US4916692A — TDM bus controller

Claim 1

Independent Claim 246 words

An apparatus for controlling access to a time division multiplexed (TDM) bus, comprising in combination: frame address register means having a plurality of storage registers for storing one or more frame addresses designated for use in communicating over said TDM bus; frame address latching means for storing a current frame address; frame comparing means, coupled to said frame address register means and said frame address latching means, for comparing said designated frame addresses with said current frame address and for producing a first signal indicative of the storage register containing a frame address matching said current frame address; time slot register means having a plurality of storage registers for storing a time slot number designated for use in communicating over said TDM bus; time slot generating means for generating a current time slot number by counting time slots following a frame address; time slot comparing means, coupled to said time slot register means and said time slot generating means, for comparing said designated time slot number with said current time slot number and for producing a second signal indicative of the storage register containing a slot number matching said current time slot number; label generating means, coupled to said frame comparing means and said time slot comparing means for receiving said first and second signals and for generating a label unique to said first and second signals; and data transferring means, responsive to said label, for transferring a data word to or from said TDM bus.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 246 words

An apparatus for controlling access to a time division multiplexed (TDM) bus, comprising in combination: frame address register means having a plurality of storage registers for storing one or more frame addresses designated for use in communicating over said TDM bus; frame address latching means for storing a current frame address; frame comparing means, coupled to said frame address register means and said frame address latching means, for comparing said designated frame addresses with said current frame address and for producing a first signal indicative of the storage register containing a frame address matching said current frame address; time slot register means having a plurality of storage registers for storing a time slot number designated for use in communicating over said TDM bus; time slot generating means for generating a current time slot number by counting time slots following a frame address; time slot comparing means, coupled to said time slot register means and said time slot generating means, for comparing said designated time slot number with said current time slot number and for producing a second signal indicative of the storage register containing a slot number matching said current time slot number; label generating means, coupled to said frame comparing means and said time slot comparing means for receiving said first and second signals and for generating a label unique to said first and second signals; and data transferring means, responsive to said label, for transferring a data word to or from said TDM bus.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 66 words

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data transferring means further comprises: determining means for determining if data is to be transmitted or received over said TDM bus; a register for storing data; a FIFO for storing said label; means for reading said label from said FIFO to identify said data word to be transferred; and means for transferring said data word to said TDM bus.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 68 words

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data transferring means further comprises: determining means for determining if data is to be transmitted or received over said TDM bus; a register for storing data; a circular register for storing said label; means for reading said label from said circular register to identify said data word to be transferred; and means for transferring said data word to said TDM bus.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 69 words

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data transferring means further comprises: determining means for determining if data is to be transmitted or received over said TDM bus; a register for storing data; a priority encoder for storing said label; and means for reading said label from said priority encoder to identify said data word to be transferred; and means for transferring said data word to said TDM bus.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 46 words

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for determining if data is to be transmitted or received over said TDM bus and means for transferring data from said TDM bus to a receive data register when data is to be received from said TDM bus.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 46 words

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for determining if data is to be transmitted or received over said TDM bus and means for transferring data to said TDM bus from a transmit data register when data is to be transmitted to said TDM bus.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 32 words

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data transferring means includes a DMA controller, and wherein said DMA controller reads from source addresses and writes to destination addresses modified by said label.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 43 words

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said FIFO further comprises a transmit FIFO for storing labels associated with data to be written to said TDM bus and a receive FIFO for storing labels associated with data to be read from said TDM bus.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 46 words

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said circular register further comprises a transmit circular register for storing labels associated with data to be written to said TDM bus and a receive circular register for storing labels associated with data to be read from said TDM bus.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 46 words

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said priority encoder further comprises a transmit priority encoder for encoding labels associated with data to be written to said TDM bus and a receive priority encoder for encoding labels associated with data to be read from said TDM bus.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 36 words

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said FIFO comprises a transmit FIFO and a receive FIFO, and further comprising means for selecting one of said transmit and receive FIFO's for use in a given data transfer.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 40 words

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said circular register includes a transmit circular register and a receive circular register, and further comprising means for selecting one of said transmit and receive circular register for use in a given data transfer.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 40 words

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said priority encoder includes a transmit priority encoder and a receive priority encoder, and further comprising means for selecting one of said transmit and receive priority encoder for use in a given data transfer.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 88 words

An apparatus for transferring information over a TDM bus, comprising: identifying means for identifying a predetermined frame address designated for transferring data; counting means for identifying a predetermined time slot within a frame identified by said frame address by counting the time slots within said frame; and label generating means for generating an unique label word associated with said predetermined frame and predetermined time slot, said label being indicative of a register holding data to be transferred to or designated for receipt of data from said TDM bus.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 88 words

An apparatus for transferring information over a TDM bus, comprising: identifying means for identifying a predetermined frame address designated for transferring data; counting means for identifying a predetermined time slot within a frame identified by said frame address by counting the time slots within said frame; and label generating means for generating an unique label word associated with said predetermined frame and predetermined time slot, said label being indicative of a register holding data to be transferred to or designated for receipt of data from said TDM bus.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 34 words

The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising selecting means responsive to said label generating means for selecting a register associated with said label and for moving data in said register to said TDM bus.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 34 words

The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising selecting means responsive to said label generating means for selecting a register associated with said label and for moving data from said TDM bus to said register.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 13 words

The apparatus of claim 14, further including a FIFO for storing said label.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus of claim 14, further including a circular register for storing said label.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus of claim 14, further including a priority encoder for storing said label.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 26 words

The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a transmit FIFO for storing said label, and wherein said selecting means removes said label from said transmit FIFO.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 28 words

The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a transmit circular register for storing said label, and wherein said selecting means removes said label from said transmit circular register.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 28 words

The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a transmit priority encoder for encoding said label, and wherein said selecting means removes said label from said transmit priority encoder.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 26 words

The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a receive FIFO for storing said label, and wherein said selecting means removes said label from said receive FIFO.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 28 words

The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a receive circular register for storing said label, and wherein said selecting means removes said label from said receive circular register.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 28 words

The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a receive priority encoder for encoding said label, and wherein said selecting means removes said label from said receive priority encoder.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 70 words

The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising: a transmit FIFO for storing labels associated with data to be transmitted to said TDM bus; a receive FIFO for storing labels associated with data received from said TDM bus; and means for determining whether data is to be transmitted to said TDM bus or received from said TDM bus and for selecting one of said FIFO's accordingly for retrieval of said label.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 73 words

The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising: a transmit circular register for storing labels associated with data to be transmitted to said TDM bus; a receive circular register for storing labels associated with data received from said TDM bus; and means for determining whether data is to be transmitted to said TDM bus or received from said TDM bus and for selecting one of said circular register accordingly for retrieval of said label.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 71 words

The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising: a transmit priority encoder for encoding labels associated with data to be transmitted to said TDM bus; a receive priority encoder for encoding labels associated with data received from said TDM bus; and means for determining whether data is to be transmitted to said TDM bus or received from said TDM bus and for selecting one of said priority encoders according to said label.

Claim 31

Independent Claim 102 words

A method of transferring data over a TDM bus, comprising the steps of: receiving a current frame address for a current frame over said TDM bus; counting time slots of said current frame to determine a current time slot number; comparing said current frame address and said current time slot number with a stored frame address and a stored time slot number and generating a label word if a match is found, said label word being indicative of a storage location for data to be transferred; and storing said label word in a FIFO to allow ordered retrieval of said label word.

Claim 32

Independent Claim 102 words

A method of transferring data over a TDM bus, comprising the steps of: receiving a current frame address for a current frame over said TDM bus; counting time slots of said current frame to determine a current time slot number; comparing said current frame address and said current time slot number with a stored frame address and a stored time slot number and generating a label word if a match is found, said label word being indicative of a storage location for data to be transferred; and storing said label word in a FIFO to allow ordered retrieval of said label word.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of: retrieving said label word from said FIFO; and transferring data between said TDM bus and a register associated with the label word retrieved from said FIFO.

