Abstract: A Medium Access Control (“MAC”) Layer protocol and a method for contention resolution using the protocol is provided for networks with multiple priority traffic. The protocol is used where a physical layer connected to a transmission medium uses a carrier modulation scheme with multiple frequencies. Stations on the network that desire access to the transmission medium use a carrier modulation scheme with multiple frequencies. Stations that desire access simultaneously transmit a single frequency selected at random from a set of physical layer frequencies during an open-contention-interval. At the same time, the stations listen to a combined frequency signal and analyzes it for frequency content. The station whose own frequency matches the highest frequency signal in the combined signal gains access to a transmission medium. In the event of a collision, a restricted-contention-interval is used only for the colliding stations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a wireless local area network station comprising a signal processing element, a carrier detect sensing element, a defer behavior sensing element, and memory. The network station transmits and receives signals within a communication cell that defines a carrier detect zone and a defer zone around an access point. The network station associates with the access point by transmitting an association request to the access point and by receiving an association response from the access point during entry of the network station into the cell. The network station receives a preferred carrier detect threshold level value and a preferred defer behavior threshold level value from the access point and stores the carrier detect threshold and defer behavior threshold level values in its memory for use during operation while being associated with the access point.

Abstract: A WDM ring network and method for distributing within such ring network for feeding in data and for distributing both working signals and protection signals on different transmission paths and in oppositely directed transmission directions, and for forwarding data from subscribers and for distributing the working signals to the subscribers.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for making changes to an active schedule being processed by a host controller is disclosed. The apparatus and method includes examining a transaction descriptor, determining a current state for a transaction based on the transaction descriptor, and preventing the transaction from starting if the current state indicates the transaction has not already started.

Abstract: A protocol processing system includes a frame buffer controller to store data. A protocol terminator system is coupled to the frame buffer controller to receive and transmit events. An event queue system is coupled to the protocol terminator system to store the events in an event queue. A protocol processing agent is provided to process a protocol. The protocol processing agent has a first connection with the frame buffer controller and a second connection with the protocol terminator system. The first connection transports the data between the protocol processing agent and the frame buffer controller, and the second connection transports the events between the protocol processing agent and the protocol terminator system.

Abstract: A data communication system, which sends or receives data to or from an application server using the same protocol via a transmission line as one of a wire communication network, a wireless communication network, and both a wire communication network and a wireless communication network, comprises a table 14 containing therein a relation among a service identifier of the application server, a destination address, a communication network type, and a processing time of the application server; and a retransmission timer setting unit 16 which references the table to obtain the processing time of the application server based on the service identifier, destination address, and communication network type during transmission or reception of data to or from the application server and sets the time as a retransmission time.

Abstract: A contention priority control circuit which receives data of two priority classes from a plurality of input ports, and arbitrates contention between output requests for outputting these data to a bus on the basis of the priority classes and priorities determined for the respective input ports includes a plurality of arbiters which are arranged at a plurality of input ports for receiving data of the two priority classes, and receive data output requests for each of the two priority classes, a forward high-priority ring for connecting the plurality of arbiters in a forward direction, a forward low-priority ring for connecting the plurality of arbiters in the forward direction, and a backward high-priority ring for connecting the plurality of arbiters in a backward direction opposite to the forward direction.

Abstract: An integrated circuit comprising a plurality of functional modules and interconnected via a packet router for conveying request and response packets is described. Transactions involve the dispatch of request packets and receipt of corresponding response packets. Each packet conveys a number of transaction attributes which can control how the packet is managed by control circuitry which controls the flow of packets on the packet router. For example the transaction attributes can include a transaction number, a grouping indicator, a priority indicator and a post indicator.

Abstract: A serial bus (106) communication protocol communicates data packets. When priority messages are identified, transmission of a data packet (302) being transmitted, if any, is interrupted. The priority message (402) is transmitted. Thereafter, transmission of an interrupted data packet is completed.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a data switching method capable of impartially selecting a plurality of input ports by a simple circuit configuration. The data switching method according to the present invention includes an up-counter, a down-counter, a counter selecting circuit for selecting either of a counted value by the up-counter or a counted value by the down-counter, a port selecting circuit for selecting one of a plurality of input ports based on an output from the counter selecting circuit, and a buffer for accumulating a packet supplied from the input port selected by the port selecting circuit. The port selecting circuit alternately selects the up-counter and the down-counter to switch the ascending order and the descending order of the import priority of the input ports at every time the packet is imported, thereby impartially selecting each of the input ports.

Abstract: A method provides differentiated quality of service (QoS) by providing adaptive updates to media access control (MAC) layer parameters on a distributed basis. The method includes calculating a failure probability for a transmission over the network, determining a target value for determining a contention window according to a mapped function of the failure probability, and altering the contention window according to a scaling function of the target value. The mapped function and the scaling can provide QoS differentiation. A wireless device ensures fairness in a wireless time slotted network and includes a network interface card (NIC), a network driver interface, a network monitor, a statistics engine, and an adaptive parameter engine for determining a target value for determining a contention window according to a mapped function of the one or more probabilities to enable an alteration of the contention window and provide new parameters for the MAC layer.

Abstract: A multi-priority encoder includes a plurality of interconnected, single-priority encoders arranged in descending priority order. The multi-priority encoder includes circuitry for blocking a match output by a lower level single-priority encoder if a higher level single-priority encoder outputs a match output. Match data is received from a content addressable memory, and the priority encoder includes address encoding circuitry for outputting the address locations of each highest priority match line flagged by the highest priority indicator. Each single-priority encoder includes a highest priority indicator which has a plurality of indicator segments, each indicator segment being associated with a match line input.

Abstract: In a security system that has a large number of individually-addressable modules interconnected on a data bus to a control panel, a method of concurrently supervising the modules by first configuring each module with a unique zone number including a group number and a module number. During operation, the control panel initiates a group supervision poll sequence for each group number by transmitting a group poll command including a group number data field populated by the group number currently being polled. If a module is part of the group being polled, then it sets a discrete bit appended to a group poll response message that logically corresponds to the module number for that module. The control panel then determines if any bit in the group poll response message has not been set, and then issues a unit poll sequence addressed to a module that corresponds to any such bit not determined to have been set in the group poll response message.

Abstract: The priority communication system provides the capability to restrict access to wireless communications services to emergency service personnel, such that their access to wireless communication services is not interruptible. This is accomplished by provisioning the cell sites of a wireless communications system to respond to at least one service priority grouping, with emergency service personnel being assigned a selected service priority by a centralized emergency services agency. The service priority coverage area and emergency service personnel assigned the service priority are defined on a dynamic basis by the centralized emergency services agency and are indicated by a priority call access code that is transmitted to the emergency service personnel. In order to ensure the proper operation of the priority communication system, the priority call access codes are maintained in secrecy to thereby enable emergency service personnel to have access to wireless communications facilities.

Abstract: In a multi-access communication system where a center station dynamically allocates the band of an uplink to subscriber stations, the band of an uplink is flexibly and efficiently allocated when the up-service quality is insured. When requesting a service quality assurance, the subscriber station 30 transmits the service quality request information 210 to the center station 10. The center station 10 transmits the identifier allocation information 310 to the subscriber station 30 to allocate an identifier. When the service priority is high, the center station 10 periodically transmits the reservation transmission permission information 410 and 411 to the subscriber station 3 at the reservation permission transmission intervals 910, thus checking for the presence or absence of reservation information. Waste consumption of the up-band can be suppressed by periodically transmitting the reservation transmission permission information even if subscriber stations issue up-data at irregular intervals.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a requester is selected in accordance with information associated with a first and second groups of requesters.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for simultaneous independent voice and data services using a remote subscriber identity module (SIM) are disclosed. The methods and apparatus described herein allow a personal computer (or other data station) which does not contain a SIM card and a mobile phone (or other voice station) which does contain a SIM card to cooperate wirelessly to allow the personal computer to use the SIM card in the mobile phone in a virtual manner. As a result, the personal computer may transmit and receive packet-switched data at the same time the mobile phone is transmitting or receiving a circuit-switched voice signal without interference between the two simultaneous transmissions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of selective setting of retransmission time-out values in a mobile, radio communication system.

Abstract: A stackable network unit which can form a ring with other units has a master mode in which it can place packets on the ring, so that they can be ultimately forwarded from other units, and a repeat mode in which it can make a request for transfer of mastership of the ring, inserting bits in a header of an arbitration packet. If a master unit has completed the transmission of a packet and, preferably, after the required inter-packet gap has elapsed, it has not yet received an arbitration header to permit the making of an arbitration decision it can transmit a subsequent packet. The header information of this packet indicates to the other units that this subsequent packet is part of a burst of packets and the other units should not set requests in the header of this packet because this packet would not be used for arbitration.

Abstract: In some embodiments of the present invention, asynchronous network nodes and synchronous network nodes coexist on a shared media network.

Abstract: A system for performing an input processing function on a data packet. The system has an input port to which a first processor is coupled, which determines an attribute of the data packet, and a memory coupled to the first processor having a number of queues. The data packet is assigned to one of the queues based upon the attribute determined, which may be an indicator of a priority characterizing said data packet. Input processing is thus performed in a fixed amount of time, deferring variable latency operations until after the input memory.

Abstract: In a communication apparatus for transmitting a packet between plural communication apparatus, an inputted digital signal is converted into a signal having a form suitable for transmission and is sent out to the transmission line, and a check is made as to whether or not a signal exists on the transmission line for, if the signal exists thereon, issuing a busy signal and receive the signal existing thereon for converting the signal into a digital signal.

Abstract: A method of allocating upstream transmission resources in a communication network based on indications of data transfer need includes monitoring client requests or transmission activity, ordering grants of the upstream channel access according to indications of need, and granting upstream access according to such ordering. After being granted access, clients are re-ordered by repeating the foregoing steps. Ordering may be accomplished by assigning to clients a time-to-access based on their respective indication of need and granting priority to the client with the smallest time. Indications of client need may be based on data actually transferred or queued for transfer, average rates of data transfer which may or may not be weighted according to increasing or decreasing indications of need from the client, or a host of other variations that reflect indications of need, ordering, and re-ordering. A corresponding apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and an electronic circuit arrangement is provided which allows observation of bus-systems and networks. In particular the method and circuit arrangement does not cause electrical or physical constraints and influence to the bus-systems and networks. Still more specifically it provides for accessing static bus-systems and networks in particular used by real-time constrained systems and applications such as in automotive vehicles.

Abstract: A method of allocating a channelisation code to one of a plurality of user terminals for decoding of signals sent according to a code division multiple access scheme is provided. The plurality of user terminals being reserved the code for possible use. The method comprising selecting according to a predetermined rule the user terminal to which the code is to be allocated, and allocating the code to the selected user terminal, in which the plurality of user terminals having the code for possible use constitute a group, and there are multiple groups of terminals each having an associated unique code, a record is kept of which user terminals are in which group, and the user terminal to which the code is to be allocated is selected following inspection of the record to determine which user terminals are in the group associated with the code.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of scheduling a shared channel of a wireless packet communication system, and more particularly, to a shared scheduler of a wireless packet communication. The present invention includes determining priorities of provided services for target terminals of cellular phones and ratios of carrier signal to interference from multiple target terminals; and Based on the determined priorities, transmitting packet data to each the target terminal of cellular phones.

Abstract: A communication node is configured to automatically select an optimum common operational mode between itself and a link partner. The communication node sends advertisement packets across a fiber optic medium in order to broadcast its operational capabilities to the link partner. These operational capabilities may include 10BASE-FL and 100BASE-FL. Transitions may be inserted between the advertisement packets which may include clock pulses, data pulses and transitions. The communication node may be attached to a network having a bus architecture and may further be configured to identify an idle signal.

Abstract: A method for prioritized data transmission to a common transmission medium from a plurality of interface modules coupled to it, for interfacing at least one input bitstream with said common transmission medium, whereby access is arbitrated on the basis of a module priority of each interface module, is such that, for at least one interface module, the module priority is dependent on at least one connection parameter associated to packets of said at least one input bitstream. An arrangement for performing this method is described as well as several variant implementations of the method and the arrangement.

Abstract: A priority scheme is based on an amount of preallocated bandwidth unused by channel unit ports. A first water level in a first bucket is associated with an amount of allotted bandwidth unused by the channel unit and a second water level in a second bucket is associated with an amount of unused allotted bandwidth exceeding an overflow level of the first bucket. A priority value is derived from the first water level when the first water level is above zero. The priority value is derived from the second water level when the first water level is below or equal to zero. In another aspect of the invention, the high priority value is determined by tracking a percentage utilization of allocated bandwidth for a predetermined number of time increments comprising a measurement time period.

Abstract: A system and method for allocating a time slot to support data transmission between the co-located 802.11a/e and HIPERLAN/2 systems in a wireless local area network (WLAN) are provided. To comply with the H2 standard requirement of periodic transmission of the frame at every 2 msec, the access point (AP) performs the QoS CF-Poll function to allow the transmission of the H2 MAC frames to occur at n * 2 msec interval in the CCHC superframe, where the value of n depends on the HIPERLAN/2 MAC frame schedule of the AP. In particular, the AP polls itself to make other stations silent using the QoS CF-Poll function, then allocates a predetermined time period at each station to initiate H2 frame exchanges.

Abstract: Disclosed is an adaptive polling method of a router including establishing initial values required for carrying out a polling on ports respectively, polling the respective ports in accordance with the established initial values for an established polling interval time, and reestablishing values required for polling to be carried out properly by considering traffic states of the respective ports. The present invention establishes higher polling on ports having larger traffic volumes and lower polling on ports having smaller traffic volumes, so as to improve the performance of a router.

Abstract: When each of a plurality of repeaters receives emergency data including an emergency command informing the occurrence of an emergency from a node terminal connected to own repeater or the like, it temporarily suspends the processing of inputting and outputting communication data which is not emergency data for itself, preferentially permits the processing of inputting and outputting emergency data and transmits the received emergency data to at least one destination terminal.

Abstract: A data network hub unit is stackable with other such units to constitute a hub in which each of the units can supply data packets to network data destinations and receive data packets from network data sources, and to form a closed data transmission ring which enables packets received at any unit to be transmitted from any other unit. The hub unit includes arbitration control means responsive to packet headers circulating on said ring.

Abstract: In a fibre channel network environment wherein an arbitrated loop is provided a switchable connection with another arbitrated loop, a technique and corresponding apparatus are provided for controlling signal paths through the hubs stack between any two devices such that routing of a signal and interactive communication can be carried out transparently to the fibre channel network without excessive overhead, and wherein control is changed in an orderly manner such that end-to-end device connections are unaware that they are not connected to the same hub. A switched arbitrated loop (SAL) according to the invention provides the concurrent bandwidth resource of a fabric switch without the extra features which would increase design cost and operational overhead. In a specific embodiment, a switched arbitrated loop supports only 126 nodes for stations (plus one fabric port) in a single loop topology.

Abstract: A plurality of devices and a transmission right assigning device are connected to a transmission line. The transmission right assigning device transmits a transmission request retrieving frame, and then I/F in each device adds, if necessary, transmission request information including emergency degree information on transmission data in own device to a transmitted transmission request retrieving frame to transmit the added transmission request retrieving frame. I/F in the transmission right assigning device retrieves the transmission request retrieving frame added, if necessary, with transmission request information including emergency degree information on transmission data at each of the plurality of the devices. The transmission right assigning unit in the transmission right assigning device assigns the transmission right to one device out of the plurality of the devices, based on the transmission request information included in the retrieved transmission request retrieving frame.

Abstract: First, communication data are transmitted from an arbitrary originating source communication device to the other plural destination communication devices. When receiving the communication data, the respective destination communication devices which receive the communication data make responses including the receiving states of the communication data to the originating source communication device, and thereafter change a next destination of the communication data into a next address according to the description contents of a destination identifier read from the memory as next address storage means so as to transmit the communication data whose destination was changed to the communication device corresponding to the next address.

Abstract: Transmitting/receiving apparatuses are installed in a base station and a mobile station, respectively, to perform mutual transmission and reception by using a plurality of spreading codes. The transmitting/receiving apparatus installed in the base station has a block for designating to the mobile station the kind and the number of spreading codes used in a reverse link from the mobile station to the base station through a forward link at the time that communication with the mobile station is started. The transmitting/receiving apparatus installed in the mobile station has a block for transmitting a signal to the base station by using spreading codes of the designated kind and number.

Abstract: A method and a circuit configuration for the transmission of message units in message streams of different priority include passing the message units which are respectively associated with the message streams through a queue that is specific to the message stream. The queues are combined to form groups to ensure a throughput guarantee for the message streams in addition to observing the priorities. At least two of the groups in each case are combined to form a partner group. The groups which belong to a partner group are controlled in such a manner that, in the case where no message unit can currently be transmitted from one of the queue groups, the transmission capability is transferred from the relevant queue group to one of the remaining groups in the respective partner group.

Abstract: A master station sends polling signals to each slave station with respect to CBR data to which required constant bandwidth has been allocated. Next, the master station sends polling signals to each slave station with respect to VBR data with its average bandwidth kept constant. Finally the master station sends polling signals to ABR data to which residual bandwidth has been allocated. The bandwidth of a frame is allocated to a plurality of data from higher to lower priority order. Therefore excellent traffic characteristics can be obtained even when a plurality of data of different traffic characteristics are mixed in the system.

Abstract: An end-of-charge detection technique for a battery charger is described. The technique involves the detection of a voltage drop at the end of charging and eliminates the effect of noise spikes.

Abstract: In a system where transmission right communication device 1-2 in plural communication devices 1-1 through 1-16 connected with a bus 3 transmits data to transmission requesting communication devices 1-1 and 1-3 through 1-16, the transmission right communication device transmits a collecting command, and when a transmission request is made, the respective transmission requesting communication devices add their self addresses to the collecting command so as to transmit the collecting command, and the transmission right communication device receives the collecting command to which the self addresses of all the transmission requesting communication devices making the transmission request are collectively added.

Abstract: A modem apparatus and method to allow a single central site modem with a low processing power DSP to handle numerous DSL lines. More particularly, the modem apparatus and method take advantage of the bursty nature of Internet data traffic to allow the low processing power DSP equipped modem to handle multiple lines simultaneously. The multiple lines can be serviced via a round robin routine or via a quality of service routine, in which the data traffic on the line is analyzed for real time activity, such analysis using UDP transport layer protocol to determine real time activity. The quality of service routine also constantly monitors the data communications lines during periods of data communication to determine if a data line should be entered into the high priority queue.

