Communication network apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A medium interface, comprising:
- a filter;
three input ports directly coupled to the filter; and
three output ports directly coupled to the filter, wherein a signal is received through one of the three input ports and the filter directs the signal to one of the three output ports based on a frequency of the signal, wherein a first output port of the three output ports corresponds to a processing module for interfacing with a processing node of a sub-network in a first layer, wherein a second output port of the three output ports corresponds to an interface for interfacing with a processing node of a sub-network in a second layer that is higher than the first layer, and wherein a third output port of the three output ports corresponds to an interface for interfacing with a processing node of a sub-network in a third layer that is higher than the second layer, wherein the sub-network in the first layer, the sub-network in the second layer and the sub-network in the third layer are different sub-networks of a network.
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Abstract
A communication network apparatus and method for routing communication signals from a source device to a receiving device. The apparatus performs only local processing on communication signals to thereby increase the speed of processing the signals. A plurality of the processing nodes is combined into a plurality of sub-networks that comprise the network apparatus. Each processing node of a sub-network need only process address information pertaining to the node'"'"'s current layer, one layer above it, if any, and one layer below it, if any. Additionally, each processing node has associated communication signal frequencies/wavelengths that identify the processing node as the intended recipient of the communication signal.
64 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A medium interface, comprising:
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a filter; three input ports directly coupled to the filter; and three output ports directly coupled to the filter, wherein a signal is received through one of the three input ports and the filter directs the signal to one of the three output ports based on a frequency of the signal, wherein a first output port of the three output ports corresponds to a processing module for interfacing with a processing node of a sub-network in a first layer, wherein a second output port of the three output ports corresponds to an interface for interfacing with a processing node of a sub-network in a second layer that is higher than the first layer, and wherein a third output port of the three output ports corresponds to an interface for interfacing with a processing node of a sub-network in a third layer that is higher than the second layer, wherein the sub-network in the first layer, the sub-network in the second layer and the sub-network in the third layer are different sub-networks of a network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method, comprising:
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receiving a signal through one of the three input ports directly connected to a filter of an interface medium; and directing, by the filter, the signal to one of three output ports directly coupled to the filter based on a frequency of the signal, wherein a first output port of the three output ports corresponds to a processing module for interfacing with a processing node of a sub-network in a first layer, wherein a second output port of the three output ports corresponds to an interface for interfacing with a processing node of a sub-network in a second layer that is higher than the first layer, and wherein a third output port of the three output ports corresponds to an interface for interfacing with a processing node of a sub-network in a third layer that is higher than the second layer, wherein the sub-network in the first layer, the sub-network in the second layer and the sub-network in the third layer are different sub-networks of a network. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification