Dynamic idle aggregation in digital signal transmission
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorWilliam S. Ataras, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Transmission of signals over a communications channel. An output of a digital signal generator is analyzed over a sampling interval and a duration of first digital signals generated over the sampling interval is determined, wherein any difference between the sampling interval and the duration of first digital signals is a remainder of the sampling interval. In one embodiment, the first digital signals are assembled into a contiguous block and transmitted over the communications channel. Second digital signals are transmitted over the communications channel for a period substantially equal to the remainder of the sampling interval.
Claims22
A method for transmitting blocks of time-sensitive data and blocks of other data over a communications channel, comprising the steps of:
- (a) generating sets of time-sensitive data for transmission over the communications channel in a computer system in which transitions between the blocks of time-sensitive and other data must be separated by a minimum duration;
- (b) characterizing the sizes of the sets of time-sensitive data;
- and
- (c) aggregating the sets of time-sensitive data as needed into the blocks of time-sensitive data to ensure that transmission of each block of time-sensitive data and each block of other data is longer than the minimum duration.
A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for transmitting blocks of time-sensitive data and blocks of other data over a communications channel, wherein, when executed by a computer system, the computer program code causes the computer system to:
- (a) generate sets of time-sensitive data for transmission over the communications channel in the computer system in which transitions between the blocks of time-sensitive and other data must be separated by a minimum duration;
- (b) characterize the sizes of the sets of time-sensitive data;
- and
- (c) aggregate the sets of time-sensitive data as needed into the blocks of time-sensitive data to ensure that transmission of each block of time-sensitive data and each block of other data is longer than the minimum duration.
An apparatus for transmitting blocks of time-sensitive data and blocks of other data over a communications channel, comprising:
- (a) a time-sensitive-data engine adapted to generate sets of time-sensitive data for transmission over the communications channel in a computer system in which transitions between the blocks of time-sensitive and other data must be separated by a minimum duration;
- and
- (b) an idle aggregation engine adapted to characterize the sizes of the sets of time-sensitive data and to aggregate the sets of time-sensitive data as needed into the blocks of time-sensitive data to ensure that transmission of each block of time-sensitive data and each block of other data is longer than the minimum duration.
An apparatus for transmitting signals over a communications channel, comprising:
- (a) a digital signal generator;
- and
- (b) an idle aggregation engine, wherein
- the idle aggregation engine analyzes an output of the digital signal generator over a sampling interval and determines a duration of first digital signals generated over the sampling interval, wherein any difference between the sampling interval and the duration of first digital signals is a remainder of the sampling interval.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.