Abstract: A method of communication between a base station with at least a mobile unit communication apparatus, a base station and a mobile unit communication apparatus employing the method are disclosed. The base station has a plurality of antennas for the antenna diversity. Transmission data is spectrum-spread with a pn code for a target mobile unit communication apparatus and a pilot signal is also spectrum-spread with a pn code every antenna, which are frequency-multiplexed. A mobile unit de-spectrum-spreads the pilot signal with one of pn codes selected, which corresponds the transmitting antenna. The pilot signal and data may be time-division-multiplexed in a time slot. Data of the used antenna is transmitted by the base station by a position of null data in the time slot, or differentially coded which is detected by a null data detection circuit or by the delayed detection. Data of the antenna used may be transmitted by a mobile unit communication apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for preserving loop fairness. Some embodiments include a dynamic half-duplex feature. One aspect includes a communications channel system and method for preserving loop fairness that includes a first channel node having one or more ports, each port supporting and attached to a fiber-channel arbitrated-loop serial communications channel. One of the ports will arbitrate for control of that port's attached channel, wherein control of the channel loop, once arbitration is won, a fairness-preserving apparatus causes control of the communications channel to be released based at least in part on whether a predetermined amount of use has occurred between the first port and the communications channel. In some embodiments, the predetermined amount of use includes a transfer of a first predetermined amount of data. In some embodiments, release of control of the channel is inhibited if less than a second predetermined amount of data remains to be transferred.

Abstract: For controlling the data traffic in an ATM network, in which a number of nodes are connected via a closed loop, and in which each node may be equipped with a number of access ports for sending and receiving ATM cells, the ATM cells are processed separately in each node based upon their assignment to a QoS (quality of service) class in a predefined QoS classification. In each access port, each QoS class is assigned a separate queue. The data traffic in the closed loop is monitored separately, based upon QoS class, by a cell monitor. If a performance characteristic of a QoS class is not fulfilled in the closed loop, then at least one back-pressure signal will be generated, which will serve to suppress at least one assigned queue of the access port. The monitoring of the data traffic can be implemented via a leaky-bucket system.

Abstract: A facility having particular data to transmit over a transmission medium, contends for access to the medium by transmitting a jamming signal over the transmission medium for a particular duration of time that is a small fraction of the amount of time that the facility had to thus far wait to so contend. If the transmission medium is found to be idle at the expiration of that time, then the facility accesses the medium. Otherwise, the facility waits until the transmission medium again becomes idle and then re-contends for access.

Abstract: A multiple processing system, comprises at least a pair of processor units communicatively connected to a number of peripheral devices through a network that includes routing devices interconnected to route information in the form of message packets sent between the processor units and peripheral devices. Data describing the topographical interconnections of the system elements is maintained with the system. A service processor accesses the data, determines therefrom the topographical interconnections forming the network, assigns addresses/identifications to the system elements, and configures the router devices to establish the most direct routes between system elements for message packets sent on the network.

Abstract: In a digital communications system for communicating between two radios by transceiving a signal comprising a first type control signal, a second type data traffic signal, and a third type voice signal, a remote communication interface for providing transmission therebetweeen comprising a duplexer bridge network for transceiving the signal, low pass filters, and analog to digital and digital to analog converters for processing received and transmitted signals respectively, and a digital signal processor for modulating and demodulating the signal for transmission or reception according to the signal type. A control signal output from the digital signal processor enables adjustment of the clock sampling frequency during the reception and demodulation process to obtain bit sync, bit tracking and frequency tracking.

Abstract: Access to a limited bandwidth switching network of an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) switch is scheduled using a reservation ring. In general, a limited bandwidth switching network is unable to generate all possible one-to-one input to output channel mappings in a single switch cycle. The limited bandwidth switching network includes one or more routing channels for routing at most B data packets each switch cycle between the input channels and output channels, where the number of data packets B is less than the aggregate output bandwidth that can be directed at the routing channels. Arbitration requests make two passes around the reservation ring each arbitration cycle. Output channel contention is settled during the first pass around the reservation ring. Contention for limited switching network bandwidth is settled during the second pass around the reservation ring.

Abstract: An automatic path setting apparatus for a synchronous communication system equipped with a network management system (NMS) is provided which relieves the operator of the labor associated with routing and which permits prompt and reliable line settings. A line connection information storing element in the NMS stores information about line connection states of individual NEs. A specified information receiving element receives specified information about new path setting, and a path searching element searches for a path conforming to the specified information received by the specified information receiving element by referring to the information stored in the line connection information storing element.