Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A hub for use in a data communications system, comprising: a plurality of line cards, each line card having a plurality of receive ports and having two transmit ports, the transmit ports including a transmit-left port and a transmit-right port; a plurality of backplane slots, each slots adapted to receive one of said line cards; a plurality of backplane wiring paths between said connectors of said slots to connect said transmit-left ports of said line cards to receive ports of line cards to the left and to connect said transmit-right ports of said line cards to receive ports of line cards to the right.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein there are N said line cards and N said slots, where N is an integer, wherein there are (N - 1) said receive ports in each line card, wherein said receive ports and said transmit ports are arranged in a regular linear pattern on an edge of each of said line cards, and connectors in said slots for said transmit and receive ports of said line cards are physically arranged in a regular matrix pattern, and said backplane wiring paths are configured diagonally, and said transmit-left ports are all at one end of said linear pattern and said transmit-right ports are all at the other end of said linear pattern.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein said transmit-left port and said transmit-right port of each said line card are connected together, and said line cards are thereby configured as a bus, wherein there are N said line cards and N said slots, where N is an integer, and wherein there are (N - 1) said receive ports in each line card.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
81 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein only said transmit-left port and a first one of said receive ports are activated for all of said line cards, and said transmit-right port of only the left-most of said line cards is activated, and said line cards are thereby configured as a ring, wherein there are N said line cards and N said slots, where N is an integer, and wherein there are (N - 1) said receive ports in each line card.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A device according to claim 1 in combination with a crossbar switch connected to other ports of said line cards by a separate horizontal backplane bus.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
173 words
A method of operating a hub in a data communications system, comprising the steps of: connecting a plurality of line cards to said hub, each line card having a plurality of receive ports and having two transmit ports, the transmit ports including a transmit-left port and a transmit-right port, said receive ports and transmit ports being arranged in a regular linear pattern on an edge of each of said line cards; selectively positioning said line cards in a plurality of backplane slots, each slot adapted to receive one of said line cards whereby connectors for said transmit and receive ports of said line cards are physically arranged in a regular matrix pattern; and selectively interconnecting said ports of said line cards by a plurality of backplane wiring paths configured diagonally between said connectors of said slots to connect said transmit-left ports of said line cards to receive ports of line cards to the left and to connect said transmit-right ports of said line cards to receive ports of line cards to the right.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method according to claim 6 including the step of limiting the number of said line cards and slots to N said line cards and N said slots, where N is an integer, including limiting the number of said receive ports to (N - 1) said receive ports in each line card.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 7 including positioning all said transmit-left ports at one end of said linear pattern and all said transmit-right ports at the other end of said linear pattern.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method according to claim 6 including connecting said transmit-left port and said transmit-right port of each said line card together, and said line cards are thereby configured as a bus wherein there are N said line cards and N said slots, where N is an integer, and wherein there are (N - 1) said receive ports in each line card.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method according to claim 6 wherein only said transmit-left port and a first one of said receive ports are activated for all of said line cards, and said transmit-right port of only the left-most of said line cards is activated, and said line cards are thereby configured as a ring, wherein there are N said line cards and N said slots, where N is an integer, and wherein there are (N - 1) said receive ports in each line card.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 6 including connecting a crossbar switch to other ports of said line cards by a separate horizontal backplane bus.