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US5504757A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method for selecting transmission speeds for transmitting data packets over a serial bus

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1994-09-27
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Granted: 1996-04-02
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Expires: 2014-09-27
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Abstract

Abstract In a tree topology network, a method for determining the maximum transfer speed for data packets transmitted over a high performance acyclic serial bus is disclosed. The acyclic serial bus, patterned along the lines of the IEEE 1394 standard, is capable of operating at multiple transmission rates, depending upon the transmission rate of any particular node. Once the transfer speeds have been determined by finding transmission rates to and from an ancestor node, an efficient storage technique for representing the transfer speeds is also disclosed. The method supports packet speed selection for all types of data packets allowed by the IEEE standard, such as, for example, asynchronous, isochronous and broadcast packets.

Inventors

  • 👤 Sherri E. Cook
  • 👤 Andrew B. McNeill, Jr.

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 00:23
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L12/00; H04L12/28; H04L12/40; H04L12/40052; H04L12/40078; H04L41/00; H04L41/08; H04L41/0896

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 185 words
In a multi-speed serial bus having a tree topology, a method for establishing an optimal data transmission rate between a first node and a second node comprising the steps of: upon completion of establishing said topology, determining a common ancestor node between said first node and said second node; comparing the data transmission rate of said first node with the data transmission rate of each node between said first and said ancestor node; setting the data transmission rate from said first note to said ancestor node to be equal to the lowest data transmission rate associated with any node between and including said first node and said ancestor node; comparing the data transmission rate of said second node to each node between and including said second node and said ancestor node; and establishing the data transfer rate between said first node and said second node as being the transfer rate associated with any node between said first node and said ancestor node and between and including said second node and said ancestor node, which any node has the lowest data transmission rate amongst said nodes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 185 words
In a multi-speed serial bus having a tree topology, a method for establishing an optimal data transmission rate between a first node and a second node comprising the steps of: upon completion of establishing said topology, determining a common ancestor node between said first node and said second node; comparing the data transmission rate of said first node with the data transmission rate of each node between said first and said ancestor node; setting the data transmission rate from said first note to said ancestor node to be equal to the lowest data transmission rate associated with any node between and including said first node and said ancestor node; comparing the data transmission rate of said second node to each node between and including said second node and said ancestor node; and establishing the data transfer rate between said first node and said second node as being the transfer rate associated with any node between said first node and said ancestor node and between and including said second node and said ancestor node, which any node has the lowest data transmission rate amongst said nodes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 59 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein if said first node, said second node, said ancestor node, or any node in between has the lowest data transmission rate possible of said plurality of said data transmission rates on said network, establishing the data transmission rate between said first node and said second node as said lowest data transmission rate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said data transmission is performed asynchronously.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said data transmission is performed isochronously.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein data transmission sends broadcast packets of information.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 169 words
In a computer system using a serial bus having multiple transmission rates and having a tree topology, a method for establishing an optimal data transmission rate between a first node and a second node comprising the steps of: upon completion of establishing said topology, determining a common ancestor node between said first node and said second node, said step further comprising: establishing a first node path between said first node and said ancestor node and a second node path between said second node and said ancestor; traversing those nodes for said first node path that provide an optimal data transmission rate of any node between said first node and said ancestor node; traversing those nodes for said second node path that provide an optimal data transmission rate of any node between said second node and said ancestor node; establishing the data transfer rate between said first node and said second node as being the lowest transfer rate after traversing both said first node path and said second node path.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 169 words
In a computer system using a serial bus having multiple transmission rates and having a tree topology, a method for establishing an optimal data transmission rate between a first node and a second node comprising the steps of: upon completion of establishing said topology, determining a common ancestor node between said first node and said second node, said step further comprising: establishing a first node path between said first node and said ancestor node and a second node path between said second node and said ancestor; traversing those nodes for said first node path that provide an optimal data transmission rate of any node between said first node and said ancestor node; traversing those nodes for said second node path that provide an optimal data transmission rate of any node between said second node and said ancestor node; establishing the data transfer rate between said first node and said second node as being the lowest transfer rate after traversing both said first node path and said second node path.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 55 words
The method according to claim 6 wherein if said first node, said second node, or saw ancestor node has the lowest data transmission rate possible of said plurality of said data transmission rates on said network, establishing the data transmission rate between said first node and said second node as said lowest data transmission rate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method according to claim 6 wherein said data transmission is performed asynchronously,
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method according to claim 6 wherein said dam transmission is performed isochronously.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 52 words
The method according to claim 6 wherein said common ancestor node is determined while traversing said first node path by comparing the ID of said second node with each node ID in said first path until a node whose ID is greater than or equal to said second node's ID is found.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method according to claim 9 wherein said lowest data transmission rate is established before establishing an isochronous channel operation.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method according to claim 5 wherein said lowest data transmission rate is established by selecting a maximum common data transmission rate supported by all nodes.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4710925A Cited
US5247546A Cited
US5157651A Cited
US5289460A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1999-04-02 1999-10-02 2000-04-02 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2003-04-02 2003-10-02 2004-04-02 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2007-04-02 2007-10-02 2008-04-02 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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