Apparatus, system and method of controlling data flow over a communication network using a transfer response

• US 9,654,604 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sadeghi, Bahareh, Kedem, Oren, Levy, Elad, Wielicki, Rafal, Dabek, Marek
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Dung B
• Application Number:
  US13/798,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20140140197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of controlling data flow over a communication network. For example, an apparatus may include a communication unit to communicate between first and second devices a transfer response, the transfer response in response to a transfer request, the transfer response including a transfer pending status indicating data is pending to be received at the second device, the communication unit is to communicate the transfer response regardless of whether a retry indicator of the transfer request represents a first request for transfer or a retried request.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a communication unit to communicate over a communication link between a first device and a second device; and

a processor configured to cause the communication unit to transmit a transfer request from a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL) host on the first device to a USB PAL device on the second device, the processor to process a transfer response with no data payload, the transfer response from the USB PAL device to the USB PAL host, the transfer request to initiate transfer of data from a USB endpoint of the second device to the USB PAL host, the transfer response in response to the transfer request, the transfer response including a transfer pending status code to indicate to the USB PAL host that data receipt from the USB endpoint is delayed and pending to be received at said USB PAL device, the transfer response comprising a same request Identifier (ID) as a request ID in the transfer request, said transfer response comprising the transfer pending status code regardless of whether a retry indicator of said transfer request represents a first request for transfer or a retried request, the processor configured to, based on the transfer pending status code indicating that the data receipt from the USB endpoint is delayed, set an extended retransmission period for the USB PAL host to wait prior to retransmitting the transfer request.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when said transfer request includes said retry indicator set to a first value representing the retried request, said processor is to cause transmission of a subsequent transfer request including said retry indicator set to a second value, different from said first value, representing the first request for transfer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the subsequent transfer request is at least a predefined timeout period after said transfer response.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to, in response to said transfer response including said transfer pending status code, reset a retransmission counter to count the extended retransmission period.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to process a subsequent transfer response from the USB PAL device, the subsequent transfer response including data requested by the transfer request, and an acknowledgement-request indicator requesting the USB PAL host to acknowledge receipt of the subsequent transfer response.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said subsequent transfer response comprises a first transfer response including data following the transfer response including said transfer pending status code.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said processor is to cause the communication unit to transmit a transfer acknowledgement, in response to said subsequent transfer response.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said subsequent transfer response includes a retry indicator having a first value to indicate first transmission of said subsequent transfer response, or a second value to indicate said subsequent transfer response is retransmitted.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said communication link comprises a wireless communication link.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said wireless communication link comprises a wireless gigabit (WiGig) link.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first device comprises a wireless gigabit (WiGig) Serial Extension (WSE) host, and wherein said second device comprises a WSE Device.

12. A system comprising:

a first device comprising;

a network interface to communicate over a network between the first device and a second device; and

a processor configured to cause the network interface to transmit a transfer request from a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL) host on the first device to a USB PAL device on the second device, the processor to process a first transfer response from the USB PAL device to the USB PAL host, the transfer request to initiate transfer of data from a USB endpoint of the second device, the first transfer response in response to said transfer request, the first transfer response including a transfer pending status code to indicate to the USB PAL host that data receipt from the USB endpoint is delayed and pending to be received at said USB PAL device, the processor configured to, based on the transfer pending status code indicating that the data receipt from the USB endpoint is delayed, set an extended retransmission period for the USB PAL host to wait prior to retransmitting the transfer request, the processor to process a second transfer response including a data payload from said USB endpoint and an acknowledgement-request indicator requesting the USB PAL host to acknowledge receipt of the second transfer response, the processor to cause the network interface to transmit to the second device a transfer acknowledgement to acknowledge receipt of the second transfer response.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said second transfer response includes a retry indicator having a first value to indicate first transmission of said second transfer response, or a second value to indicate said second transfer response is retransmitted.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said processor is configured to process a retransmission from the second device of the second transfer response including a retry bit set to a predefined retransmit value to indicate the transfer acknowledgement response is not received from said first device within a predefined time period.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said communication link comprises a wireless communication link.

16. A method comprising:

transmitting a transfer request from a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL) host on a first device to a USB PAL device on a second device, the transfer request to initiate transfer of data from a USB endpoint of the second device to the USB PAL host;

processing a transfer response with no data payload, the transfer response from the USB PAL device to the USB PAL host, the transfer response in response to said transfer request, the transfer response including a transfer pending status code to indicate to the USB PAL host that data receipt from the USB endpoint is delayed and pending to be received at said USB PAL device, the transfer response comprising a same request Identifier (ID) as a request ID in the transfer request, said transfer response comprising the transfer pending status code regardless of whether a retry indicator of said transfer request represents a first request or a retried request, and

based on the transfer pending status code indicating that the data receipt from the USB endpoint is delayed, setting an extended retransmission period for the USB PAL host to wait prior to retransmitting the transfer request.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising:

when said transfer request includes said retry indicator set to a first value representing the retried request, causing transmission of a subsequent transfer request including said retry indicator set to a second value, different from said first value, representing the first request for transfer.

18. The method of claim 16 comprising processing a subsequent transfer response from the USB PAL device, the subsequent transfer response including data requested by the transfer request, and an acknowledgement-request indicator requesting the USB PAL host to acknowledge receipt of the subsequent transfer response.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said subsequent transfer response includes a retry indicator having a first value to indicate first transmission of said subsequent transfer response, or a second value to indicate said subsequent transfer response is retransmitted.

20. A product including a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in:

transmitting a transfer request from a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL) host on a first device to a USB PAL device on a second device, the transfer request to initiate transfer of data from a USB endpoint of the second device;

processing a first transfer response from the USB PAL device to the USB PAL host, the first transfer response in response to said transfer request, the first transfer response including a transfer pending status code to indicate to the USB PAL host that data receipt from the USB endpoint is delayed and pending to be received at said USB PAL device;

based on the transfer pending status code indicating that the data receipt from the USB endpoint is delayed, setting an extended retransmission period for the USB PAL host to wait prior to retransmitting the transfer request;

processing a second transfer response including a data payload from said USB endpoint and an acknowledgement request indicator requesting the USB PAL host to acknowledge receipt of the second transfer response; and

transmitting a transfer acknowledgement from the USB PAL host to the USB PAL device to acknowledge receipt of the second transfer response.

21. The product of claim 20, wherein said second transfer response includes a retry indicator having a first value to indicate first transmission of said second transfer response, or a second value to indicate said second transfer response is retransmitted.

22. The product of claim 20, wherein said instructions result in processing a retransmission from the second device of the second transfer response including a retry bit set to a predefined retransmit value to indicate the transfer acknowledgement response is not received from said first device within a predefined time period.