Node for a communication network
AssigneeAT&T Bell Laboratories
InventorsGiovanni Conti, James R. Ensor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Mechanisms for efficient transmission management are provided for multiparty, multimedia communications by constructing a logical ring structure from logical point-to-point connections between multiple nodes participating in a communication. Data and control information are unbundled in the communication by providing several different higher level protocols or applications, called "user entities," at each node and enabling uninhibited data transfer between corresponding user entities of the different nodes via virtual rings built on top of the logical ring. A mechanism preferably is provided for a user entity to selectively accept or reject a packet on the basis of the importance of the information contained in the packet.
Claims17
An arrangement for communicating among a plurality of nodes in a packet network wherein each node connects a plurality of user entities to the network, the arrangement comprising:
- means for receiving a packet including a data segment and a control segment, the data segment including information selected from the group consisting of connection control information and data information, the receiving means including means for routing the data segment of a received packet to a predetermined one of the plurality of user entities in response to the control segment of the received packet;
- first and second service access point means coupled to the receiving means, the first service access point means passing the data segment between the receiving means and a first user entity of the plurality of user entities and the second service access point means passing the data segment between the receiving means and a second user entity of the plurality of user entities;
- and
- first and second buffer means for storing the data segments of received packets routed via the respective service access point means to the first and second user entities, respectively, so that the arrangement effectively reduces the number of packets discarded by at least one of the plurality of nodes.
An arrangement for communicating among a plurality of nodes in a packet network wherein each node connects a plurality of user entities to the network, the arrangement comprising:
- means for receiving a packet including a data segment and a control segment, the data segment including information selected from the group consisting of connection control information and data information, the receiving means including means for routing the data segment of a received packet to a predetermined one of the plurality of user entities in response to the control segment of the received packet;
- first means for transferring the data segment of a first packet between the receiving and transmitting means and a first one of the plurality of user entities;
- and
- second means for transferring the data segment of a second packet between the receiving and transmitting means and a second one of the plurality of user entities, the second transferring means operating independently of the first transferring means.
A method for coupling a plurality of nodes participating in a logical ring, the method comprising the steps of:
- specifying connections to be formed between the plurality of nodes to define a ring structure;
- and
- implementing the defined ring structure by establishing the specified connections using logical point-to-point connections,
- the logical point-to-point connections being formed across different types of physical transmission media.
A method for coupling a plurality of nodes participating in a logical ring, each node including a protocol entity which connects a respective plurality of user entities to the logical ring, the method comprising the steps of:
- specifying connections to be formed between the plurality of nodes to define a ring structure;
- implementing the defined ring structure by establishing the specified connections using logical point-to-point connections;
- multiplexing onto the logical ring, for transmission from a first node of the plurality of nodes to a second node of the plurality of nodes, a packet including a data segment and a control segment, the data segment including information from a user entity connected at the first node;
- and
- demultiplexing the packet at the second node to pass the data segment to a user entity connected at the second node in response to the control segment of the packet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.