Apparatus and method for synchronizing communication between systems with different clock rates
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a communication unit for receiving upstream information and generating a first sample stream based on a first clock rate, the first sample stream being representative of the upstream information;
a synchronization unit for converting the first sample stream to a second sample stream based on a second clock rate, the second sample stream being configured as a plurality of sequential bursts arranged in accordance with a predetermined burst plan; and
an interface unit for receiving the second sample stream at the second clock rate and outputting the second sample stream in accordance with the predetermined burst plan,wherein the synchronization unit is configured to perform at least one of dropping one or more samples contained in the first sample stream and adding one or more samples to the second sample stream, during a subsequent guard period within the first sample stream,wherein the first clock rate is different from the second clock rate, andwherein the first sample stream is converted based, at least in part, on predetermined guard periods within the first sample stream.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for synchronizing communication between systems having different clock rates, is described. The apparatus includes a communication unit, a synchronization unit, and an interface unit. The communication unit receives upstream information and generates a first sample stream representative of the upstream information based on a first clock rate. The synchronization unit converts the first sample stream to a second sample stream based on a second clock rate and in accordance with a predetermined burst plan. The interface unit receives the second sample stream at the second clock rate and outputs it based on the predetermined burst plan.
15 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a communication unit for receiving upstream information and generating a first sample stream based on a first clock rate, the first sample stream being representative of the upstream information; a synchronization unit for converting the first sample stream to a second sample stream based on a second clock rate, the second sample stream being configured as a plurality of sequential bursts arranged in accordance with a predetermined burst plan; and an interface unit for receiving the second sample stream at the second clock rate and outputting the second sample stream in accordance with the predetermined burst plan, wherein the synchronization unit is configured to perform at least one of dropping one or more samples contained in the first sample stream and adding one or more samples to the second sample stream, during a subsequent guard period within the first sample stream, wherein the first clock rate is different from the second clock rate, and wherein the first sample stream is converted based, at least in part, on predetermined guard periods within the first sample stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus comprising:
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an interface unit for receiving a first sample stream at a first clock rate, the first sample stream being configured as a plurality of sequential bursts arranged in accordance with a predetermined burst plan; a synchronization unit for converting the first sample stream to a second sample stream based on a second clock rate; and a communication unit for outputting downstream information representative of the second sample stream based on the second clock rate; wherein the synchronization unit is configured to perform at least one of dropping one or more samples contained in the first sample stream and adding one or more samples to the second sample stream, during a subsequent guard period within the first sample stream, wherein the first clock rate is different from the second clock rate, and wherein the first sample stream is converted based, at least in part, on predetermined guard periods within the first sample stream. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus comprising:
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a communication unit for receiving upstream information and generating a first sample stream representative of the upstream information based on a first clock rate during a transmit process, and for outputting downstream information representative of the first sample stream based on the first clock rate during a receive process; a synchronization unit for; converting the first sample stream to a second sample stream based on a second clock rate during the transmit process, the second sample stream being configured as a plurality of sequential bursts arranged in accordance with a predetermined burst plan, and converting the second sample stream to the first sample stream based on the first clock rate during the receive process; and an interface unit for receiving the second sample stream at the second clock rate and outputting the second sample stream in accordance with the predetermined burst plan during the transmit process, and for receiving the second sample stream and supplying the second sample stream to the synchronization unit at the second clock rate and in accordance with the predetermined burst plan during the receive process, wherein the synchronization unit is further configured to perform at least one of dropping one or more samples contained in the first sample stream and adding one or more samples to the second sample stream, wherein the first clock rate is different from the second clock rate, wherein, during the transmit process, the first sample stream is converted based, at least in part, on predetermined guard periods within the first sample stream, and wherein, during the receive process, the second sample stream is converted based, at least in part, on predetermined guard periods within the second sample stream.
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17. A method comprising:
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generating a first sample stream representative of received upstream information, the first sample stream being based on a first clock rate; converting the first sample stream, using a synchronization unit, to a second sample stream based on a second clock rate, the second sample stream being configured as a plurality of sequential bursts arranged in accordance with a predetermined burst plan; and outputting the second sample stream, by an interface unit, in accordance with the predetermined burst plan, wherein the converting includes at least one of dropping one or more samples contained in the first sample stream and adding one or more samples to the second sample stream, during a subsequent guard period within the first sample stream, wherein the first clock rate is different from the second clock rate, and wherein the converting is performed based, at least in part, on predetermined guard periods within the first sample stream. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method comprising:
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receiving, by an interface unit, a first sample stream at a first clock rate, the first sample stream being configured as a plurality of sequential bursts arranged in accordance with a predetermined burst plan; converting the first sample stream, using a synchronization unit, to a second sample stream based on a second clock rate; and outputting downstream information representative of the second sample stream at the second clock rate; wherein the converting includes at least one of dropping one or more samples contained in the first sample stream and adding one or more samples to the second sample stream, during a subsequent guard period within the first sample stream, wherein the first clock rate is different from the second clock rate, and wherein the converting is performed based, at least in part, on predetermined guard periods within the second sample stream. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification