Abstract: The present invention is a novel method and apparatus for controlling packet data flow in Bluetooth devices. The present Bluetooth flow control method and apparatus reduces data buffer overflow conditions using an inventive flow control technique comprising a dual flow control step and a payload header flow control step. In the dual flow control step, the present inventive method initially enables (i.e., transmits to a transmitting device) both packet header flow control and payload header flow control. In one embodiment, the Bluetooth flow control technique utilizes non-acknowledgment of “nack” commands to enable packet header flow control. In another embodiment, the Bluetooth flow control technique utilizes a packet header flow control bit to enable packet header flow control. In the payload header flow control step, the method determines whether payload header flow control information has been successfully received and, if so, it disables packet header flow control.

Abstract: A packet switching apparatus for simplifying and reducing the size of a packet switching circuit which is to perform at high speed. The packet switching apparatus is provided with a first packet switching unit for sorting a data packet from one of a plurality of input lines into one of a plurality of transfer lines. The packet switching apparatus is also provided with a second packet switching unit for sorting a data packet from a transfer line into one of a plurality of output lines of a respective output line group. A transfer line transfers a data packet at a line speed faster than a sum of the line speeds of the output lines included within the respective output line group.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for providing a long loop broadband service which allows data from different ADSL users to be shared and transported across a group (possibly a group of one) of line-powered, repeatered copper pairs utilizing a symmetric transmission approach is disclosed. Multiple ADSL users are able to share the bandwidth on pair(s) between the Remote Terminal Unit and Central Termination Unit by converting the ADSL data into ATM cells that are properly addressed and sent over the pair(s). Straight-Through Repeaters can be used in between the Central Termination Unit and the Remote Termination Unit on each of the pairs to extend the reach of the system. In this manner, the reach of ADSL (or other) internet access can be increased from its present 15 to 18 kft limitation to over 40,000 feet using 26 gauge wire, effectively reaching over 99% of subscribers.

Abstract: An asynchronous transfer mode infrastructure is integrated with the communications network. The asynchronous transfer mode infrastructure is composed of an asynchronous transfer mode fabric and asynchronous transfer mode gateway. Wireless and wireline data are linked to the communications network via the asynchronous transfer mode infrastructure, such that all wireless and wireline data transactions within the communications network are processed independently of any switching devices present within the communications network. Wireless and wireline data is transmitted to and from the communications network via a network access function that allows wireless and wireline data to flow to and from the communications network. The wireless and wireline data is converted within the network access function in response to transmittal of the wireless and wireline data to the network access function.

Abstract: A network device with a configurable interface. The device has at least two communication ports. An interface in communication with the ports is configurable as to the network layer, or layer 2 and 3, and the physical layer, or layer 1. The interface includes at least two lines for transmitting data and two lines for receiving data and a processor that determines the data transmitted and received. The processor controls the data in accordance with the configuration parameters of the interface, which are each independently selectable.

Abstract: A network device that controls the communication of data frames between stations performs an admission control procedure to reduce congestion on the network device. The network device receives data frames from a number of receive ports and reads a portion of a received data frame to determine a priority associated with the received data frame. When admission control is enabled, the network device determines whether to drop the received data frame based on the priority or some other predetermined criteria.

Abstract: A data packet, having a flag for determination of its processing content, a tag field and a data field, is sequentially transferred between pipeline registers according to pulses from C elements. A determination is made as to whether the tag field of the data packet includes information identical to that pre-stored in a tag field of a register within a processing content determination unit. Based on the determination result, the data packet is processed according to the information stored in a processing content determination field of the register.

Abstract: A routing table circuit for a router has one or more input ports and output ports for message communication. In the routing table circuit, one or more routing table memories store a plurality of routing table arrays. The routing table arrays are arranged hierarchically in levels, and each routing table array is associated with a predetermined subset of prefixes. Each routing table array has entries. The entries include a block default route pointer field to store a block default route pointer, if any, and a routing field. The route engine may access any level of table array by using a next level route pointer stored in the routing field. Using the block default route and the routing field, the present invention further reduces the number of memory accesses and the update cost for route insertion and deletion by identifying and skipping elements that do not require route updating.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for discovering paths to other network devices includes a protocol and network management application that can be executed on network devices. The Ethernet protocol is used to detects paths to other network devices, knowing only the Ethernet address of the destination. A discovery protocol is extended to add hop probe and hop probe reply Type-Length-Value fields in a variable-length list. The hop probe fields contain a hop count, a destination Ethernet address, and a source Ethernet address. When a hop probe is received by a network device, the hop count field is decremented by one and the hop probe is forwarded. Packet received with a hop count of one are not forwarded and a hop probe reply is sent back to the Ethernet source address of the hop probe. The hop probe reply fields contain a destination Etherned address and a source Ethernet address.

Abstract: A data exchange system includes at least one transmitting agent, at least one receiving agent, and a plurality of data links each having a crossbar coupling respective transmitting agents and receiving agents. A stream of data packets including at least one Order Critical Flow of data packets having a critical order to be sent from the transmitting agent to the receiving agent is divided for transmission among the plurality of data links. Multiple Order Critical Flows between the transmitting agent and the receiving agent are possible and the packets within such Order Critical Flows can be intermixed for transmission (along with packets from other Non-Order Critical Flows).

