Abstract: A method and apparatus for use with a computer system are disclosed. A packet is received that includes a header. The header indicates at least one characteristic that is associated with a layer of a protocol stack, and the layer is hierarchically no lower than a network layer. The packet is parsed in hardware to extract the characteristic(s), and the packet is processed based on the parsing. The computer system may be capable of executing software of a protocol stack to extract the characteristic(s) of the packet, and the apparatus may include an interface and a circuit. The interface may be adapted to receive the packet, and the circuit may be adapted to parse the header to extract the characteristic(s) without causing the computer to execute the software and process the packet based on the extracted characteristic(s).

Abstract: In a mobile communications system (BSS, SGSN, GGSN) having a packet data transmission capability, a dynamic packet-based quality of service (QoS) mechanism is provided within a “transmission tunnel” defined by a more static packet data protocol context (PDP context). More particularly, each data packet is arranged to carry at least one QoS parameter, and the scheduling and the policing of the transmission of the data packets is made in packet by packet basis according to this QoS information in the packets, while, however, within the limits set by the PDP context. This concept enables to have any number of QoS profiles in use simultaneously, e.g. a dedicated QoS profile for each of several Internet user applications run in the mobile station (MS) for a IP address. Therefore, the present invention provides support for various Internet applications and their QoS requirements.

Abstract: A telecommunications system comprises a signalling network and a Voice over IP (VoIP) network. The signalling network in turn comprises gateway signalling points 6,7 for converting signalling messages between at least two different signalling protocols. The IP network comprises IP nodes 4 for routing IP datagrams, with at least certain of the IP nodes 4 being co-located with respective gateway signalling points 6,7, and with the co-located signalling points 6,7 being arranged in use to pass routing information to the respective IP nodes 4 to enable those nodes to prioritise and route incoming IP datagrams.

Abstract: A method to establish communications in a centralized network determines that a connection needs to be established and generates a connection type and a connection specification. A connection is then requested from a central coordinator. If the connection is granted, a connection identifier with an originating service access point and predefined parameters with the connection identifier. The determination of a need for a connection may be made by request from an application, or automatically determining that a connection does not exist and needs to be set up.

Abstract: The invention encompasses a method of preparing data for transmission, which method comprises: multiplexing data from a plurality of sources (S1, . . . Si, . . . Sn), the multiplexing comprising, for at least one source (Si), classifying the data from the source (Si) into two or more classes (C1,f.Cj, . . . Cm) according to the data's priority, and mapping data from the sources into positions in a data structure (D) according both to the class (Cj) of the data and to a further priority assigned to the source (Si) from which the data originated, the division of data into classes (C1, . . . Cj, . . . Cm) and/or the prioritization of the sources (S1, . . . Si, . . . Sn) being done according to the potential impact of transmission errors on the data; and sub-dividing the data in the data structure (D) into frames while preserving the relative prioritization of the data. The sources may be various multi-media sources.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing frame acquisition and synchronization for ATM transmissions in terrestrial wireless and satellite systems. During acquisition (1020), the transmitter (15) fills the entire payload of a frame with a pattern that is used by the receiver (18) to determine the location of the frame boundary. As to synchronization (1020), a procedure is utilized for using frame sequence number field in the header and Reed-Solomon decoding result (1012) for correction and maintaining frame synchronization.

Abstract: This invention has as an object the provision of a routing processing device and packet type identification device, which can alleviate the load on a processor performing routing processing. A routing processing device and packet type identification device of this invention comprise a packet information extraction portion, which extracts from a packet for identification a prescribed range of fields including at least one identifying information item which identifies the packet type, and a packet judgment portion, which judges the packet type based on information in a prescribed position among the extracted fields.

Abstract: A traffic shaper for absorbing a cell delay variation of cell flow in each of virtual connections in an ATM (asynchronous transmission mode) network is realized. The traffic shaper comprises a cell identification part, a cell memory, a sending-out time determination part and a cell memory control part.

Abstract: A data reception part 101 for receiving data, a data transmission determination part 102 for determining where the data should be transmitted according to, at least, the address written in the data, a data transmission part 103 for transmitting data, a transmission band management part 104 for managing information on a transmission band having been assigned in the past, a transmission band reservation management part 105 for managing reservation of transmission bands according to the conditions of the assigns or for determining communication price and a relay control part 106 for controlling and managing each of those means are provided.

Abstract: In a data system, such as a cable modem termination system, different-priority flows are scheduled to be routed to their logical destinations by factoring both the priority level and the time spent in queue. The time that each packet of each flow spends waiting for transmission is normalized such that the waiting times of all flows are equalized with respect to each other. A latency scaling parameter is calculated.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling transmission of cells is described. The cells are associated with virtual circuits that either require shaping according to constant bit rate (CBR) or real-time variable bit rate (rt-VBR), or no shaping with transmit selection based on priority (for services other than CBR and rt-VBR). The system transmits the shaped and unshaped traffic using one or more circular control structures. The control structures have time slots at the granularity of the maximum system transmit rate.

Abstract: A new format for asynchronous transfer mode defines a priority unspecified bit rate format; which uses the same memory structure as that used by the existing UBR and CBR traffic protocols. This format is also used for a loopback operation.

Abstract: Data cells of plural classes are transferred from input ports to output ports through a switch by storing the cells at each input port in class-specific virtual output queues (VOQ) within sets of VOQs associated with output ports, and providing credits to VOQs according to class-associated guaranteed bandwidths. When a cell is received at a VOQ having credits, a high-priority request for transfer is generated. If a cell is received at a VOQ that does not have any available credits, a low-priority request for transfer is generated. In response to requests, grants are issued to VOQ sets without regard to class, high-priority requests being favored over low-priority requests. When a grant is received for a particular VOQ set, an arbitrator selects a VOQ from the set, giving priority to VOQs having credits over VOQs without credits, and a cell from the selected VOQ is transferred.

Abstract: A source node for configuring and transmitting packets is provided that comprises (a) a reservation agent 204 configured to assign to a first packet a preemption level causing at least some routers in the distributed processing network to process the first packet differently than other packets not having the preemption level, (b) a preemption map 208 comprising a plurality of preemption levels (each preemption level being associated with predetermined level identification criteria), and/or (c) sender-specific information 212 associated with a sender. The reservation agent 204 can configure and transmit packets containing a preemption level and/or sender-specific information.

Abstract: An apparatus for guaranteeing MCR in an ATM device includes at least one queue for each service category, a scheduler for dequeuing cells from the queues, a queue status block for indicating which queues are empty, and an MCR service block. The MCR service block includes a plurality of timers, at least one for each service category. According to the methods of the invention, an MCR value is selected for each queue (or service category) and a timer in the MCR service block is set according to the MCR value. The scheduler dequeues cells in strict priority from non-empty queues as determined by the queue status block. The scheduler is preempted, however, by the MCR service block when a queue fails to be serviced before its associated timer expires. The arrangement of queues and associated timers is subject to alternate embodiments.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for queuing in a communications network. The method positions data related to a user based on a grade of service (GoS) assigned to the user. The positioning of the data is accomplished according to a throughput range assigned to the user.

Abstract: A switch for switching traffic from N sources to M destinations, where M and N are each an integer greater than or equal to 2. The switch includes K segments, where K is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer. Each segment receiving traffic from R of the N sources, where 1≦R<N and is an integer, and all K segments in total receiving traffic from the N sources. Each segment collecting and queuing traffic from the respective R sources. The switch includes an arbitrator which receives information from the destinations regarding if they can receive data or not, and from the K segments about the traffic they have for different destinations. A method for switching traffic from N sources to M destinations, where M and N are each an integer greater than or equal to 2. The method includes the steps of receiving traffic from the N sources at input ports of K segments, where K is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer.

Abstract: Modules included in a UPS system can communicate over a Controller Area Network using messages having separate fields within an arbitration field. In particular, the separate fields can be separate priority fields, separate module identifier fields, and separate source and destination routing fields. The separate priority field can allow identical message types having different priority to be transmitted within the UPS system. For example, in a UPS system according to the invention, a rectifier off command can have greater priority than a rectifier reset command. The separate module identifier fields can uniquely identify the location of a module in the UPS system which transmitted the message. For example, the module identifier can be provided by customized wiring in a wiring harness connected to a respective communications interface circuit. The separate destination routing fields can be used to transmit messages to and from bridges in the UPS system.

Abstract: In a LAN relaying/switching apparatus which can guarantee data to be transmitted, a predetermined amount of transmission line bandwidth is set to a bandwidth control queue unit for a the data flows with a top priority, a remaining transmission line bandwidth is secured for a priority control queue unit according to the order of priority of the remaining data flows. A controller performs a read processing of the priority control queue unit at a timing different from a timing of reading the bandwidth control queue unit.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing the delay of high-priority data in a packet network. A packet is comprised of subpackets. The transmission of subpackets of a first packet having a first priority is suspended in order to send the subpackets of a second packet having a higher priority. When the subpackets of the higher priority second packet have been sent, the transmission of the subpackets of the lower priority first packet is resumed.

Abstract: A wireless communication network may include a plurality of mobile nodes each including a wireless transceiver and a controller for controlling the wireless transceiver. The controller may also be for scheduling a plurality of time slots for establishing a communication link with a neighboring mobile node for transmitting data therebetween, where the data has a plurality of priority levels. The controller may also determine respective link quality values associated with the communication link during the time slots, and prioritize data to be transmitted during the time slots based upon the priority level of the data and the link quality values.

Abstract: A mobile communications base station has a service quality detection unit that monitors and measures communication qualities of wireless terminals currently located in the service area, and a packet classification unit that classifies packets addressed to the wireless terminals into two or more groups based on the measured communication qualities. The base station also has a buffering delay measuring unit that measures buffering delay of the packets for each of the groups. A transmission priority detection unit of the base station determines the order of priority for transmitting the packets based on the measured buffering delay in comparison with a prescribed threshold value. A resource allocation unit of the base station allocates the radio resources to the packets based on the order of priority to transmit the packets to the associated wireless terminals.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method are disclosed for providing a priority queuing arrangement in the transmit direction in Inter-Working Units (IWUs) that permits Frame Relay data packets or ATM cells from channels that have contracted for a particular level of bandwidth service to be provided that service, even during heavy traffic periods when there is contention for resources in the IWU.

Abstract: A data transmission and distribution system that includes a series of payloads. Each of the payloads is formed from samples of audio or video information. The system interleaves the audio or video samples in each payload where no two consecutive samples are lost upon a loss of an entire frame of the interleaved samples.

Abstract: A multi-port data communication device includes a common central memory through which all data packets must pass. Packet data is written to and read from the common memory space in bursts in response to receive write requests and transmit read requests. A transmit read request for a first burst of data in a packet has in a central arbiter a relatively low priority and transmit read requests for a second and any subsequent burst of data in a packet have in the central arbiter a relatively high priority. Preferably the receive write requests have in said central arbiter a priority intermediate said relatively low priority and said relatively high priority. The priority system reduces the likelihood of underrun and overrun particularly when the burst size is generally smaller than the packet size.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, the invention is directed to a facility for providing Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and Internet Protocol (IP) Quality of Service (QoS) features in a digital communication node. The facility includes a plurality of logical input ports, a plurality of logical output ports, ATM switching elements, IP routing elements and QoS elements. The switching and forwarding elements transfer ATM data cells and IP data packets from the logical input ports to the logical output ports. The QoS elements prioritize, schedule and flow control the transfer of data, based at least in part on ATM QoS features associated with the ATM data cells and on IP QoS features associated with the IP data packets.

