Transceiver method and signal therefor embodied in a carrier wave for a frame-based communications network

• US 7,035,285 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2001
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hayes, Raymond, Trachewsky, Jason Alexander, Corry, Alan, Ojard, Eric, Frank, Edward H., Ptasinski, Henry S., Mallory, Tracy D., Holloway, John T., Yamano, Larry C., Peterson, Kevin H., Pattin, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): MARCELO, MELVIN C
• Application Number:
  US09/826,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20020012343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/474, 370/476
• US Class Current: 370/474
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0005 applied to payload information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0006 by adapting the transmission format
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0072 Error control for data other than payload data, e.g. control data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1848 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1877 for semi-reliable protocols, e.g. for less sensitive applications like streaming video buffer level management for video bitstream control arrangements H04N21/44004
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1883 using multiple timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4013 Management of data rate on the bus systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40136 Nodes adapting their rate to the physical link properties LAN switches H04L49/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40156 by using dedicated slots associated with a priority level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40163 by assigning priority to messages according to a message field
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 : with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4035 : in which slots of a TDMA packet structure are assigned based on a contention resolution carried out at a master unit TDM/TDMA multiplex systems per se H04J3/1694; hybrid switching systems H04L12/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/407 : with decentralised control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 : with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/417 : with deterministic access, e.g. token passing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 : Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/125 : Arrangements for preventing errors in the return channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 : Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 : Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method and signal therfor embodied in a carrier wave for sending information from transmit stations to receive stations over a transmission medium of a frame-based communications network. The information is sent in transmit frames having a frame format comprising a fixed rate header, followed by a variable rate payload, followed by a fixed rate trailer. The fixed rate header includes a preamble. The preamble has a repetition of four symbol sequences for facilitating power estimation, gain control, baud frequency offset estimation, equalizer training, carrier sensing and collision detection. The preamble also includes a frame control field. The frame control field has scrambler control information for frame scrambling initialization, a priority field to determine the absolute priority a transmit frame will have when determining access to the transmission medium, a payload encoding field which determines constellation encoding of payload bits in the variable rate payload, and a header check sequence for providing a cyclic redundancy check. The variable rate payload is transmitted pursuant to dynamic adjustable frame encoding parameters for improving transmission performance for a transmit frame being transmitted from a transmitting station to a receiving station. The header also includes a destination address field, a source address field and an ethertype field.

Claims

1. A signal embodied in a carrier wave for sending information from transmit stations to receive stations over a transmission medium of a frame-based based communications network, the information being sent in transmit frames having a frame format comprising a fixed rate header, followed by a variable rate payload, followed by a fixed rate trailer.

2. The signal of claim 1, wherein the fixed rate header includes:

a preamble;

a frame control field;

a destination address field;

a source address field; and

an ethertype field.

3. The signal of claim 2, wherein the preamble includes a repetition of four symbol sequences for facilitating power estimation, gain control, baud frequency offset estimation, equalizer training, carrier sensing and collision detection.

4. The signal of claim 2, wherein the frame control field includes scrambler control information for frame scrambling initialization.

5. The signal of claim 2, wherein the frame control field includes a priority field to determine the absolute priority a transmit frame will have when determining access to the transmission medium.

6. The signal of claim 2, wherein the frame control field includes a payload encoding field which determines constellation encoding of payload bits in the variable rate payload.

7. The signal of claim 2, wherein the frame control field includes a header check sequence for providing a cyclic redundancy check.

8. The signal of claim 1, wherein the variable rate payload is transmitted pursuant to dynamic adjustable frame encoding parameters for improving transmission performance for a transmit frame being transmitted from a transmitting station to a receiving station.

9. A signal embodied in a carrier wave for sending information from transmit stations to receive stations over a transmission medium of a frame-based based communications network, the information being sent in transmit frames having a frame format comprising:

a fixed rate header;

a variable rate payload following the fixed rate header; and

a fixed rate trailer following the variable rate payload;

wherein the fixed rate header includes;

a preamble, the preamble including a repetition of four symbol sequences for facilitating power estimation, gain control, baud frequency offset estimation, equalizer training, carrier sensing and collision detection;

a frame control field, the frame control field including;

scrambler control information for frame scrambling initialization,

a priority field to determine the absolute priority a transmit frame will have when determining access to the transmission medium,

a payload encoding field which determines constellation encoding of payload bits in the variable rate payload, and

a header check sequence for providing a cyclic redundancy check;

a destination address field;

a source address field; and

an ethertype field; and

wherein the variable rate payload is transmitted pursuant to dynamic adjustable frame encoding parameters for improving transmission performance for a transmit frame being transmitted from a transmitting station to a receiving station.

10. A method for transmitting a transmitting frame embodied in a carrier wave from transmit stations to receive stations over a transmission medium of a frame-based based communications network, comprising:

coupling one or more transmit stations to the transmission medium, each transmit station transmitting frames having a frame format including a fixed rate header, followed by a variable rate payload, followed by a fixed rate trailer;

coupling one or more receive stations to the transmission medium, each receive station upon receiving a received frame corresponding to the transmitting frame addressed to the receive station;

detecting a start of the received frame utilizing a predefined preamble format for the transmitting frame having a plurality of identical copies of a preamble symbol sequence transmitted sequentially;

decoding the received frame;

measuring and tracking performance of frame decoding;

determining network performance characteristics for establishing desired performance based upon measuring and tracking the performance of the frame decoding;

indicating to the transmit station changes to payload encoding parameters in the fixed rate header based upon determining network performance improvement characteristics, wherein the transmit station changes the payload encoding parameters in the fixed rate header for encoding next future transmitting frames; and

determining whether a collision between two or more transmit stations occurred at one of the transmit stations utilizing an estimate of error power of defined copies of the preamble symbol sequence.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the fixed rate header includes:

a preamble, the preamble including a repetition of four symbol sequences for facilitating power estimation, gain control, baud frequency offset estimation, equalizer training, carrier sensing and collision detection;

a frame control field, the frame control field including;

scrambler control information for frame scrambling initialization,

a priority field to determine the absolute priority a transmitting frame will have when determining access to the transmission medium,

a payload encoding field which determines constellation encoding of payload bits in the variable rate payload, and

a header check sequence for providing a cyclic redundancy check;

a destination address field;

a source address field; and

an ethertype field; and

wherein the variable rate payload is transmitted pursuant to dynamic adjustable frame encoding parameters for improving transmission performance for a transmitting frame being transmitted from a transmitting station to a receiving station.