Network module
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorsAvi KLIGER, Rami KOPELMAN, Nachum AVISHAY, Alon SHTERN, Amir WASSERMANN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A home network, in one embodiment including a home wiring system; a demarcation point unit in electrical communication with the home wiring system; and a home network module in electrical communication with the home wiring system. The home network module is adapted for connection to a home electronic device. The demarcation point unit passes data to and receives data from the home electronic device through the home network module.
Claims21
1-70. (canceled)
A network module, comprising:
- one or more computing devices configured to:
- participate in a selection, by at least a portion of a plurality of network modules coupled to a network, of a master module for the network, wherein the network module and the at least the portion of the plurality of network modules are each configured to operate as the master module for the network when selected as the master module for the network;
- and
- when the network module is selected to operate as the master module for the network:
- assign a respective identifier to each of the plurality of network modules;
- allocate bandwidth to at least some of the plurality of network modules using a burst that comprises the respective identifiers assigned to the at least some of the plurality of network modules;
- and
- manage transmissions comprising variable sized packets of the at least some of the plurality of network modules over the network.
A computer program product comprising instructions stored in at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the instructions comprising:
- instructions for participating, by a network module, in a selection, by at least a portion of a plurality of network modules coupled to a network, of a master module for the network, wherein the network module and the at least the portion of the plurality of network modules are each configured to operate as the master module for the network when selected as the master module for the network;
- and
- instructions for managing transmissions comprising variable sized packets of at least some of the plurality of network modules over the network when the network module is selected to operate as the master module for the network.
A method for operating a network module, the method comprising:
- participating in a selection, by at least a portion of a plurality of network modules coupled to a network, of a master module for the network, wherein the network module and the at least the portion of the plurality of network modules, are each configured to operate as the master module for the network when selected as the master module for the network;
- and
- managing transmissions comprising variable sized packets of at least some of the plurality of network modules over the network when the network module is selected to operate as the master module for the network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.