Method for dropping lower priority packets that are slated for wireless transmission
First Claim
1. A method for dropping lower priority packets that are slated for transmission over a wireless communication medium, comprising:
- receiving a plurality of packets to be transferred over the wireless communication medium;
storing the plurality of packets in a plurality of priority queues in a fixed shared memory space based on an order in which the plurality of packets are received and based on priorities associated with the plurality of packets;
signaling an interrupt when a packet threshold is exceeded in one of the plurality of priority queues; and
in response to the interrupt being signaled, dropping a portion of the plurality of packets stored in a at least two of the plurality of priority queues to make available additional memory space in the fixed shared memory space.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for dropping lower priority packets for transmission over a wireless communication medium is provided. A central device receives one or more packets to be transferred to one or more data providers, each packet having a priority. Then, based on the priority, a media access controller stores each of the packets in one or more priority queues in a fixed shared memory space in such a way as to maintain the order in which the packets were received in each of the priority queues. The media access controller monitors the number of packets in each of the priority queues and signals an interrupt when a packet threshold is exceeded in one or more of the priority queues. The media access controller then drops lower priority packets in the fixed shared memory space based on the order received to guarantee that there is enough memory to store higher priority packets in the fixed shared memory space.
32 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for dropping lower priority packets that are slated for transmission over a wireless communication medium, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of packets to be transferred over the wireless communication medium; storing the plurality of packets in a plurality of priority queues in a fixed shared memory space based on an order in which the plurality of packets are received and based on priorities associated with the plurality of packets; signaling an interrupt when a packet threshold is exceeded in one of the plurality of priority queues; and in response to the interrupt being signaled, dropping a portion of the plurality of packets stored in a at least two of the plurality of priority queues to make available additional memory space in the fixed shared memory space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A system for dropping lower priority packets slated for transmission over a wireless communication medium, comprising:
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a first priority queue, among a plurality of priority queues in a fixed shared memory space, configured to store packets with a first priority; a threshold value register configured to indicate a number of packets permitted to be stored in the first priority queue; a descriptor count register configured to indicate a number of packets stored in the first priority queue; and a media access controller configured to monitor the threshold value register and the descriptor count register and signal an interrupt when the number of packets stored in the first priority queue is at or exceeds the number of packets permitted to be stored in the first priority queue, wherein in response to the interrupt being signaled, at least some of the packets with the priority stored in the first priority queue and other packets stored in other ones of the plurality of priority queues are dropped to make available additional memory space in the fixed shared memory space. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method comprising:
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storing a plurality of packets in a plurality of priority queues in a fixed shared memory space based on an order in which the plurality of packets are received and based on priorities associated with the plurality of packets; monitoring a number of packets in one of the plurality of priority queues; signaling an interrupt when a packet threshold is exceeded in the one of the plurality of priority queues; and in response to the interrupt being signaled, dropping a portion of the plurality of packets stored in at least two of the plurality of priority queues. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification