Communication system and method for media access control
AssigneeMarvell Israel (M.I.S.L) Ltd.
InventorsErez Bashan, Erez Izenberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for upstream transmission and the media access control of upstream transmission of groups of fixed sized cells, such as ATM cells in a point to multipoint optical network, such as a passive optical network. The upstream media access control scheme is responsive to grouping information reflecting a parameter of a group of fixed sized cells. The parameter may reflect the length of the relevant payload of the group the fixed sized cells.
Claims37
A communication system comprising:
- an optical communication network interconnecting a headend and a plurality of network units;
- wherein the headend has a media access controller for issuing data grants and grouping information requests,
- wherein a data grant is issued at least partially in response to previously received grouping information, and
- wherein at least some network units out of the plurality of network units are operable to:
- receive a variable length data packet to be transmitted to the headend;
- transmit grouping information reflecting at least a length of the variable length data packet;
- and
- transmit a segmented group of fixed sized data cells, representing the variable length data packet, to the headend in response to data grants issued by the media access controller.
A media access controller for controlling an access of a plurality of network units to a shared upstream channel, the media access controller being coupled to a receiver, for receiving grouping information from the plurality of network units,
- wherein the grouping information reflects at least a length of a variable length data packet that is converted to a plurality of fixed sized cell groups to be upstream transmitted over the shared upstream channel, and
- wherein the media access controller comprises:
- at least one arbitration unit, coupled between the receiver and a grant allocator, for arbitrating between requests to upstream transmit fixed sized cell groups;
- and
- a grant allocator, for selecting data grants authorizing an upstream transmission of a group of fixed sized cells in response to the arbitration.
A method for allocating upstream bandwidth of a shared upstream channel of an optical network, the optical network interconnecting a headend with a plurality of network units, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining grouping information representing a length of a variable length data packet to be converted to a plurality of fixed sized cell groups to be upstream transmitted from at least one network unit;
- receiving upstream transmitted grouping information;
- and
- issuing data grants authorizing an identified network unit to transmit upstream data in response to previously received grouping information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.