Hardware-centric medium access control (MAC) device

• US 8,144,727 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nordic Semiconductor ASA
• Original Assignee: Hellosoft Incorporated (Imagination Technologies Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aldaz, Luis, Barman, Kaushik, Johnson, Allan A., Malladi, Raghavendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US12/849,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.2, 370/231, 370/328, 370/338, 370351-352, 370/389, 370/392, 370401-405, 370/463
• US Class Current: 370/463
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

A hardware-centric medium access control (MAC) device comprises a control plane module and a hardware media access planed module. The control plane module is configured for providing control functions of the hardware-centric MAC device. The hardware media access plane module communicatively coupled to the control plane module is configured for performing real-time data communication functions without requiring a microprocessor.

Claims

1. A hardware-centric medium access control (MAC) device comprising:

a control plane module configured for providing control functions of said hardware-centric MAC device; and

a hardware media access plane module implemented as a portion of a system on a chip (SOC) and communicatively coupled to said control plane module and configured for performing real-time data and voice communication functions without requiring any microprocessor, said hardware media access plane module comprising;

a beacon process module operable to receive and to filter out unwanted voice traffic packets in hardware without use of other portions of said hardware-centric MAC device or using any microprocessor;

a de-fragmentation engine communicatively coupled with said beacon process module and configured for providing real-time de-fragmentation, in gate logic, of received voice traffic packets that are not filtered out by said beacon process module;

an encryption/decryption engine coupled with said de-fragmentation engine and operable to provide on-the-fly encryption/decryption of voice traffic packets with real-time logic based key retrieval merged with on-the-fly fragmentation and defragmentation; and

a fragmentation engine communicatively coupled with said encryption/decryption engine and configured for providing real-time fragmentation, in gate logic, of transmit voice traffic packets.

2. The hardware-centric MAC device of claim 1 wherein said hardware media access plane module is implemented in gate logic, such that real-timing requirements of said hardware-centric MAC device are handled in gate logic.

3. The hardware-centric MAC device of claim 1 wherein said control plane module is implemented in gate logic.

4. The hardware-centric MAC device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said control plane module is implemented in programmable hardware.

5. The hardware-centric MAC device of claim 1 wherein said control plane module is communicatively coupled to a microprocessor operable to provide control functionality of said MAC device.

6. The hardware-centric MAC device of claim 5 wherein said microprocessor is operable to execute a MAC driver for controlling configuration settings of said hardware-centric MAC device.

7. The hardware-centric MAC device of claim 6 wherein said microprocessor is not operable to execute said MAC driver during said real-time data communication.

8. The hardware-centric MAC device of claim 1 wherein said control plane module comprises a real-time logic (RTL) station management entity (SME) configured for monitoring features of said hardware-centric MAC device.