Methods and systems for prioritizing data transferred on a Local Area Network

A method of prioritizing data in a network, comprising:

• receiving incoming data from a network PHY layer, the network containing an ethernet protocol stack;
• comparing a signature of the incoming data with a priority data signature to identify priority data;
• intentionally corrupting the priority data to prevent the priority data from being processed in the ethernet protocol stack;
• temporarily storing the priority data prior to being corrupted;
• and
• processing the uncorrupted priority data using a simplified protocol stack designed to process a specific data packet type, wherein the simplified protocol stack is other than the ethernet protocol stack.

A device for prioritizing data within a network using an ethernet protocol stack, comprising:

• means for comparing a signature of incoming data from an ethernet PHY layer with a stored priority data signature;
• means for intentionally corrupting priority data corresponding to the stored priority data signature to prevent the priority data from being processed by the ethernet protocol stack;
• means for temporarily storing uncorrupted priority data corresponding to the stored priority data signature;
• and
• means for forwarding the uncorrupted priority data to a simplified protocol stack other than the ethernet protocol stack.

A system containing one or more devices for prioritizing data within a network using an ethernet protocol stack, the devices comprising:

• means for comparing a signature of incoming data from an ethernet PHY layer with a stored priority data signature to identify priority data and non-priority data;
• means for controlling the forwarding of priority and non-priority data within the network's infrastructure;
• means for intentionally corrupting the priority data to prevent the priority data from being processed by an ethernet protocol stack;
• means for temporarily storing uncorrupted priority data;
• and
• means for forwarding the uncorrupted priority data to a simplified protocol stack other than the ethernet protocol stack.

A system for prioritizing data in a network containing an ethernet protocol stack, the system comprising:

• means for comparing a signature of incoming data from an ethernet PHY layer with a stored priority data signature;
• means for intentionally corrupting priority data to prevent the priority data from being processed by the ethernet protocol stack;
• means for temporarily storing uncorrupted priority data;
• means for processing the data content in the uncorrupted priority data without accessing the ethernet protocol stack;
• and
• means for transmitting said data content to a memory unit of a host device.

A device for forwarding priority data within a network, comprising:

• a medium for receiving incoming data from a switch PHY layer;
• hardware and software for comparing the signature of said incoming data with a stored priority data signature;
• hardware and software for preventing non-priority data from being processed until all priority data has been processed;
• hardware and software for intentionally corrupting priority data to prevent the priority data from being processed by an ethernet MAC layer;
• and
• a medium for transmitting both priority and non-priority data to a switch MAC layer wherein the uncorrupted priority data is processed via a simplified protocol stack within the switch MAC layer external to the ethernet MAC layer.

A device for processing priority data in a network, comprising:

• a medium for receiving incoming data from an ethernet PHY layer;
• hardware and software for comparing the signature of said incoming data with a stored priority data signature;
• hardware and software for intentionally corrupting priority data to prevent the priority data from being processed via an ethernet MAC layer;
• a medium for transmitting both non-priority data and the corrupted priority data to the ethernet MAC layer;
• a local memory unit for storing uncorrupted priority data;
• a processing unit external to the ethernet MAC layer for extracting information from said uncorrupted priority data;
• and
• a medium for transmitting said extracted information to a memory location of a host device.