Abstract: When polled, a remote unit (113) provides a radio access network (RAN 101) with an acknowledgment message. The acknowledgment message contains information such as the current window size, the number and identification of frames received in error, . . . etc. The polling frequency is based on a channel condition metric. More particularly, active polling timers that control the transmission of status information over the air interface are adjusted based on a bit error rate (BER) of radio channel such that as the BER of the radio channel decreases less control information is transmitted. Similarly as BER increases the timer values will change such that more control information is transmitted.

Abstract: A method for dynamically allocating network resources while transferring multimedia at variable bit-rates in a network extracts first content features from the multimedia to determine renegotiation points and observation periods. Second content features and traffic features are extracted from the multimedia bit stream during the observation periods. The second content features and the traffic features are combined in a neural network to predict the network resources to be allocated at the renegotiation points.

Abstract: A method to guarantee bandwidth for a terabit multiservice switch including receiving control cells indicating that a destination port of an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network is congested, and reducing incoming traffic to the congested port to a guaranteed bandwidth of traffic until the destination port is uncongested, is disclosed.

Abstract: An improved data communication network including a wireless link for accessing, from an end user machine, objects in a selected web page retrievable from an Internet server by means of suitable request messages is described. The wireless link includes a subscriber unit coupled to the end user machine and a base station coupled to the server. Web page data packets retrieved from the server with the use of the request messages are intercepted and locally stored in a gateway unit on the base station side of the wireless link. The gateway unit generates, from the retrieved web page data packets, additional request messages suitable for retrieving, from the server, object data packets corresponding to the objects on the selected web page. Such retrieved object data packets are also stored in the gateway unit.

Abstract: A communications system includes a mobile unit that transmits content and a number of base transceiver stations that receive the content from the mobile unit. Each base transceiver station determines a value for a metric associated with communications between the mobile unit and the base transceiver station, generates a graded packet including the value and the content, and communicates the graded packet. The system also includes a router that receives the graded packets, combines different portions of the content from each of two or more of the graded packets to create an improved packet, and communicates the improved packet. The different portions from the graded packets collectively represent the entirety of the content such that the improved packet includes the entirety of the content.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for tiered digital broadcasting. A plurality of different bit streams representing digital data targeted for different services is received from a data source. Each bit-stream of the plurality of different bit-streams is modulated on a plurality of OFDM sub-carriers. Sub-carriers of different bit streams have different spectral efficiency. The parallel OFDM sub-carriers of each bit-stream are frequency interleaved with the parallel OFDM sub-carriers of the other bit streams of the plurality of different bit streams such that the parallel OFDM sub-carriers of each bit are spread over an entire available frequency spectrum. The interleaved sub-carriers are transformed into time domain for providing a frequency interleaved OFDM signal. The OFDM signal is then upconverted to the frequency of a broadcasting channel and transmitted. The invention enables a broadcasting station to transmit multiple bit streams with different spectral efficiency using one RF channel.

Abstract: A packet transfer device including a first LDP multiplexing and separation unit connected to a first transmission path, a second LDP multiplexing and separation unit connected to a second transmission path, a packet switch provided between the first LDP separation unit and the second LDP processing unit, a switch connection table for controlling a switch connection state of the packet switch, and an LDP processing unit connected to the first and second LDP multiplexing and separation units and the switch connection table, in which the LDP processing unit processes an LDP packet separated at the first LDP multiplexing and separation unit to multiplex a plurality of LDP packets each for each of a plurality of divisional sections obtained by dividing a packet transfer network and sends the multiplexed packet to the second LDP multiplexing and separation unit, as well as updating the switch connection table.

Abstract: In an NXN switch a plurality of buses interconnect the individual input modules to all of the output modules in a predetermined sequence. The input modules store the received cells and a unique ID. When selected the input module places a cell and its ID on selected ones of the buses along with a multicast vector which identities which of the output modules is to process the cell on a bus. The output modules examine the multicast vector and process the cell (table lookup) if selected In the multicast vector. If an output module is unable to process a required cell (successful table lockup) it sets a retry vector resident on the bus and the input module modifies the multicast vector to indicate only those output module(s) which failed to process a required cell. The cell, the ID and the modified multicast vector are placed on a bus in a subsequent selection of that input module.

Abstract: A network device determines priority of a packet based on the priority of one or more previously-received packets. The network device includes a memory, a forwarding engine, and a processor. The memory stores priority information for one or more previously-received packets. The forwarding engine generates the priority information stored in the memory. The processor determines whether to apply the priority information stored in the memory to a received packet. When the priority information applies to the received packet, the processor sends the priority information to the forwarding engine. In response to the priority information, the forwarding engine bypasses the generation of priority information for the received packet and thus cuts down on processing time in the switch and, by doing so, reduces the end-to-end latency for the packet in the network.

Abstract: A voice signal from a microphone is processed for compressing and coding in a voice compressor. The compressed voice data is input into a transmission switching section. The transmission switching section switches and outputs the compressed voice data to either a UDP transmitter or a TCP transmitter according to a transmission switching signal that the network situation supervisory section outputs. The transmission switching signal allows-transmission using the UDP transmitter when a network is in a situation with a margin, and transmission using the TCP transmitter when a network is in a confused situation responding to network congestion information that is obtained from a network interface. This allows a protocol transmitting the compressed voice data to be selected corresponding to a congested situation of the network, and thereby a voice call without interruption can be obtained even though the network is in a confused and low-quality situation.