Patent ID: 6598086
Filing Date: 2003-07-22
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for dynamically controlling ongoing packet flow in an information pipeline containing a plurality of sequentially connected units including a first unit, a second unit and a third unit, wherein packets flow in a forward direction from said first unit directly to said second unit and then to said third unit and then out of said third unit, said method comprising:at a control unit, receiving a respective dynamic output indication from each of said plurality of units, wherein each dynamic output indication indicates if a respective one of said plurality of units has output a respective one of a plurality of different packets in the forward direction; said control unit dynamically determining during packet flow in the forward direction from at least some of said plurality of units if said first unit can output a packet directly to said second unit without packet loss, wherein said control unit performs said determining utilizing all of said dynamic output indications, packet buffering capacities of said plurality of units, and guaranteed packet flows between adjacent ones of said plurality of units, wherein said determining is further based upon a number of packets said control unit has authorized said first unit to output within a feedback latency of said control unit, wherein said feedback latency includes a first latency for a control signal to reach said first unit from said control unit and a second latency for a output indication generated by said control unit to reach said control unit from said first unit; and in response to said determining, said control unit generating and outputting a control signal to said first unit indicative of whether said first unit can output a packet directly to said second unit without packet loss, wherein said outputting said control signal to said first unit utilizes a control feedback path physically separate from said information pipeline.