Dual MAC arbitration
First Claim
1. A network appliance comprising:
- a first media access controller configured to associate with a first wireless device, the first media access controller includinga first transmit queue configured to store one or more data packets to be transmitted to the first wireless device;
a second media access controller configured to associate with a second wireless device, the second media access controller includinga second transmit queue configured to store one or more data packets to be transmitted to the second wireless device;
a baseband processor in communication with each of the first media access controller and the second media access controller; and
an arbitration module configured to;
arbitrate access of (i) the first media access controller and (ii) the second media access controller to the baseband processor based on whether the first transmit queue and the second transmit queue have any data packets to be respectively transmitted to the first wireless device and the second wireless device, andin response to both the first transmit queue and the second transmit queue simultaneously having one or more data packets to be respectively transmitted to the first wireless device and the second wireless device, instruct either (i) the first media access controller to flush any data packets stored in the first transmit queue or (ii) the second media access controller to flush any data packets stored in the second transmit queue so that transmission of a flushed data packet can be re-tried.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network appliance includes a first media access controller with a first transmit queue storing one or more data packets to be transmitted to a first wireless device. A second media access controller includes a second transmit queue storing one or more data packets to be transmitted to a second wireless device. A baseband processor communicates with the first and the second media access controllers. An arbitration module arbitrates access of the first and second media access controllers to the baseband processor based on whether the first and second transmit queues have data packets to be transmitted to the first and second wireless devices, respectively. When both have data packets to be transmitted, the arbitration module instructs the first or second media access controller to flush any data packets stored in the first or second transmit queue so that transmission of a flushed data packet can be re-tried.
150 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A network appliance comprising:
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a first media access controller configured to associate with a first wireless device, the first media access controller including a first transmit queue configured to store one or more data packets to be transmitted to the first wireless device; a second media access controller configured to associate with a second wireless device, the second media access controller including a second transmit queue configured to store one or more data packets to be transmitted to the second wireless device; a baseband processor in communication with each of the first media access controller and the second media access controller; and an arbitration module configured to; arbitrate access of (i) the first media access controller and (ii) the second media access controller to the baseband processor based on whether the first transmit queue and the second transmit queue have any data packets to be respectively transmitted to the first wireless device and the second wireless device, and in response to both the first transmit queue and the second transmit queue simultaneously having one or more data packets to be respectively transmitted to the first wireless device and the second wireless device, instruct either (i) the first media access controller to flush any data packets stored in the first transmit queue or (ii) the second media access controller to flush any data packets stored in the second transmit queue so that transmission of a flushed data packet can be re-tried. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for transmitting one or more data packets from a network appliance to each of a first wireless device and a second wireless device, the network appliance including:
- (i) a first media access controller configured to associate with the first wireless network device, (ii) a second media access controller configured to associate with the second wireless network device and (iii) a baseband processor in communication with each of the first media access controller and the second media access controller, the first media access controller including a first transmit queue configured to store one or more data packets to be transmitted to the first wireless device, the second media access controller including a second transmit queue configured to store one or more data packets to be transmitted to the second wireless device, the method comprising;
arbitrating access of (i) the first media access controller and (ii) the second media access controller to the baseband processor based on whether the first transmit queue and the second transmit queue have any data packets to be respectively transmitted to the first wireless device and the second wireless device; and in response to both the first transmit queue and the second transmit queue simultaneously having one or more data packets to be respectively transmitted to the first wireless device and the second wireless device, instructing either (i) the first media access controller to flush any data packets stored in the first transmit queue or (ii) the second media access controller to flush any data packets stored in the second transmit queue so that transmission of a flushed data packet can be re-tried. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
- (i) a first media access controller configured to associate with the first wireless network device, (ii) a second media access controller configured to associate with the second wireless network device and (iii) a baseband processor in communication with each of the first media access controller and the second media access controller, the first media access controller including a first transmit queue configured to store one or more data packets to be transmitted to the first wireless device, the second media access controller including a second transmit queue configured to store one or more data packets to be transmitted to the second wireless device, the method comprising;
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16. A program, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, for transmitting one or more data packets from a network appliance to each of a first wireless device and a second wireless device, the network appliance including:
- (i) a first media access controller configured to associate with the first wireless network device, (ii) a second media access controller configured to associate with the second wireless network device and (iii) a baseband processor in communication with each of the first media access controller and the second media access controller, the first media access controller including a first transmit queue configured to store one or more data packets to be transmitted to the first wireless device, the second media access controller including a second transmit queue configured to store one or more data packets to be transmitted to the second wireless device, the program comprising instructions for;
arbitrating access of (i) the first media access controller and (ii) the second media access controller to the baseband processor based on whether the first transmit queue and the second transmit queue have any data packets to be respectively transmitted to the first wireless device and the second wireless device; and in response to both the first transmit queue and the second transmit queue simultaneously having one or more data packets to be respectively transmitted to the first wireless device and the second wireless device, instructing either (i) the first media access controller to flush any data packets stored in the first transmit queue or (ii) the second media access controller to flush any data packets stored in the second transmit queue so that transmission of a flushed data packet can be re-tried. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
- (i) a first media access controller configured to associate with the first wireless network device, (ii) a second media access controller configured to associate with the second wireless network device and (iii) a baseband processor in communication with each of the first media access controller and the second media access controller, the first media access controller including a first transmit queue configured to store one or more data packets to be transmitted to the first wireless device, the second media access controller including a second transmit queue configured to store one or more data packets to be transmitted to the second wireless device, the program comprising instructions for;
Specification