US 5,420,858 AGranted

Method and apparatus for communications from a non-ATM communication medium to an ATM communication medium

AssigneeSynOptics Communications, Inc.

InventorsKen Marshall, Robert Newman, Michael Pham

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An apparatus and method of communicating between devices coupled to two networks. The first network comprises a terminal, containing an Ethernet interface, communication medium and an Ethernet interface contained in a concentrator. The second network comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) interface contained in a switch, a communication medium and other components of an ATM network. Terminals transmit packets to other devices by: transmitting a packet to the concentrator, the concentrator segments the packet's information into ATM cells, and transmits the cells over the ATM network. The Terminals receive packets from other devices by: the ATM network transmitting cells to a concentrator, the cells being reassembled into Ethernet packets, then the packets being transmitted to the appropriate terminal.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A network comprising:

(a) an ATM network for switching ATM cells between ATM switches and devices coupled with said ATM switches;
(b) non-ATM communication media for allowing communication of non-ATM messages on said non-ATM communication media;
and
(c) a concentrator coupled between said ATM network and said non-ATM communication media for allowing disassembly of non-ATM messages received on said non-ATM communication media and for allowing data from said disassembled non-ATM messages to be transmitted on said ATM network, said concentrator further comprises:
(i) a segmentation circuit coupled to said non-ATM communication media for segmenting each of said non-ATM messages into at least one ATM cell for transmission on said network;
and
(ii) a reassembly circuit coupled to receive ATM cells from said ATM network and to reassemble non-ATM messages from said received ATM cells, said reassembly circuit having a reassembly RAM for storing data for reassembly into non-ATM messages and control circuitry for controlling addressing of said reassembly RAM based, at least in part, on VCI address information provided in said received ATM cells, wherein said control circuitry comprises:
(a) a page RAM for providing page addressing information for addressing a page of said reassembly RAM, said page RAM addressed by said VCI address information;
(b) a tag RAM for providing block addressing information for addressing blocks in said reassembly RAM, said tag RAM addressed by said page addressing information;
and
(c) a counter for addressing individual storage locations within said reassembly RAM, said counter being updated as information is written to said reassembly RAM.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/058,157Filed 5 May 1993
Granted: 30 May 1995
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04Q 11/0478
Integrated services digital network, i.e. systems for transmission of different types of digitised signals, e.g. speech, data, telecentral,…:…
H04L 12/44
Characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]: star or tree networks
H04L 12/66
Data switching networks: arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
H04L 2012/561
Topology: star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics