comprising:
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generating a data structure including a physical packet for carrying data across the shared transmission medium, the physical packet including a plurality of virtual packets carrying data payloads and at least one map field having control information for controlling the delivery of the virtual packets to selected terminals coupled to the shared medium such that a time overhead associated with the header, preamble and shared transmission medium access is amortized across the physical packet; and generating the at least one map field for allowing a receiving terminal to identify and decode only those virtual packets within the physical packet addressed to the receiving terminal and including a plurality of entries each controlling the delivery of a corresponding one of the virtual packets, each entry including a first field for identifying the selected terminal for delivery of the corresponding virtual packet, a second field indicating a size of the corresponding virtual packet, and a third field for reconstructing a larger data structure from the corresponding virtual packet. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A network, comprising:
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a shared medium; and a plurality of information processing terminals coupled to the shared medium, a first one of the terminals transmitting information to at least a second one of the terminals via the shared medium and operable to; generate a plurality of virtual packets each containing information for delivery to the at least one second terminal; generate a map field having control information for controlling the delivery of the virtual packets to at least one second terminal such that the second terminal identifies and decodes only data virtual packets addressed to the second terminal and, the map field including an entry for each of the plurality of virtual packets, wherein each entry includes first field for identifying the at least one second terminal, a second field indicating a size of the corresponding virtual packet; and
a third field for reconstructing a larger data structure from the corresponding virtual packet; andform a physical packet for transmission across the shared transmission medium to at least one second terminal, the physical packet including the map field and the plurality of virtual packets such that overhead associated with the physical packet is amortized over the plurality of virtual packets. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of communicating in a shared medium system, comprising:
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generating a plurality of virtual packets each containing information for transmission; generating associated control information including a map field portion having an entry corresponding to each of the plurality of virtual packets, wherein each entry includes a first field for identifying at least one terminal, a second field indicating a size of the corresponding virtual packet, and a third field for reconstructing a larger data structure from the corresponding virtual packet, wherein the map field portion allows a receiving terminal to identify and decode only those virtual packets addressed to the receiving terminal and; transmitting a physical packet including the plurality of virtual packets and the associated control information; receiving the physical packet at a plurality of terminals communicating via the shared medium; decoding the associated control information at a selected one of the terminals; and processing at least one of the plurality of virtual packets at the selected one of the terminals in accordance with the associated control information. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification