Equal-opportunity bandwidth regulation

• US 7,590,065 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2004
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Berreth, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Tri H
• Application Number:
  US10/912,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 370/467, 370/448, 370/461, 370/442, 370/423, 370/421, 370/403, 370/429, 370229-235, 375240-24003, 375260-267, 375/299, 709/223, 709/225
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4059 where the synchronisation uses buffers, e.g. for speed matching between buses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods for equal opportunity bandwidth regulation are described. In one aspect, data is received from a transmitting entity of one or more transmitting entities. Responsive to receiving the data, the data is transmitted across a bus to a target entity. This transmission is accomplished by dynamically regulating data transmission bandwidth on the bus such that each data transmitting entity of the transmitting entities has a substantially equal opportunity to have bus bandwidth allocated to transmit data associated with the data transmitting entity.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, data from one or more transmitting entities, wherein the data comprises multiple data packets; and

transmitting, by the computing device, the data across a bus to a target entity by dynamically regulating data transmission bandwidth for a transmitting entity on the bus such that each data transmitting entity of the one or more transmitting entities has a substantially equal opportunity to transmit data associated with the data transmitting entity,

wherein dynamically regulating the bandwidth includes;

determining, for a given time period, that the bus will not accommodate every one of the multiple data packets;

calculating a quantum bandwidth value based on a byte size of each data packet and a total number of the one or more transmitting entities; and

for each of the one or more transmitting entities, filling an output buffer with a number of data packet(s) associated with the transmitting entity based on the quantum bandwidth value.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitting is associated with a command output ring buffer (CORB) transmitting the data to the target entity.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the dynamically regulating is a function of a specific configurable or dynamically changing time interval.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data is from one or more device drivers or a computer-program, and wherein the data is received by a bus driver.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data comprises a command from a device driver or a data packet from a computer-program.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the bus is a high definition audio bus.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein dynamically regulating the bandwidth comprises determining, for a given time period, if the bus will accommodate all of the data.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein dynamically regulating the bandwidth comprises:

determining, for a given time period, that the bus will accommodate the data; and

filling an output ring buffer with the data.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a portion of the data that is tagged for isochronous command transfer;

determining that isochronous data transfer is enabled; and

inserting the portion into a portion of an output buffer reserved for isochronous transfer.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the target entity is a codec.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the codec is a high definition codec.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the filling comprises:

determining that the transmitting entity is associated with a number of outstanding data packets greater than accounted for by the quantum bandwidth value; and

only filling the output buffer with the quantum bandwidth value number of the outstanding data packets.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the filling further comprises filling at least a portion of the number of outstanding data packets into the output buffer after the one or more data packets associated with a next transmitting entity of the one or more transmitting entities have been inserted into the output buffer.

14. A computer-readable medium that stores computer-program instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the following steps:

receiving data from one or more transmitting entities, wherein the data comprises multiple data packets; and

transmitting the data across a bus to a target entity by dynamically regulating data transmission bandwidth for a transmitting entity on the bus such that each data transmitting entity of the one or more transmitting entities has a substantially equal opportunity to transmit data associated with the data transmitting entity,

wherein dynamically regulating the bandwidth includes;

determining, for a given time period, that the bus will not accommodate every one of the multiple data packets;

calculating a quantum bandwidth value based on a byte size of each data packet and a total number of the one or more transmitting entities; and

for each of the one or more transmitting entities, filling an output buffer with a number of data packet(s) associated with the transmitting entity based on the quantum bandwidth value.

15. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the transmitting is associated with command output ring buffer (CORB) transfers of the data to the target entity.

16. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the dynamically regulating comprises dynamically regulating as a function of a specific configurable or dynamic changing time interval.

17. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the bus is a high definition audio bus.

18. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the dynamically regulating the bandwidth comprises determining, for a given time period, if the bus will accommodate all of the data.

19. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the dynamically regulating the bandwidth comprises:

determining, for a given time period, that the bus will accommodate the data; and

filling an output ring buffer with the data.

20. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the computer-program instructions, when executed on the computer, further perform the following steps:

identifying a portion of the data that is tagged for isochronous command transfer;

determining that isochronous data transfer is enabled; and

inserting the portion into a portion of an output buffer reserved for isochronous transfer.

21. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the target entity is a computer-program executable by the processor or a hardware device.

22. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the filling further comprises:

determining that the transmitting entity is associated with a number of outstanding data packets greater than accounted for by the quantum bandwidth value; and

only filling the output buffer with the quantum bandwidth value number of the outstanding data packets.

23. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 22, wherein the filling further comprises filling at least a portion of the number of outstanding data packets into the output buffer after the one or more data packets associated with a next transmitting entity of the one or more transmitting entities have been inserted into the output buffer.

24. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing computer-program instructions that, when executed on the computing device, perform the following steps;

receiving data from one or more transmitting entities, wherein the data comprises multiple data packets; and

transmitting the data across a bus to a target entity by dynamically regulating data transmission bandwidth for a transmitting entity on the bus such that each data transmitting entity of the one or more transmitting entities has a substantially equal opportunity to transmit data associated with the data transmitting entity,

wherein dynamically regulating the bandwidth includes;

determining, for a given time period, that the bus will not accommodate every one of the multiple data packets;

calculating a quantum bandwidth value based on a byte size of each data packet and a total number of the one or more transmitting entities; and

for each of the one or more transmitting entities, filling an output buffer with a number of data packet(s) associated with the transmitting entity based on the quantum bandwidth value.

25. A computing device as recited in claim 24, wherein the transmitting is performed via command output ring buffer (CORB) transfers of the data to the target entity.

26. A computing device as recited in claim 24, wherein the dynamically regulating comprises dynamically regulating as a function of a specific configurable or dynamic changing time interval.

27. A computing device as recited in claim 24, wherein the data is from a computer-program executable by the processor or one or more device drivers, and wherein the data is received by a bus driver.

28. A computing device as recited in claim 24, wherein the dynamically regulating the bandwidth comprises determining, for a fixed time period, if the bus will accommodate all of the data.

29. A computing device as recited in claim 24, wherein the dynamically regulating the bandwidth comprises:

determining, for a given time period, that the bus will accommodate the data; and

filling an output ring buffer with the data.

30. A computing device as recited in claim 24, wherein the computer-program instructions, when executed on the computing device, further perform the following steps:

identifying a portion of the data that is tagged for isochronous command transfer;

determining that isochronous data transfer is enabled; and

inserting the portion into a portion of an output buffer reserved for isochronous transfer.

31. A computing device as recited in claim 24, wherein the target entity is a computer-program or a hardware device.

32. A computing device as recited in claim 24, wherein the filling the output buffer further comprises:

determining that the transmitting entity is associated with a number of outstanding data packets greater than accounted for by the quantum bandwidth value; and

only filling the output buffer with the quantum bandwidth value number of the outstanding data packets.

33. A computing device comprising:

receiving means to receive data from a transmitting entity of one or more transmitting entities, wherein the data comprises multiple data packets; and

transmitting means to transmit the data across a bus to a target entity, the transmitting comprising;

dynamically regulating means to dynamically regulate data transmission bandwidth for assignment to a transmitting entity such that each data transmitting entity of the one or more transmitting entities has a substantially equal opportunity to have bus bandwidth allocated to transmit data associated with the data transmitting entity,

wherein the dynamically regulating means includes;

determining means to determine, for a fixed time period, that the bus will not accommodate every one of the multiple data packets;

calculating means to calculate a quantum bandwidth value based on a byte size of all data packet(s) submitted by the one or more transmitting entities and a total number of the one or more transmitting entities; and

for each of the one or more transmitting entities, sequentially filling means to fill an output buffer with a number of data packet(s) bytes associated with the transmitting entity based on the quantum bandwidth value.

34. A computing device as recited in claim 33, wherein the sequentially filling means comprises:

determining means to determine that the transmitting entity is associated with a number of outstanding data packets greater than accounted for by the quantum bandwidth value; and

filling means to only fill the output buffer with the quantum bandwidth value number of outstanding data packet(s) bytes.

35. A computing device as recited in claim 34, wherein the sequentially filling means further comprises filling means to fill at least a portion of the number of outstanding data packets into the output buffer after the one or more data packets associated with a next transmitting entity of the one or more transmitting entities have been inserted into the output buffer.