Claim 34

Independent Claim 103 words

A method of transferring data over a TDM bus, comprising the steps of: receiving a current frame address for a current frame over said TDM bus; counting time slots of said current frame to determine a current time slot number; comparing said current frame address and said current time slot number with a stored frame address and a stored time slot number and generating a label word if a match is found, said label word being indicative of a storage location for data to be transferred; and storing said label word in a circular register to allow ordered retrieval of said label word.

Claim 35

Independent Claim 103 words

A method of transferring data over a TDM bus, comprising the steps of: receiving a current frame address for a current frame over said TDM bus; counting time slots of said current frame to determine a current time slot number; comparing said current frame address and said current time slot number with a stored frame address and a stored time slot number and generating a label word if a match is found, said label word being indicative of a storage location for data to be transferred; and storing said label word in a circular register to allow ordered retrieval of said label word.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 38 words

The method of claim 31, further comprising the steps of: retrieving said label word from said circular register; and transferring data between said TDM bus and a register associated with the label word retrieved from said circular register.

Claim 37

Independent Claim 103 words

A method of transferring data over a TDM bus, comprising the steps of: receiving a current frame address for a current frame over said TDM bus; counting time slots of said current frame to determine a current time slot number; comparing said current frame address and said current time slot number with a stored frame address and a stored time slot number and generating a label word if a match is found, said label word being indicative of a storage location for data to be transferred; and storing said label word in a priority encoder to allow ordered retrieval of said label word.

Claim 38

Independent Claim 103 words

A method of transferring data over a TDM bus, comprising the steps of: receiving a current frame address for a current frame over said TDM bus; counting time slots of said current frame to determine a current time slot number; comparing said current frame address and said current time slot number with a stored frame address and a stored time slot number and generating a label word if a match is found, said label word being indicative of a storage location for data to be transferred; and storing said label word in a priority encoder to allow ordered retrieval of said label word.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 38 words

The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of: retrieving said label word from said priority encoder; and transferring data between said TDM bus and a register associated with the label word retrieved from said priority encoder.

Claim 40

Independent Claim 150 words

a method of finding a predetermined time slot in a predetermined frame on a TDM bus having frames and time slots arranged in a master frame, comprising the steps of: (a) reading a frame address in a designated time slot on said TDM bus; (b) resetting a counter to an initial state upon receipt of said frame address; (c) storing said frame address in a register; (d) comparing said stored frame address with a stored designated frame address; (e) in said counter, counting the number of time slots following said frame address; (f) comparing each of said time slots with a stored designated time slot; (g) determining that a match has occurred in both steps (d) and (f); and (h) generating a label indicative of a register for use in transferring data to or from said TDM bus, said label being unique to the stored frame address and time slot.

Claim 41

Independent Claim 150 words

a method of finding a predetermined time slot in a predetermined frame on a TDM bus having frames and time slots arranged in a master frame, comprising the steps of: (a) reading a frame address in a designated time slot on said TDM bus; (b) resetting a counter to an initial state upon receipt of said frame address; (c) storing said frame address in a register; (d) comparing said stored frame address with a stored designated frame address; (e) in said counter, counting the number of time slots following said frame address; (f) comparing each of said time slots with a stored designated time slot; (g) determining that a match has occurred in both steps (d) and (f); and (h) generating a label indicative of a register for use in transferring data to or from said TDM bus, said label being unique to the stored frame address and time slot.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of transferring data to or from said register.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of storing said label in a FIFO.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of storing said label in a circular register.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of storing said label in a priority encoder.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1993-04-09	1993-10-09	1994-04-10	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1997-04-09	1997-10-09	1998-04-10	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2001-04-09	2001-10-09	2002-04-10	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

TDM bus controller

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