Method and apparatus for synchronizing fast ethernet data packets to radio frames in a wireless metropolitan area network

An apparatus for synchronizing Fast Ethernet data packets to radio frames, the apparatus comprising:

• a. a packet transceiver for detecting Fast Ethernet data packets;
• b. a packet buffer coupled to the packet transceiver for temporarily storing packet data from the data packets according to a first clock signal derived from the data packets;
• c. a packet retriever coupled to the packet buffer for retrieving the packet data from the packet buffer thereby forming retrieved packet data wherein the packet retriever retrieves the packet data according to a second clock signal and wherein the second clock signal is asynchronous with the first clock signal;
• and
• d. a radio framer coupled to the packet retriever for formatting the retrieved packet data into radio frames;
• wherein the Packet data is not converted into a telephony communication protocol or into an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) protocol prior to communication of the radio frames over the wireless link.

An apparatus for synchronizing radio frames to Fast Ethernet data packets, the apparatus comprising:

• a. a synchronizer/de-synchronizer for recovering packet data for Fast Ethernet data packets from radio frames received from a wireless link;
• b. a packet buffer coupled to the synchronizer/desynchronizer for temporarily storing packet data from the radio frames according to a first clock signal synchronous with the radio frames;
• c. a packet retriever coupled to the packet buffer for retrieving the packet data from the packet buffer thereby forming retrieved packet data wherein the packet retriever retrieves the packet data according to a second clock signal and wherein a frequency of the second clock signal is lower than a frequency of the first clock signal;
• and
• d. an Ethernet transceiver coupled to the packet retriever for forwarding the Ethernet data packets reconstructed from the radio frames;
• wherein the method does not include a means for converting the packet data into a telephony communication protocol or into an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) protocol prior to communication of the radio frames over the wireless link.

An apparatus for synchronizing radio frames to Fast Ethernet data packets, the apparatus comprising:

• a. a synchronizer/de-synchronizer for recovering packet data for Fast Ethernet data packets from radio frames received from a wireless link;
• b. a packet buffer coupled to the synchronizer/desynchronizer for temporarily storing packet data from the radio frames according to a first clock signal synchronous with the radio frames;
• c. a packet retriever coupled to the packet buffer for retrieving the packet data from the packet buffer thereby forming retrieved packet data wherein the packet retriever retrieves the packet data according to a second clock signal and wherein at least sufficient packet data for a complete one of the Ethernet data packet is stored in the packet buffer prior to the packet retriever retrieving the packet data;
• and
• d. an Ethernet transceiver coupled to the packet retriever for forwarding the Fast Ethernet data packets reconstructed from the radio frames;
• wherein the method does not include a means for converting the packet data into a telephony communication protocol or into an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) protocol prior to communication of the radio frames over the wireless link.

A method of synchronizing radio frames to Fast Ethernet data packets, the method comprising steps of:

• a. recovering packet data for Fast Ethernet data packets from radio frames received from a wireless link;
• b. storing packet data from the radio frames in a packet buffer according to a first clock signal synchronous with the radio frames;
• c. retrieving the packet data from the packet buffer thereby forming retrieved packet data wherein the step of retrieving is performed according to a second clock signal and wherein a frequency of the second clock signal is lower than a frequency of the first clock signal;
• and
• d. forwarding the Fast Ethernet data packets reconstructed from the radio frames;
• wherein the method does not include a step of converting the packet data into a telephony communication protocol or into an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) protocol prior to communication of the radio frames over the wireless link.

A method of synchronizing radio frames to Fast Ethernet data packets, the method comprising steps of:

• a. recovering packet data for Fast Ethernet data packets from radio frames received from a wireless link;
• b. storing packet data from the radio frames in a packet buffer according to a first clock signal synchronous with the radio frames;
• c. retrieving the packet data from the packet buffer thereby forming retrieved packet data wherein the step of retrieving is performed according to a second clock signal and wherein at least sufficient packet data for a complete one of the Fast Ethernet data packet is stored in the packet buffer prior to retrieving the packet data;
• and
• d. forwarding the Fast Ethernet data packets reconstructed from the radio frames;
• wherein the method does not include a step of converting the packet data into a telephony communication protocol or into an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) protocol prior to communication of the radio frames over the wireless link.