Patent EP0396309A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0396309A2
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EP
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Apparatus and method for efficiently coupling digital signals to a communications medium in information packets
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1990-04-25
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-04-25
Abstract
Abstract An improved Packet Assembler/Disassembler (PAD) (200) optimizes the assembling of characters into packets for transmission over a packet network (150). The PAD is arranged to operably connect to and receive character asynchronous data from one or more terminal instruments (600) operating in either a block transfer mode or an echoplexing mode. Characters received by the PAD from a terminal instrument operating in an echoplexing mode are forwarded with no PAD delay. Characters received by the PAD from a terminal instrument operating in a block transfer mode are similarly forwarded with no PAD delay and in full packets with the exception of the last few characters of each block of characters which only partially fill their respective packets. And these partially filled packets are quickly forwarded in a time period which just exceeds the period required for the reception of a single character at the rate of data reception from the terminal instrument.
Inventors
- 👤 John Davis Price
- 👤 Ralph E. Richardson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:20
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q11/00; H04Q11/04; H04Q11/0428; H04Q11/0435; H04Q11/0471; H04L; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04L69/00; H04L69/28; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/324; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/214; H04Q2213/216; H04Q2213/296
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
An apparatus (200) for coupling data to a communications medium (150) in information packets, the apparatus comprising: means (213) for receiving data from an asynchronous signal source (100), the data being arranged in a plurality of groups of identifiable digits; CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the apparatus further comprises means (210, 220, 230) for determining a time for receipt of each group of identifiable digits received from the asynchronous signal source, and for coupling to the communications medium an information packet containing one group of identified digits when the time for receipt of the group of identifiable digits is exceeded by a predetermined time period prior to the receipt of the group of identifiable digits from the asynchronous signal source.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
118 words
An apparatus (200) for coupling data to a communications medium (150) in information packets, the apparatus comprising: means (213) for receiving data from an asynchronous signal source (100), the data being arranged in a plurality of groups of identifiable digits; CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the apparatus further comprises means (210, 220, 230) for determining a time for receipt of each group of identifiable digits received from the asynchronous signal source, and for coupling to the communications medium an information packet containing one group of identified digits when the time for receipt of the group of identifiable digits is exceeded by a predetermined time period prior to the receipt of the group of identifiable digits from the asynchronous signal source.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
84 words
The apparatus as in claim 1 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means for determining a time for receipt of each one of multiple groups of identifiable digits received from the asynchronous signal source further including means for coupling to the communications medium an information packet containing the multiple groups of identifiable digits when the time for receipt of one group of identifiable digits is exceeded by a predetermined time period after the receipt of the multiple groups of identifiable digits from the asynchronous signal source.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
124 words
The apparatus as in claim 2 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the apparatus further comprises processor means (210) for converting the data from the asynchronous signal source into information packets; buffer memory means (300) for storing data from the asynchronous signal source, the data to the buffer memory means being provided by the receiving means; timing means (330) for comparing the time for receipt of each group of identifiable digits of data into the buffer memory means with the predetermined time period; sampling means (210) for periodically interrogating the buffer memory means for data stored therein; and counting means (210, 212) for counting the number of groups of identifiable digits of data provided to the buffer memory means between sampling periods provided by the sampling means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
69 words
The apparatus as in claim 3 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT, the sampling means is responsive to both the timing means and the counting means for determining the time for receipt and the number of groups of identifiable digits of data stored in the buffer memory means between sampling periods, the data in the buffer memory means being coupled by the processor means to the communications medium in the information packet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 4 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the data contained in the buffer memory means is retained therein until the next sampling period in response to the receipt of multiple groups of identifiable digits of data in the buffer memory means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 5 CHARACTERIZED IN including means (210, 213) for determining the predetermined time period, the receiving means being alternatively configurable for measuring a rate of data reception from the asynchronous signal source, the processor means in response to the signal receiving means proportionally adjusting the predetermined time period.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
65 words
The apparatus of claim 6 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the processor means proportionally adjusts the predetermined time period in a manner to just exceed the time required for one group of identifiable digits of data to be received from the asynchronous signal source and provided to the buffer memory means, said data being received at the measured rate of data reception from the asynchronous signal source.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 7 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the predetermined time period is provided by an adjustable count down timer 330 reset to its initial starting value upon the receipt of each group of identifiable digits of data provided to the buffer memory means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus as in claim 8 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the buffer memory means comprises a first and a second buffer memory, the first buffer memory (310) receiving the data from the signal receiving means and the second buffer memory (320) receiving the data from the first buffer memory for processing by the processor means.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
190 words
A method of processing data for transmission over a packet network comprising the steps of: receiving data from an asynchronous signal source, the data being arranged in a plurality of groups of identifiable digits; storing data from the asynchronous signal source in a buffer memory; comparing the time for receipt of each group of identifiable digits of data into the buffer memory with a predetermined time period; sampling periodically the buffer memory for interrogating the data stored therein; counting the number of groups of identifiable digits of data provided to the buffer memory between sampling periods provided by the sampling step; CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the method further comprises the steps of: converting the data into information packets; determining the time for receipt and the number of groups of identifiable digits of data stored in the buffer memory between sample periods; and transmitting the data in the buffer memory to the packet network in an information packet when both the time for receipt of a group of identifiable digits of data exceeds the predetermined time period and only one group of identifiable digits of data is stored in the buffer memory.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
190 words
A method of processing data for transmission over a packet network comprising the steps of: receiving data from an asynchronous signal source, the data being arranged in a plurality of groups of identifiable digits; storing data from the asynchronous signal source in a buffer memory; comparing the time for receipt of each group of identifiable digits of data into the buffer memory with a predetermined time period; sampling periodically the buffer memory for interrogating the data stored therein; counting the number of groups of identifiable digits of data provided to the buffer memory between sampling periods provided by the sampling step; CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the method further comprises the steps of: converting the data into information packets; determining the time for receipt and the number of groups of identifiable digits of data stored in the buffer memory between sample periods; and transmitting the data in the buffer memory to the packet network in an information packet when both the time for receipt of a group of identifiable digits of data exceeds the predetermined time period and only one group of identifiable digits of data is stored in the buffer memory.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of processing data for transmission over a packet network as in claim 10 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the transmitting step further includes the step of retaining the data in the buffer memory until the next sampling period in response to receipt of multiple groups of identifiable digits of data in the buffer memory.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
76 words
The method of processing data for transmission over a packet network as in claim 11 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the transmitting step further includes the step of transmitting the data in the buffer memory to the packet network in an information packet when the time for receipt of a group of identifiable digits of data exceeds the predetermined time period prior to the receipt of only one group of identifiable digits of data in the buffer memory.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of processing data for transmission over a packet network as in claim 12 CHARACTERIZING IN further comprising the step of obtaining the predetermined time period, this step including the steps of measuring a rate of data reception from the asynchronous signal source and proportionally adjusting the predetermined time period.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
78 words
The method of processing data for transmission over a packet network as in claim 13 CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the step of proportionally adjusting the predetermined time period comprises adjusting said period in a manner to just exceed the time required for one group of identifiable digits of data to be received from the asynchronous signal source and provided to the buffer memory, said data being received at the measured rate of data reception from the asynchronous signal source.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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