Abstract: A priority is assigned for a keyboard and for a mouse. When the keyboard has a higher priority, a transmission number of the keyboard within one set (one repetition time Tk) is set to a greater number than the transmission number of the mouse. When the priority of the mouse is higher, the transmission number of the keyboard is set to a smaller number than that of the mouse. In this way, at least data of the device having a higher priority can be reliably transmitted. Only one set of data needs be transmitted, but the data need not be repeatedly transmitted a plurality of times as has been necessary in the prior art systems. Therefore, a transmission time required for transmitting all the data can be shortened.

Abstract: A communication resource management scheme capable of guaranteeing the communication quality with respect to the flow while not requiring the processing for each flow to nodes other than edge nodes is disclosed. The edge node stores an information for obtaining an available amount of communication resources that can be newly allocated in the network to one set of flows which share at least a route from that edge node to an egress node of the network.

Abstract: A message scheduler uses two thresholds to place cells into a queue. One determines, for a non-full queue, where to place high-delay-priority cells in relationship to low-delay-priority cells, and the other determines, for a fall queue, which low loss-priority cells to push out to make room for a high-loss-priority cell.

Abstract: When data cells are transmitted from a station and the cells belong to different logical connections, derived from various logical or physical sources, each source and thus connection may require a particular transmission rate, which is not to be exceeded. Then for each one of a number of successive time slots a queue is arranged, the first current queue being the one pointed to by a pointer. The time slot queues comprise in a consecutive order, identifiers of those connections for which a data cell is to be transmitted. The first position in such a queue indicates the connection, for which a data cell is to sent with the highest degree of priority. The following positions indicate connections which have lower degrees of priority in a decreasing order. The first data cell in the time slot queue (No. 1) as pointed to by the pointer is then transmitted from the station and a cell belonging to the same connection is added to that other queue (No.

Abstract: In a communication system, a first communication apparatus includes: an application data generating unit for generating application data including data at an application level and a priority at the application level; and a lower-level packet generating unit disposed therein for generating a packet by adding to the application data a header including a destination address and a source address at a level lower than the application level. A first relay apparatus includes: a priority identifying unit disposed therein for determining whether or not a priority is set in the application data of the packet received by the first relay apparatus, and thereby identifying a first priority at the application level; and a priority control unit disposed therein for renewing a TOS field value in the header of the packet, the header being at the level lower than the application level, on the basis of the first priority.

Abstract: A system for receiving network video includes a remote control with a power control input. A video receiver, controlled by the remote control, powers up or powers down based on a control signal indicating activation of the power control input. The video receiver receives video signals from a gateway or gateway source connected to the video network. The gateway decodes signals received from the network into a format acceptable by the receiver. If the gateway receives a control signal from the remote control indicating activation of the power control input and the gateway is currently in the “on” state, the gateway toggles to the “off” state and outputs a predefined channel to the receiver.

Abstract: Enhancing quality of network service for multimedia streams by recognizing audio and video packets over Point-to-Point Protocol links independent of the presence of announcement protocols comprises identifying multimedia packets from data streams and prioritizing each packet according to information that each packet carries.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing delay in the transmission of a plurality of packets by performing IP scheduling and header compression at various layers in a multilayer architecture having a plurality of classifications includes scheduling packets according to classifications. If congestion occurs during scheduling, packets may be discarded. Some packet headers may be compressed thereafter. Packets may further be queued in a first and a second queue, after scheduling, discarding, and compressing, according to at least two classifications. Best Efforts packets may be queued into the lower priority second queue. Classifications may be associated with, for example, QoS levels, delay factors, LFI, and Multilink PPP. Scheduling is performed at higher or lower layers in a multi-layer protocol. The lower layer includes a PPP layer. The lower layer may also include an HDLC layer which creates a tag for packets prior to compression being performed thereupon.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Quality of Service (QoS) characteristics of a network using multiple streams of packets. Measurements obtained using the multiple streams of packets are synchronized relative to each other to permit VoIP, QoS characteristics of parts of a network to be reliably determined.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward data packet transmission scheduling. Scheduling values, such as priority or other scheduling criteria assigned to data packets, are placed in a scheduling heap data structure. Packets percolate up through the heap by comparing their assigned values in pairs. Operations in the heap may be pipelined so as to provide for high-speed sorting. Thus, a few relatively simple operations can be performed repeatedly to quickly percolate packets up through the heap. Another aspect of the invention provides for fast traversal of the scheduling heap data structure. The hierarchical heap may include a highest level having a single position and each succeeding lower level having twice the number of positions as the preceding level. A binary number may represent each position in the heap. To traverse the heap, the relative movements necessary to move from one position to another may be determined from the binary number. This is useful to quickly and efficiently traverse the heap.

