Low-level communication layers and device employing same

• US 7,746,900 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SynKloud Technologies, LLC (SY Ventures)
• Original Assignee: Zhe Khi Pak
• Inventors: Kim, Han-Gyoo, Kim, Kyung Tae, Hong, Il-gu, Ahn, Jung Kyun, Park, Jun Mo, Lim, Han Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boakye, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US11/187,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20060045130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 370/469, 370/389, 370/328, 370/352, 370/353, 370/401, 370/349, 370/466, 370/467, 370/419, 370/465, 370/310, 370/471, 709/220, 709/218, 709/219, 713200-201, 710/22
• US Class Current: 370/469
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1685 the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/188 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic device employing an efficient network protocol stack. The protocol stack comprises a network-level protocol layer configured to provide a transmission service for transferring data to and from a computer network, and a device-level protocol layer configured to send and receive information specific to an interface of the electronic device over the network via the transmission service of the network-level protocol layer. Alternately, each of the network-level protocol layer and the device-level protocol layer may be employed individually with other network protocol layers to construct a functioning network protocol stack.

Claims

1. An electronic device configured to communicate on a computer network, the device comprising:

a network adapter, the network adapter having a physical network interface configured to transmit packets to and receive packets from the computer network;

wherein the device is configured to communicate according to a network protocol stack having;

a network-level protocol layer configured to provide a transmission service for transferring packets to and from the computer network, and

a device-level protocol layer configured to send and receive information specific to an interface of a remote electronic device over the network via the transmission service of the network-level protocol layer;

wherein the network-level protocol layer is configured to interface a network layer with a transport layer of the International Standards Organization Open System Interconnection (ISO OSI) network protocol model; and

wherein the network protocol stack further comprises;

an Ethernet-type header;

a network-level header operably attached to the Ethernet-type header; and

a data frame operably attached to the network-level header.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the transmission service of the network-level protocol layer comprises a stream service.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the transmission service of the network-level protocol layer comprises a datagram service.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the device-level protocol layer is configured to communicate an Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) command.

5. An electronic device configured to communicate on a network, the device comprising:

a network adapter, the network adapter having a physical network interface configured to transmit packets to and receive packets from the network,

wherein the device is configured to communicate according to a network protocol stack having a network-level protocol layer and a device-level protocol layer, wherein

the device-level protocol layer is configured to send and receive information specific to an interface of a remote electronic device over the network via a transmission service of the network-level protocol layer, and

the network-level protocol layer is configured to interface network layer packets with a transport layer of the International Standards Organization Open System Interconnection (ISO OSI) network protocol model; and

wherein the network protocol stack further comprises;

an Ethernet-type header;

a network-level header operably attached to the Ethernet-type header; and

a data frame operably attached to the network-level header.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the device-level protocol layer is configured to communicate an Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) command.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the device-level protocol layer is configured to communicate an AT Attachment Packet Interface (ATAPI) command.

8. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the device-level protocol layer is configured to communicate a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) command.

9. An electronic device configured to communicate with a second electronic device, the electronic device comprising:

a network adapter, the network adapter having a physical network interface configured to transmit data packets to and receive data packets from a network;

wherein the electronic device is configured to communicate according to a protocol stack having;

a network protocol layer defining a network protocol layer packet and operative to transmit a network-level command between at least the electronic device and the second electronic device, and

a device protocol layer defining a device protocol layer packet and operative to transmit a device command relating to a device associated with at least one of the electronic device and the second electronic device;

wherein the network protocol layer packet and device protocol layer packet are transmitted within a single data packet;

wherein the network protocol layer is configured to interface a network layer to a transport layer of the International Standards Organization Open System Interconnection (ISO OSI) network protocol model; and

wherein the protocol stack further comprises;

an Ethernet-type header;

a network-level header operably attached to the Ethernet-type header; and

a data frame operably attached to the network-level header.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the device protocol layer facilitates transmission of Integrated Drive Electronics commands.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the network-level command is operative to establish a connection between the electronic device and the second electronic device across a network.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the device command is not processed until the connection is established.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the device command is not issued until the network connection is established.

14. An electronic device configured to communicate with a second electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises:

a network adapter, the network adapter having a physical network interface configured to transmit data packets to and receive data packets from a network,

wherein the electronic device is configured to communicate according to a protocol stack having;

a network protocol layer defining a network protocol layer packet and operative to transmit a network-level command between at least the electronic device and the second electronic device,

a device protocol layer defining a device protocol layer packet and operative to transmit a device command relating to a device associated with at least one of the electronic device and the second electronic device;

wherein the network protocol layer packet and device protocol layer packet are transmitted within a single data packet; and

wherein the protocol stack further comprises;

an Ethernet-type header;

a network-level header operably attached to the Ethernet-type header; and

a data frame operably attached to the network-level header.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the device protocol layer packet is transmitted within a data frame of the network protocol layer packet.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the device protocol layer packet is generated within a data frame of the network protocol layer packet.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein:

the Ethernet-type header comprises no more than 14 bytes; and

the network-level header comprises no more than 16 bytes.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the device protocol layer packet comprises:

a first header segment; and

a second header segment operably attached to the first header segment.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the device protocol layer packet further comprises at least one of:

a header digest operably attached to the second header segment;

a data segment operably attached to the second header segment; and

a data digest operably attached to the second header segment.