System and method for improving network performance through inter frame spacing adaptation

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1, wherein prior to said adjusting step, further comprises a step of determining whether the network is responsive to an increase in the Inter Frame Spacing.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 2, wherein said determining step includes the steps of setting the Inter Frame Spacing equal to a slot time of the network during a first access; ascertaining said collision intensity during a second access subsequent to said first access; and comparing said collision intensity during said second access with said collision intensity threshold to conclude the network is responsive if said collision intensity is greater than or equal to said collision intensity threshold.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting step includes the steps of setting the Inter Frame Spacing equal to a preselected Inter Frame Spacing delay; and checking whether said collision intensity for the network having said preselected Inter Frame Spacing delay is greater than or equal to said collision intensity threshold, wherein if said collision intensity threshold is greater than or equal to said collision intensity threshold, halting adjustment of the Inter Frame Spacing until said collision intensity falls below said collision intensity threshold, and if said collision intensity is less than said collision intensity threshold, increasing said preselected Inter Frame Spacing delay by a single Inter Frame Spacing delay increment, and reporting said checking step.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting step is performed in real-time.

Claim 7

A network comprising: a network medium; a first station coupled to said network medium; and a second station coupled to said network medium, said second station including a network controller used to regulate data throughput from said second station onto said network medium, and a memory element coupled to said network controller, said memory element including a network device driver configured to ascertain a transmit activity of the network, to ascertain a collision intensity experienced by the network when the transmit activity is equal to or exceeds a transmit activity threshold, and to modify an Inter Frame Spacing used by said network controller until the collision intensity threshold rises above a collision intensity threshold.

Claim 8

A network comprising: a network medium; a first station coupled to said network medium; and a second station coupled to said network medium, said second station including a network controller used to regulate data throughput from said second station onto said network medium, and a memory element coupled to said network controller, said memory element including a network device driver configured to ascertain a transmit activity of the network, to ascertain a collision intensity experienced by the network when the transmit activity is equal to or exceeds a transmit activity threshold, and to modify an Inter Frame Spacing used by said network controller until the collision intensity threshold rises above a collision intensity threshold.

Claim 9

The network according to claim 6, wherein the memory element is main memory.

Claim 10

The network according to claim 6, wherein the memory element is local memory, implemented with said network controller within a network interface of said second station.

Claim 11

The network according to claim 6, wherein said network device driver includes an Inter Frame Spacing adaptation routine executed by the second station to modify the Inter Frame Spacing in real-time.

Claim 12

The network according to claim 6, wherein said network driver further (iv) sets the Inter Frame Spacing to a minimum Inter Frame Spacing delay when said transmit activity is less than a transmit activity threshold.

Claim 13

The network according to claim 6, wherein, prior to adjusting the Inter Frame Spacing used by the network controller, said network device driver determines whether the network is responsive to an increase in the Inter Frame Spacing.

Claim 14

The network according to claim 11, wherein said network device driver determines whether the network is responsive to the increase in the Inter Frame Spacing by (i) setting the Inter Frame Spacing equal to a slot time of the network during a first access, (ii) calculating said collision intensity during a second access subsequent to said first access, and (iii) comparing said collision intensity during said second access with, a collision intensity threshold to conclude the network is responsive if said collision intensity is greater than or equal to said collision intensity threshold.

Claim 15

A network comprising: bus means for propagating data frames; first communicative means for receiving said data frames through said bus means, said first communicative means being coupled to said bus means; and second communicative means for transmitting said data frames, said second communicative means being coupled includes controller means for regulating throughput of said data frames onto said bus means, and memory means for storing an Inter Frame Spacing adaptation routine to configure an Inter Frame Spacing used by said controller means, the Inter Frame Spacing of the controller means being adjusted until a collision experienced by the network rises above a collision intensity threshold when the Inter Frame Spacing adaptation routine is executed and a transmit activity is greater than or equal to a transmit activity threshold.

Claim 16

A network comprising: bus means for propagating data frames; first communicative means for receiving said data frames through said bus means, said first communicative means being coupled to said bus means; and second communicative means for transmitting said data frames, said second communicative means being coupled includes controller means for regulating throughput of said data frames onto said bus means, and memory means for storing an Inter Frame Spacing adaptation routine to configure an Inter Frame Spacing used by said controller means, the Inter Frame Spacing of the controller means being adjusted until a collision experienced by the network rises above a collision intensity threshold when the Inter Frame Spacing adaptation routine is executed and a transmit activity is greater than or equal to a transmit activity threshold.

Claim 17

The network according to claim 13, wherein the memory means is local memory implemented within said controller means within a network interface of said second communicative means thereby coupling said second communicative means to said bus means.

Claim 18

The network according to claim 13, wherein the memory means is main memory.

Claim 19

The network according to claim 13, wherein said controller means regulates throughput of said data frames in real-time.

Claim 20

A network comprising: a network medium; a first station coupled to said network medium; and a second station coupled to said network medium, said second station including a network controller used to regulate data throughput from said second station onto said network medium, and a memory element coupled to said network controller, said memory element including a network device driver including an Inter Frame Spacing adaptation routine being executed to modify the Inter Frame Spacing in real-time by ascertaining a transmit activity and a collision intensity when the transmit activity is greater than or equal to a transmit activity threshold, and by adjusting the Inter Frame Spacing until the collision intensity rises above a collision intensity threshold.

Claim 21

A network comprising: a network medium; a first station coupled to said network medium; and a second station coupled to said network medium, said second station including a network controller used to regulate data throughput from said second station onto said network medium, and a memory element coupled to said network controller, said memory element including a network device driver including an Inter Frame Spacing adaptation routine being executed to modify the Inter Frame Spacing in real-time by ascertaining a transmit activity and a collision intensity when the transmit activity is greater than or equal to a transmit activity threshold, and by adjusting the Inter Frame Spacing until the collision intensity rises above a collision intensity threshold.