US 7,002,967 B2Granted

Multi-protocol networking processor with data traffic support spanning local, regional and wide area networks

OwnerI. Claude Denton, James L. Gimlettinventors

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A networking processor is formed with selected ones of one or more system interfaces, one or more network/intermediate interfaces, a plurality of data link sub-layer control/processing blocks, and a plurality of physical sub-layer coders/decoders and processing units. The elements are provisioned in a combinatorially selectable manner, enabling the single networking processor to be able to selectively facilitate data trafficking in accordance with a selected one of a plurality of protocols. The protocols include at least one each a datacom and a telecom protocol. Accordingly, the network processor supports data traffics spanning local, regional and wide area networks. In one embodiment, the traffic data may be framed or streaming data being transmitted/received in accordance with a selected one of a plurality frame based protocols and a plurality of variants of a synchronous protocol. The frame based protocols may also be frame based protocols encapsulated with the synchronous protocol.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A multi-protocol processor comprising:

a system I/O interface to facilitate a selected one or more of physical input of egress data and physical output of ingress data, including selective facilitation of physical input/output of framed egress/ingress data being transmitted/received in accordance with a selected one of a first and a second frame based protocols, responsive to a data flow type specification specifying a data flow in accordance with said selected one of said first and second frame based protocols;
a first control block coupled to the system I/O interface to perform data link sub-layer frame processing on framed egress data inputted through said system I/O interface, framed ingress data to be outputted through said system I/O interface, or both, when the data flow type specification specifies said selected one of said first and second frame based protocols;
a first coder coupled to the first control block to perform physical sub-layer encoding and decoding of said framed egress/ingress data, when the data flow type specification specifies said selected one of said first and second frame based protocols;
a second control block coupled to the first coder to perform physical sub-layer path processing on said framed egress/ingress data, when the data flow specification specifies said second frame based protocol as the selected one of said first and second frame based protocols;
a third control block coupled to the second control block to perform physical sub-layer section and line processing on the framed egress/ingress data, when the data flow type specification specifies said second frame based protocol as the selected one of said first and second frame based protocols;
and
a network interface coupled to the first coder and the third control block to selectively facilitate physical output/input of said framed egress/ingress data when the data flow type specification specifies said selected one of said first and second frame based protocols.

4 more elements

A multi-protocol processor comprising:

a system I/O interface to facilitate a selected one or more of physical input of egress data and physical output of ingress data, including selective facilitation of physical input/output of framed egress/ingress data being transmitted/received in accordance with a selected one of a first and a second frame based protocols, responsive to a data flow type specification specifying a data flow in accordance with said selected one of said frame based protocols;
a first control block coupled to the system I/O interface to perform data link sub-layer frame processing of a selected one of a first and a second type on framed egress data inputted through said system I/O interface, framed ingress data to be outputted through said system I/O interface, or both, when the data flow type specification specifies a corresponding selected one of said first and second frame based protocols;
a first coder coupled to the first control block to perform physical sub-layer encoding and decoding of said framed egress/ingress data, when the data flow type specification specifies said selected one of said first and second frame based protocols;
a second control block coupled to the first coder to perform physical sub-layer path processing on said framed egress/ingress data, when the data flow specification specifies said selected one of said first and second frame based protocols;
a third control block coupled to the second control block to perform physical sub-layer section and line processing on the framed egress/ingress data, when the data flow type specification specifies said selected one of said first and second frame based protocols;
and
a network interface coupled to the first coder and the third control block to selectively facilitate physical output/input of said framed egress/ingress data when the data flow type specification specifies said selected ones of said first and second frame based protocols.

4 more elements

A multi-protocol processor comprising:

a system I/O interface to facilitate a selected one or more of physical input of egress data and physical output of ingress data, including selective facilitation of physical input/output of framed egress/ingress data being transmitted/received in accordance with a selected one of a plurality of frame based protocols, responsive to a data flow type specification specifying a data flow in accordance with said selected one of said frame based protocols;
a first control block coupled to the system I/O interface to perform data link sub-layer frame processing of a first type on framed egress data inputted through said system I/O interface, framed ingress data to be outputted through said system I/O interface, or both, when the data flow type specification specifies a selected one of a first subset of said frame based protocols;
a second control block coupled to the system I/O interface to perform data link sub-layer frame processing of a second type on framed egress data inputted through said system I/O interface, framed ingress data to be outputted through said system I/O interface, or both, when the data flow type specification specifies a selected one of a second subset of said frame based protocols;
a first coder coupled to the first control block to perform physical sub-layer encoding and decoding of said framed egress/ingress data, when the data flow type specification specifies said selected one of said first subset of said frame based protocols;
a second coder coupled to the second control block to perform physical sub-layer encoding and decoding of said framed egress/ingress data, when the data flow type specification specifies said selected one of said second subset of said frame based protocols;
a third control block coupled to the first and the second coder to perform physical sub-layer path processing on said framed egress/ingress data, when the data flow specification specifies a selected one of said frame based protocols;
a fourth control block coupled to the third control block to perform physical sub-layer section and line processing on the framed egress/ingress data, when the data flow type specification specifies a selected one of said frame based protocols;
and
a network interface coupled to the fourth control block to selectively facilitate physical output/input of said framed egress/ingress data when the data flow type specification specifies a selected one of said frame based protocols.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/860,207Filed 18 May 2001
Published: US 2003/0188026 A12 Oct 2003
Granted: 21 Feb 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H04L 9/40
Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols: network security protocols
H04L 69/08
Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass:…
H04L 69/18
Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass:…
Y10S 370/907
Osi compliant network: synchronous optical network, SONET