Methods and apparatus for sharing network bandwidth

A shared bandwidth network arrangement, comprising:

• a bus;
• a plurality of devices connected to the bus, each device belonging to a respective device class associated with a respective data transfer rate at which devices in the class transmit information over the bus;
• and
• a gap interval assignor configured to assign a gap interval to each device based on the data transfer rate of the class to which that device belongs, the assigned gap interval being inserted between portions of a data stream sent by the corresponding device over the bus.

A shared bandwidth network arrangement, comprising:

• a bus;
• a plurality of devices connected to the bus, each device belonging to a respective device class associated with a respective data transfer rate at which information is exchanged over the bus;
• a gap interval assignor configured to assign a gap interval to each device based on at least the data transfer rate of the class to which the device belongs, the assigned gap interval being inserted between portions of a data stream sent by the corresponding device over the bus;
• and an idle wait assignor is configured to assign longer bus idle wait periods to device classes having higher data transfer rates and shorter bus idle wait periods to device classes having lower data transfer rates, where a bus idle wait period is the duration which a device must wait before requesting access to the bus.

A network device, comprising:

• a transmitter configured to send a data stream over a shared bus at a data transfer rate associated with a respective class of devices to which the network device belongs, wherein each of a plurality of classes has a different respective data transfer rate at which devices in that class send data over the shared bus;
• a gap interval inserter configured to insert an assigned gap interval into the data stream after the transmitter sends at least a portion of the data stream over the bus, the assigned gap interval being based on the data transfer rate of the class of devices to which the network device belongs;
• an idle waiter configured to wait a respective bus idle wait period assigned to the class of devices to which the network device belongs after the assigned gap interval is inserted into the data stream;
• and
• an arbitrator configured to arbitrate with other devices connected to the shared bus for a right to access the shared bus when another portion of the data stream is to be sent over the shared bus, the arbitration beginning after the expiration of the bus idle wait period assigned to the class of devices to which the network device belongs.

A method of transmitting data packets, comprising:

• determining, in the processor, a class, among a plurality of device classes, to which the device belongs, wherein each class is differentiated based on data transfer
• determining, in the processor, a bus idle wait period of the device based on the class of the device, wherein the bus idle wait period is a time duration that the device must wait after bus activity has ceased before requesting access to the bus
• transmitting, using a device connected to a bus, a data packet, wherein the data packet is capable of being individually transmitted to its destination;
• and
• determining, in a processor, a gap interval based on a size of the data packet transmitted, wherein a duration of the gap interval is a time duration that the device must wait before transmitting another data packet.

A method of transmitting data packets, comprising:

• transmitting, using a device connected to a bus, a data packet, wherein the data packet is capable of being individually transmitted to its destination;
• waiting an idle bus wait period of the device;
• requesting an access to the bus for the device after waiting the idle bus wait period;
• and
• transmitting another data packet using the device over the bus after the access to the bus is granted for the device,
• wherein the idle bus wait period of the device is based on a class, among a plurality of classes, of devices to which the device belongs, the plurality of classes being differentiated based on data transfer rates, and
• wherein the idle bus wait periods for different classes are different.

A method of sharing bandwidth between devices connected to a bus, comprising the following steps:

• classifying, in a processor, each of the devices into one of a number of device classes each associated with a respective data transfer rate at which devices in that class transmit information over the bus;
• assigning, in the processor, a gap interval to each device based on the data transfer rate of the class to which that device belongs, the assigned gap interval being inserted between portions of a data stream sent by the corresponding device over the bus, wherein the gap interval is equal to a period of the class, minus a time required to transmit data, minus a bus arbitration time;
• forcing, by the processor, higher bandwidth devices to wait for longer periods of bus inactivity before attempting to access the bus so that lower bandwidth devices can be interleaved into the data flow of the higher bandwidth devices;
• and
• allowing, by the processor, devices to jump between classes if an average bus load over a certain period of time falls below a preset limit.