Communication processing apparatus, communication processing method, control method and communication device of communication processing apparatus

• US 8,438,323 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuji, Atsuhiro, Ebina, Akihiro, Kaneko, Yohei
• Primary Examiner(s): AUVE, GLENN ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US12/992,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20110078353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 710/48, 710260-262, 710/266, 710/268
• US Class Current: 710/266
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]

Abstract

A communication processing apparatus (101) includes: a MAC unit (106) receiving a packet; a classification unit (107) classifying the received packet; a transfer control unit (104) transferring data of the classified packet to a main memory (102); a first memory (112m) storing an interrupt management table (112); an interrupt control unit (111) specifying, with reference to the interrupt management table (112), an interrupt control method associated with the classification of the packet classified by the classification unit (107) and outputting an interrupt signal to a CPU (103) using the specified interrupt control method; and a setting unit (110) registering the classification and the interrupt control method into the interrupt management table (112) according to instructions from an application program activated in the CPU (103) so as to update the interrupt management table (112).

Claims

1. A communication processing apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a packet;

a classification unit configured to decide a classification of the packet;

an interrupt control unit configured to output an interrupt signal by using an interrupt control method associated with the classification; and

a setting unit configured to change the association between the classification and the interrupt control method based on communication path information used by said receiving unit to receive the packet,

wherein said setting unit is further configured to, when said receiving unit receives a packet classified to a classification that is not indicated in an interrupt management table, add the classification and an interrupt control method for the packet in association with each other into the interrupt management table according to instruction from an application program, so as to update the interrupt management table, and

said interrupt control unit is further configured to (i) specify, with reference to the interrupt management table, the interrupt control method associated with the classification decided by said classification unit, and (ii) output the interrupt signal by using the specified interrupt control method.

2. The communication processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said setting unit is configured to change the association by (i) obtaining the communication path information from the application program, and (ii) registering, into the interrupt management table, the classification and the interrupt control method which correspond to the communication path information.

3. The communication processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said setting unit is further configured to associate a first classification with a first interrupt control method, and associate a second classification with a second interrupt control method, and

said interrupt control unit is configured to:

when the classification of the packet which is decided by said classification unit is the first classification, output the interrupt signal by using the first interrupt control method associated with the first classification; and

when the classification of the packet which is decided by said classification unit is the second classification, output the interrupt signal by using the second interrupt control method associated with the second classification.

4. The communication processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said setting unit is further configured to register, into the interrupt management table, at least one combination of the classification and the interrupt control method associated with the classification, and

said interrupt control unit is further configured to, when the at least one combination registered in the interrupt management table is a predetermined combination, output the interrupt signal by using a predetermined different interrupt control method, the predetermined different interrupt control method being different from the interrupt control method registered in the interrupt management table in association with the classification of the packet which is decided by said classification unit.

5. The communication processing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein said interrupt control unit is configured to, when a delay interrupt method is only one interrupt control method registered in the interrupt management table, output the interrupt signal by using an immediate interrupt method, the delay interrupt method being for outputting the interrupt signal when a predetermined time period has passed since transfer of data of the packet to a memory, and the immediate interrupt method being for outputting the interrupt signal immediately after the transfer of the data of the packet to the memory.

6. The communication processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said setting unit is further configured to associate as the interrupt control method with the classification, at least one of an immediate interrupt method, a delay interrupt method, a delay interrupt method with interval restriction, and a timer interrupt method, the immediate interrupt method being for outputting the interrupt signal immediately after transfer of data of the packet to a memory, the delay interrupt method being for outputting the interrupt signal when a predetermined time period has passed since the transfer, the delay interrupt method with interval restriction being for outputting the interrupt signal when a predetermined time period has passed since the transfer and since outputting of an immediately-prior interrupt signal, and the timer interrupt method being for outputting the interrupt signal for each elapse of a predetermined time period.

7. The communication processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a transfer control unit configured to notify said interrupt control unit of packet-related information, the packet-related information being related to the packet having the classification decided by said classification unit,

wherein said interrupt control unit is further configured to, when the packet-related information is notified from said transfer control unit, (i) specify a different interrupt control method, and (ii) output the interrupt signal by using the different interrupt control method, the different interrupt control method corresponding to (a) the interrupt control method associated with the classification of the packet, and (b) the packet-related information.

8. The communication processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said setting unit is further configured to associate the classification with the interrupt control method, by registering, into the interrupt management table, the classification as a classification identifier, and the interrupt control method as a traffic type, the classification identifier identifying the classification, and the traffic type uniquely defining the interrupt control method.

9. An apparatus comprising a communication device, said communication device including a communication processing apparatus and a processing unit, said communication processing apparatus outputting an interrupt signal to the processing unit,

wherein said communication processing apparatus includes:

a receiving unit configured to receive a packet;

a classification unit configured to decide a classification of the packet;

an interrupt control unit configured to output the interrupt signal to said processing unit by using an interrupt control method associated with the classification; and

a setting unit configured to change the association between the classification and the interrupt control method based on communication path information used by said receiving unit to receive the packet,

wherein said processing unit is configured to

(i) activate an application program, (ii) establish a communication path to said communication processing apparatus by the application program, and (iii) output, to said communication processing apparatus, the communication path information for specifying the communication path, and

wherein said apparatus is one of a television set, a recorder, a recording and reproducing apparatus, a set top box, and an Internet Protocol (IP) communication device.