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AssigneePath 1 Network Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDouglas A. Palmer, Ronald D. Fellman, Rene L. Cruz
Estimating the term…
A network system for providing efficient transmission of real-time data and non-real-time data between a plurality of network devices, including an arbitration mechanism that provides a low cost and high performance mechanism for delivery of quality of service guarantees for time-sensitive data sharing a local area with non-time-sensitive data. Device adapters are placed at all access points to a local network. The device adapters limit admission rates and control the timing of all packets entering the network. An X-Hub placed at the center of the network provides for transparent, concurrent transport of signals transmitted by device adapters. Collisions may therefore be eliminated for time-sensitive traffic, thereby guaranteeing timely delivery. A common time reference is established for the device adapters and the X-Hub. The time reference defines a frame with a plurality of phases. Each of the phases defines a state of the X-Hub, and a state for each of the device adapters. Each device adapter is allowed to transmit packets of data onto the network directly to one or more destination device adapters, without the possibility of collisions, during a phase in which it is in a cross-connect mode. Each device adapter can also broadcast unscheduled transmissions, usinig a conventional network protocol (such as CSMA/CD), when it is not in the cross-connect mode. The scheduling of phases to support transport of signals in the cross-connect mode can be dynamically altered, in accordance with a signaling protocol, based on unscheduled transmissions using the conventional network protocol when the X-Hub is so configured.
A network system for providing efficient transmission of real-time data and non-real-time data between a plurality of network devices, including:
A network system for providing efficient transmission of real-time data and non-real-time data between a plurality of network devices, including:
A network system for providing efficient transmission of real-time data and non-real-time data between a plurality of network devices, including:
A switching hub device having a plurality of input ports, a plurality of output ports, and a crossbar switch system coupled to each of the respective pluralities of input ports and output ports for transferring packets between selected ones of the input ports to selected ones of the output ports for transmission on a network, the switching hub device being adapted to be coupled to at least two device adapters each for transmitting packets between at least one coupled network device and the switching hub device, the switching hub device and each device adapter being substantially synchronized to a selectable time schedule, the switching hub device including configuration circuitry for periodically setting a configuration of the switching hub device to couple selected pairs of device adapters for direct intercommunication of packets in accordance with such time schedule during a first time interval.
A method for providing efficient transmission of real-time data and non-real-time data between a plurality of network devices, including the steps of:
A method for providing efficient transmission of real-time data and non-real-time data between a plurality of network devices, including the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.