Patent ID: 6680911
Filing Date: 2004-01-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
An apparatus for controlling data flow of Ethernet hub in a half-duplex mode, said hub having a switch to control the data packet flow through a plurality of communication ports, said apparatus comprising:means for detecting a destination address (DA) of said data packet received through an input-port of said communication ports to determine whether said detected packet is to be processed by said switch; means for generating a selection signal in response to a determination of said detecting means and an overload signal transmitted from said switch indicating a traffic overload in said switch; means for producing a jamming signal transmitted from a selected output-port to a source of the data packet transmission to prevent further transmission of said data packet to said switch in response to said selection signal; means, coupled to the output of said switch, for converting said data packets into a bit stream and for interfacing said converted bit stream to be transmitted with an output port of said communication port; and, means for selectively transmitting one of said jamming signals from said signal generating means and said data packets from said converting means in response to said selection signal so that local traffic that does not require processing of the switch is not affected by the jamming signal transmitted by said switch.