Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
An apparatus for facilitating data communications in a fibre channel network, the fibre channel having first and second fabric ports, the apparatus comprising: a switch module (220) connected to the first fabric port; a channel control box (304) disposed between the switch module and the first fabric port; an element controller (240) connected to the switch module; and a path allocation system (230) connected to the element controller and the switch module, the path allocation system allocates an interconnect path between the first fabric port and the second fabric port.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising first (302) and second fiber optic channels, the first fiber optic channel disposed between the first fabric port and the channel control box, the second fiber optic channel disposed between the second fabric port and the channel control box.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
90 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the switch module comprises: a status MUX (310) disposed between the channel control box and the path allocation system, the status MUX is configured to receive a plurality of status signals indicative the first and second fiber optic channels; a main distribution network (312) disposed between the channel control box and the path allocation system, the main distribution network interconnects the first and second fiber optic channels; and a control distribution network (314) disposed between the channel control box and the path allocation system.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
70 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the channel control box comprises: a port intelligence system (410) connected to the first and second fabric ports, the port intelligence system is configured according to a first protocol; and a memory interface system (420) connected to the port intelligence system, the memory interface system receives and transmits data from the first and second fabric port to the first and second fiber optic channels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the port intelligence system comprises at least one transceiver (506) and a first application-specific integrated circuit (510).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the memory interface system comprises at least one frame buffer (522) and a second application-specific integrated circuit (524), the second application-specific integrated circuit is connected to the main distribution network.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one frame buffer is a random access memory configured with a bit-sliced organization.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first protocol is Fibre Channel protocol.