Abstract: New switching technology relies upon state information for providing a previously unavailable degree of quality of service. In particular, by providing the ability to give service guarantees to uniquely identifiable sets of packets (“micro-flows”), different qualities of service can be offered for each transmission. The QoS associated with each micro-flow is characterized by a set of descriptors. These descriptors are communicated to each switch by the first packet of the micro-flow associated with the descriptors.

Abstract: A method for managing a queue of cells received from a plurality of sources, wherein the last cell received is stored at a receive address in a buffer, and a time stamp is established for the last cell received that represents the theoretical time it is to leave the queue. The receive address is inserted into a programmer at a location identified by the time stamp of the last cell received, and an occupancy bit associated with the time stamp is set to an active state. The first cell(s) to leave the queue from the first active occupancy bit following that of the cell that has just left the queue is determined, with the occupancy bits being classified in increasing order of the associated time stamps, and the occupancy bit of the first cell is set to an inactive state when it leaves the queue.

Abstract: A packet scheduling system for a packet switching network is disclosed which supports quality of service features including real-time priority, bandwidth reservation and excess bandwidth sharing. A dual frame approach is used to control the bandwidth distribution among multiple traffic flows. Each traffic flow is temporarily stored in a first-in-first-out queue first. The time domain is divided into recurring Synchronous Frames, and Asynchronous Frames. The Synchronous Frames are fixed size frames. Concatenating discrete portions of contiguous Synchronous Frames form the Asynchronous Frame. The packet scheduler alternates between Synchronous Frame access and Asynchronous Frame access in transmitting the packets. During the Synchronous Frame access period, packets are transmitted using the corresponding traffic flow's available reserved bandwidth while during Asynchronous Frame access period, packets are transmitted using the corresponding traffic flow's available excess bandwidth.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for scheduling reservation of traffic with priority, in which each of input ports detects the reserved addressed output port for a high priority traffic by detecting signaling of the traffic and notifies the reserved addressed output port to a scheduler, the scheduler sets a switch connection for passing the high priority traffic with priority every time slot and assigns other switch connections to best effort traffics, and when the switch connections are determined, outputs grant signals to input ports and setting signal to a switch.

Abstract: A system and method for transmitting data packets to a wireless client is shown. The data packets are received by a wireless content switch in the wireless network. The wireless content switch determines a quality of service value for the wireless client. The wireless content switch assigns the priority of transmission for the data packet based on the assigned quality of service value. The data packet is transmitted according to the priority.

Abstract: A system and method for transmitting data packets to a wireless client is presented herein. The data packets are received by a wireless content switch in the wireless network. The wireless content switch assigns the priority of transmission for the data packet based on both the purchased level of service by the subscriber receiving the data packet, as well as the application the data packet is transmitted.

Abstract: JPEG-2000 data is formatted into RTP packets for transmission through the Internet. A priority field is provided in the format, and a value indicating the importance of a code stream included in a packet is stored therein. A type field indicates a payload type of a JPEG-2000 code stream. An mh_id field is provided as an identifier of a main header of the JPEG-2000 code stream and indicates a change in the main header. An mh_length field indicates the length of the main header and a fragment offset field stores the number of offset bytes from the start of an image of the packet.

