High efficiency image data transfer network

A data transfer network comprising:

• a network media extending between each of a plurality of nodes;
• a means for generating image representations connected with one of the nodes, each image representation including a block of image data;
• a means for processing image data connected to another of the nodes;
• a first of the nodes including:
• buffer means for storing each of a plurality of image data packets, which taken together comprise one image data block,
• a first data link means for transmitting each data packet on the network media,
• a transmit data management means for controlling the transfer of data packets of a selected image representation between the buffer means and the data link means,
• a transmit control means for controlling the image representations to be transmitted by the transmit data management means;
• a second of the nodes including:
• a second data link means for receiving the data packet from the network media;
• a receiver memory means for storing at least one image data block,
• a receive data management means for transferring image data packets from the second data link means to the receiver memory means,
• a receiver memory address control means for monitoring addresses of the receiver memory means at which prior image packets are stored and providing receiver memory addresses for each received image data packet,
• a receiver memory control means which is responsive to operator input to request the selected image representation, the receiver memory control means issuing an electronic request for the requested image representation, the receiver memory control means and the transmit control means being operatively connected for the transfer of the electronic requests therebetween.

A data transfer network comprising:

• a network media extending between each of a plurality of nodes;
• a means for generating image representations connected with one of the nodes, each image representation including a block of image data;
• a means for processing image data connected to another of the nodes;
• a first of the nodes including:
• buffer means for storing each of a plurality of image data packets, which taken together comprise an image data block,
• a first data link means for transmitting each data packet on the network media,
• a transmit data management means for controlling the transfer of data between the buffer means and the data link means;
• a second of the nodes including:
• a second data link means for receiving the data packet from the network media;
• an elasticity buffer into which data is clocked at a clocking rate of data received from the network media and out of which data is clocked at a clocking rate of the receiving data link, the elasticity buffer having sufficient storage to accommodate a shortfall or accumulation of bits of data attributable to differences in the clocking rates of the transmitted data and the receiving data link,
• a packing means for packing data received from the elasticity buffer in a n-bit format into a m-bit format, where m is greater than n, the packing means including a plurality of n-bit buffers, a clocking means for clocking incoming data serially through the n-bit buffers until the n-bit buffers are filled, the clocking means concurrently clocking the n-bit buffers into an m-bit buffer and clocking m-bit data from the m-bit buffer,
• a receiver memory means for storing at least one image data block,
• a receive data management means for transferring image data packets from the second data link means to the receiver memory means, and,
• a receiver memory address control means for monitoring addresses of the receiver memory means at which prior image packets are stored and providing receiver memory addresses for each received image data packet.

A data transfer network comprising:

• a network media extending between each of a plurality of nodes;
• a means for generating image representations connected with one of the nodes, each image representation including a relatively large block of image data;
• a means for processing image data connected to another of the nodes;
• a first of the nodes including:
• buffer means for storing each of a plurality of image data packets, which taken together comprise an image data block,
• a first data link means for transmitting each data packet on the network media,
• a management means for generating a receive query to a designated receiving node when it is ready to transmit an image data packet to determine whether the designated receive node is available to receive data packets and for transmitting the data packet with appropriate address headers when a reply to the query is received;
• a second of the nodes including:
• a second data link means for receiving the data packet from the network media;
• a receiver memory means for storing at least one image data block,
• a receive data management means for transferring image data packets from the second data link means to the receiver memory means, and,
• a receiver memory address control means for monitoring addresses of the receiver memory means at which prior image packets are stored and providing receiver memory addresses for each received image data packet.

A data transfer network comprising:

• a network media extending between each of a plurality of nodes;
• a means for generating image representations connected with one of the nodes, each image representation including a relatively large block of image data;
• a means for processing image data connected to another of the nodes;
• a first of the nodes including:
• buffer means for storing each of a plurality of image data packets, which taken together comprise an image data block,
• a first data link means for transmitting each data packet on the network media in n-bit format,
• a transmit data management means for controlling the transfer of data between the buffer means and the data link means;
• a second of the nodes including:
• a second data link means for receiving the data packet from the network media;
• a packing means for packing data received at the second data link means in the n-bit format into an m-bit format, where m is an integer greater than n, the packing means including m/n n-bit buffers,
• a clocking means for clocking incoming data serially through the n-bit buffers until the n-bit buffers are filled, the clocking means concurrently clocking the n-bit buffers into an m-bit and clocking m-bit format data from the m-bit buffer;
• a receiver memory means for storing at least one image data block,
• a receive data management means for transferring image data packets from the packing means to the receiver memory means.

A data transfer network comprising:

• a network media extending between each of a plurality of nodes;
• a means for generating image representations connected with one of the nodes, each image representation including a relatively large block of image data;
• means for processing image data connected to another of the nodes;
• a first of the nodes including:
• buffer means for storing each of a plurality of image data packets in an m-bit format,
• a first data link means for transmitting each data packet on the network media in an n-bit format, where n is an integer and m is an integer that is an even multiple of n,
• an unpacking means for converting the m-bit format to n-bit format data, the unpacking including:
• an m-bit buffer for receiving words of m-bit format;
• n multiplexor means connected with the m-bit buffer;
• a clocking means for clocking the multiplexor means and the m-bit buffer, the clocking means clocking the multiplexor means about m/n times as fast as the m-bit buffer such that each clocking of the n multiplexor means generates an n-bit format word for transmission on the network media,
• a transmit data management means for controlling the transfer of data between the buffer means and the data link means;
• a second of the nodes including:
• a second data link means for receiving the data packet from the network media,
• a receiver memory means for storing at least one image data block,
• a receive data management means for transferring image data packets from the second data link means to the receiver memory means.

A data transfer network comprising:

• a network media extending between each of a plurality of nodes;
• means for generating and processing large blocks of data connected with a plurality of the nodes;
• a first of the nodes including:
• a data link means for receiving a plurality of data packets which taken together comprise one of the large blocks of data from the network media;
• a memory means for storing the large block of data;
• a receive data management means for transferring each of the received data packets from the data link means to the memory means;
• a memory address control means for monitoring addresses of the memory means at which previously received ones of the data packets are stored and providing memory addresses for each subsequently received data packet such that the received data packets are reassembled into the one large data block;
• a completion of reception detection means for signaling that the one large data block has been received.

A data transfer network comprising:

• a network media extending between each of a plurality of nodes;
• means for generating and processing large blocks of data connected with a plurality of the nodes;
• a first of the nodes including:
• a data link means for receiving a plurality of data packets in an n-bit format which data packets taken together comprise one of the large blocks of data from the network media;
• a memory means for storing the large block of data in an m-bit format;
• a packing means for packing n-bit format data received by the data link means into m-bit format data for storage in the memory means;
• a receive data management means for transferring each of the received data packets from the data link means to the memory means;
• and,
• a memory address control means for monitoring addresses of the memory means at which previously received ones of the data packets are stored and providing memory addresses for each subsequently received data packet.

A data transfer network comprising:

• a network media extending between a plurality of nodes for transferring data in an n-bit format;
• a means for processing large blocks of data connected with at least some of the nodes;
• a first of the nodes transmitting data to a second of the nodes, the second node including an elasticity buffer into which data from the first node is clocked at a clocking rate of the first node and out of which the data is clocked at a clocking rate of the second node, the elasticity buffer including a packing means for packing the n-bit format data into m-bit format data, where n is an integer and m is an integer which is an even multiple of n, the packing means including:
• m/n serially connected n-bit buffers;
• a clocking means for clocking incoming data serially through the n-bit buffers until the n-bit buffers are filled, the clocking means further concurrently clocking all m/n n-bit buffers to clock out an m-bit format word.

A data transfer network comprising:

• a network media on which data is passed in n-bit format, where n is an integer, the network media extending between a plurality of nodes;
• means connected with the nodes for processing and handling blocks of m-bit format data, where m is an integer that is an even multiple of n;
• at least one of the nodes including:
• a data link means for receiving n-bit data from the network media,
• m/n serially connected n-bit buffers,
• a clocking means for clocking n-bit data from the data link means serially through the n-bit buffers until the n-bit buffers are filled and when the n-bit buffers are filled concurrently clocking the m/n n-bit buffers to pass an m-bit format word to the associated one of the data processing and handling means.

A data transfer network comprising:

• a network media extending between each of a plurality of nodes;
• a means for processing and handling data connected with the nodes;
• a first of the nodes including:
• means for storing a plurality of data packets, each packet being designated for transmission to one of the other receiving nodes and being assigned a relative transmission priority, each designated receiving node having a statistical probability of availability to receive a transmitted data packet;
• a data link means operatively connected with the memory means and the network media for transmitting data packets serially on the network media;
• a data packet order determining means for determining an order in which the data link means transmits the stored data packets on the network media in accordance with a weighted combination of the assigned priority of each packet and the statistical availability probability of the corresponding designated receiving node.

A method of regulating bandwidth allocation on networks which permit equal access to each of a plurality of nodes along the network in which only a node which has a token is permitted to place large data packets and small data transmissions on the network, the method comprising:

• passing a first token from node to node, nodes that have large blocks of data to pass, passing the large blocks of data and the first token, nodes that have small data transmissions to pass passing the small data transmissions and the first token and nodes which have no data to pass, passing the first token;
• when the first token reaches a node that requires greater bandwidth, the node which requires the greater bandwidth (i) holding the first token, (ii) entering a restricted mode, (iii) transmitting a large block of data, and (iv) passing a restricted token;
• each node which receives the restricted token which is not in the restricted mode passing one of the restricted token alone and the restricted token and a priority small data transmission and each node which receives the restricted token which is in the restricted mode, passing one of the restricted token alone and the restricted token and a large data packet;
• when the restricted token returns to the node holding the first token, the node holding the first token passing one of (i) the first token alone, (ii) the first token and a large data packet, and (iii) another restricted token, whereby nodes which require more bandwidth, such as nodes transferring image data in real time, are accorded greater access to the network than nodes requiring less bandwidth.