Patent ID: 7110396
Filing Date: 2006-09-19
Classification: H04J

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for transmitting a sub-rate data stream over a communication network that uses a selected network protocol, wherein the sub-rate data stream has an associated sub-rate protocol, the apparatus comprising: a rate adapter coupled to receive an uninterpreted sub-rate data stream and operable to, without interpretation, adapt a rate characteristic associated with a sub-rate protocol to a rate characteristic associated with a selected network protocol to generate an uninterpreted rate-adapted data stream from the uninterpreted sub-rate data stream, wherein the rate adapter comprises logic to determine a stuffing opportunity that indicates an amount of stuffing data of the uninterpreted rate-adapted data stream to be framed in a payload, wherein the amount of stuffing data is responsive to the uninterpreted sub-rate data stream; and a payload framer coupled to receive the uninterpreted rate-adapted data stream and operable to frame the uninterpreted rate-adapted data stream into a payload for transmission over a communication network using the selected network protocol; wherein the sub-rate data stream has an effective data rate equal to or less than a data rate associated with the selected network protocol.