Abstract: A method for coordinating packet transmission order for a plurality of registers of different priority levels is disclosed. Packets are transmitted from the registers according to the priority levels in a normal condition. A count value is generated in response to the transmitted packets. A particular priority level of one of the registers, from which a packet is being transmitted out, is recorded when the count value is larger than a predetermined threshold. Then the normal condition switches into a cleaning condition, and one packet is transmitted from each of the registers which are not empty and have priority levels lower than the particular priority level according to priority. Finally, reset the count value, and return to the normal condition. A device for coordinating packet transmission order for a plurality of registers of different priority levels is also disclosed.

Abstract: Providing different levels of quality of service for different data flows being transported over a data link requires a very fast way to schedule individual packets for forwarding on the data link. The invention provides scheduling methods which give preference to higher priority packets while treating lower priority packets fairly. The methods can provide shorter latencies for higher priority packets than can many prior scheduling methods. The methods and apparatus of the invention are readily adaptable for use with scheduling rules provided in the form of hierarchical policy trees.

Abstract: A DSL communication method and apparatus provides mutual communications between a user-site DSL modem and a provider-site router by using an existing two-wire telephone line and an existing DSL communication technology. In the DSL modem, a plurality of virtual channel values are correlated to a PPP connection between the modem and the router. Input IP data is received and the IP data is output according to a priority class defined for a sender IP data contained in the input IP data. An ATM cell is generated in which one of the plurality of virtual channel values corresponding to the sender IP data of the input IP data is assigned to the output IP data. The resulting ATM cell is transmitted from the modem to a DSL circuit connected to the router.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for efficiently classifying packets for a multi-processor/mutli-thread environment is provided. The method initiates with receiving a packet. Then, header information is extracted form the received packet. Next, a first hash value is calculated. Then, a field of interest in a lookup table is determined from the first hash value. Next, a second hash value is calculated. Then, the second hash value is compared to stored hash values in the field of interest of the lookup table to determine a match between the second hash value and one of the values in the field of interest of the lookup table. If there is a match, the received packet is transmitted to a processor corresponding to the one of the values in the row location of the lookup table. A network interface card and a system for efficiently classifying packets in a multicore/multithread environment are also provided.

Abstract: Printed circuit boards 11 to 11n are connected in a star-like configuration with a single packet processing IC 42, connected to a CPU 41, at its center, each printed circuit board being connected to the packet processing IC by a high-speed supervisory control line 21 having a sufficient transmission capacity to transfer therethrough transparent information and alarm transfer information as well as information from the central processing unit in packet form, and the transparent information and the alarm transfer information are communicated between the printed circuit boards via the high-speed supervisory control line and via the packet processing IC, with provisions made for the packet processing IC to detect a destination from the packet information received from the originating printed circuit board and to transmit the packet information to the terminating printed circuit board.

Abstract: A communication system is disclosed which can transmit a real-time cell and a nonreal-time cell with no jitters caused in the real-time cell. When a real-time cell and nonreal-time cell are outputted at a same timing, a priority control circuit (40) passes the output timing of nonreal-time ATM cell once and sets in a flag memory (40a) a wait flag indicating that the nonreal-time cell output timing has been passed once. Also, when there is no real-time ATM cell, the priority control circuit (40) judges whether a wait flag is set in the flag memory (40a), and allows to output one nonreal-time ATM cell when a flag is set.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a communication control method and a network system. When a total band of a priority flow and a best-effort flow in any one of switches SW1 and SW2 and hosts H1 to H3 connected to a network exceeds a predetermined value, priority control is executed to make the priority flow take precedence of the best-effort flow and flow control is executed to limit the band of the best-effort flow. Thus, priority data such as sounds and moving pictures can be transmitted in a high-quality and reliable transmission without turbulence. As a result, it is possible to provide a communication control method and a network system offering high-quality communications even if transmitted data includes sounds and/or moving pictures.