Back to results
US 7,095,753 B1Granted
Digital network processor-based multi-protocol flow control
AssigneeBBN Technologies Corp.
InventorsWalter Clark Milliken, Alden W. Jackson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Multiple network processors (201, 202, 203) are connected in a pipeline via control (206) and data (205) ports of the network processors. The network processors (201, 202, 203) communicate with neighboring network processors through the control and data ports. Through these ports, the network processors can implement a variety of data flow control protocols.
Claims31
A network device comprising:
- a first network processor including
- at least one data port, and
- at least one control port;
- and
- a second network processor including
- a data port coupled to the data port of the first network processor, and
- a control port coupled to the control port of the first network processor, wherein
- the data and control ports of the first and second network processors connect the first and second network processors together in a pipeline configuration and wherein the first and second network processors implement data transmission protocols in the pipeline configuration, and wherein the first and second network processors are configurable to implement multiple data transmission protocols.
5 more elements
A network processor comprising:
- a network data port configured to communicate network data to a network data port of a neighboring network processor;
- and
- a control port configured to communicate control information to a network control port of the neighboring network processor, the network processor and the neighboring network processor being coupled together through the data and control ports as a pipeline in which stages of the pipeline implement portions of a network data flow control protocol, wherein the network processor is configurable to implement a portion of a selected one of multiple network data flow control protocols.
A network device comprising:
- first processing means for implementing a first portion of a network data flow control protocol;
- second processing means for implementing a second portion of the network data flow control protocol, the second processing means communicating with the first processing means through a data port and a control port;
- and
- switch fabric means to couple the first processing means and the second processing means, wherein
- the first and second processing means are connected as a pipeline and wherein the first processing means, the second processing means, and the switch fabric means are configurable to implement different data flow control protocols.
2 more elements
A network device for transmitting data comprising:
- a first network processor having one input data port, one output data port, one input control port, and one output control port;
- a second network processor having one input data port, one output data port, one input control port, and one output control port;
- means for operatively coupling both said output data port of said first network processor to said input data port of said second network processor and said output control port of said first network processor to said input control port of said second network processor, whereby said first network processor and said second network processor are operatively coupled in a pipeline configuration;
- and,
- said first network processor and said second network processor including means for implementing a plurality of data transmission protocols in said pipeline configuration, a particular one of the data transmission protocols that is implemented being configurable in the first network processor and the second network processor.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.