Method and system for processing multiple channel data

Claim 1

A system for scheduling multiple channel data for asynchronous transport through a data network comprising: buffering means for storing and outputting cells of multiple channel data received at varying rates from said network; and processing means for scheduling cells to be removed from said buffering means such that data is output at a substantially constant rate in each respective channel back into said data network, wherein said buffering means comprises a plurality of channel FIFOs having a nominal FIFO fullness and said processing means further includes means for scheduling cells to be removed from said channel FIFOs such that the FIFO fullness of said channel FIFOs are driven toward said nominal FIFO fullness.

Claim 2

A system for scheduling multiple channel data for asynchronous transport through a data network comprising: buffering means for storing and outputting cells of multiple channel data received at varying rates from said network; and processing means for scheduling cells to be removed from said buffering means such that data is output at a substantially constant rate in each respective channel back into said data network, wherein said buffering means comprises a plurality of channel FIFOs having a nominal FIFO fullness and said processing means further includes means for scheduling cells to be removed from said channel FIFOs such that the FIFO fullness of said channel FIFOs are driven toward said nominal FIFO fullness.

Claim 5

A system for transporting data in multiple channels comprising: buffering means for storing data received from said multiple channels, said buffering means including a plurality of channel FIFOs, wherein each channel FIFO stores cells of data corresponding to a respective channel; processing means for generating a cell transmission schedule identifying a sequence of cells to be removed from said plurality of channel FIFOs: and output means for outputting said cells from said channel FIFOs according to said sequence identified in said cell transmission schedule, wherein said processing means comprises: means for determining for each channel a cell input interval representative of the average cell input rate of cells received at the channel FIFO; means for determining for each channel a deviation in current FIFO fullness from a nominal FIFO fullness; means for determining for each channel a cell output interval, said cell output interval representing an average cell output rate for outputting cells in said channel FIFO to restore a temporal sequence in data output in said channel and to drive the current FIFO fullness of said channel FIFO towards said nominal FIFO fullness; means for determining cell departure times for each channel based on said respective cell output interval and the number of cells in each channel FIFO; and means for sorting said cell departure times to generate said cell transmission schedule.

Claim 6

A system for transporting data in multiple channels comprising: buffering means for storing data received from said multiple channels, said buffering means including a plurality of channel FIFOs, wherein each channel FIFO stores cells of data corresponding to a respective channel; processing means for generating a cell transmission schedule identifying a sequence of cells to be removed from said plurality of channel FIFOs: and output means for outputting said cells from said channel FIFOs according to said sequence identified in said cell transmission schedule, wherein said processing means comprises: means for determining for each channel a cell input interval representative of the average cell input rate of cells received at the channel FIFO; means for determining for each channel a deviation in current FIFO fullness from a nominal FIFO fullness; means for determining for each channel a cell output interval, said cell output interval representing an average cell output rate for outputting cells in said channel FIFO to restore a temporal sequence in data output in said channel and to drive the current FIFO fullness of said channel FIFO towards said nominal FIFO fullness; means for determining cell departure times for each channel based on said respective cell output interval and the number of cells in each channel FIFO; and means for sorting said cell departure times to generate said cell transmission schedule.

Claim 15

A method for asynchronous transport of multiple channel data through a data network comprising the steps of: storing cells of multiple channel data received at varying rates from said data network in respective channel FIFOs; and determining a schedule for removing said cells from said channel FIFOs such that said data is output from said channel FIFOS at a substantially constant rate in each respective channel, wherein said schedule determining step further includes the step of scheduling cells to be removed from said channel FIFOs such that the FIFO fullness of said channel FIFOs are driven toward a nominal FIFO fullness.

Claim 16

A method for asynchronous transport of multiple channel data through a data network comprising the steps of: storing cells of multiple channel data received at varying rates from said data network in respective channel FIFOs; and determining a schedule for removing said cells from said channel FIFOs such that said data is output from said channel FIFOS at a substantially constant rate in each respective channel, wherein said schedule determining step further includes the step of scheduling cells to be removed from said channel FIFOs such that the FIFO fullness of said channel FIFOs are driven toward a nominal FIFO fullness.

Claim 19

A method for asynchronous transport of multiple channel data through a data network comprising the steps of: storing cells of multiple channel data received at varying rates from said data network in respective channel FIFOs; and determining a schedule for removing said cells from said channel FIFOs such that said data is output from said channel FIFOs at a substantially constant rate in each respective channel, wherein said schedule determining step comprises the steps of: determining for each channel a cell input interval representative of the average cell input rate of cells received at the channel FIFO; determining for each channel a deviation in current FIFO fullness from a nominal FIFO fullness; determining for each channel a cell output interval, said cell output interval representing an average cell output rate for outputting cells in said channel FIFO to restore a temporal sequence in data output in said channel and to drive the current FIFO fullness of said channel FIFO towards said nominal FIFO fullness; determining cell departure times for each channel based on said respective cell output interval and the number of cells in each channel FIFO; and sorting said cell departure times to generate said cell transmission schedule.

Claim 20

A method for asynchronous transport of multiple channel data through a data network comprising the steps of: storing cells of multiple channel data received at varying rates from said data network in respective channel FIFOs; and determining a schedule for removing said cells from said channel FIFOs such that said data is output from said channel FIFOs at a substantially constant rate in each respective channel, wherein said schedule determining step comprises the steps of: determining for each channel a cell input interval representative of the average cell input rate of cells received at the channel FIFO; determining for each channel a deviation in current FIFO fullness from a nominal FIFO fullness; determining for each channel a cell output interval, said cell output interval representing an average cell output rate for outputting cells in said channel FIFO to restore a temporal sequence in data output in said channel and to drive the current FIFO fullness of said channel FIFO towards said nominal FIFO fullness; determining cell departure times for each channel based on said respective cell output interval and the number of cells in each channel FIFO; and sorting said cell departure times to generate said cell transmission schedule.