Patent ID: 7339893
Filing Date: 2008-03-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A system that pre-empts low-priority traffic with high priority traffic over a dedicated link coupling a transmitter to a receiver, said system comprising: at the transmitter: an HPTx buffer adapted to hold for holding high-priority data to be transferred; an LPTx buffer adapted to hold for holding low-priority data to be transferred; and a Tx controller, adapted to transmits a low-priority initial delimiter character followed by transmission of successive low-priority data words from the LPTx buffer without further transmission of low-priority delimiter characters, to pause pauses transmission of successive low-priority data words from the LPTx buffer if high-priority data is ready to transmit, to transmit a high-priority initial delimiter character, to stop transmitting low-priority data and to transmit successive high-priority data words from the HPTx buffer without further transmission of high-priority delimiter characters subsequent to transmission of the high-priority initial delimiter character, to transmit a delimited by initial and terminal high-priority delimiting character when the high-priority data is finished transmitting, to resume transmission of successive low-priority data words without further transmission of low priority delimiter characters from the point where transmission of successive low-priority data words left off after transmission of the high-priority terminal delimiter character, and to transmit a low-priority terminal delimiter character when the low-priority data is finished transmitting; at the receiver: an HPRx buffer adapted to hold high-priority data being received; an LPRx buffer adapted to hold low-priority data being received; and an Rx controller, having data outputs coupled to the HPRx and LPRx buffers, and data and control inputs, with the Rx controller, while storing received successive low-priority data words in the LPRx 30 buffer, upon detection of a high priority initial delimiting control character stores subsequently received successive high-priority data words in the HPRx buffer until the detection of the high priority terminal delimiting character, and then to store received successive low priority data in the LPRx buffer.