Patent ID: 8638666
Filing Date: 2014-01-28
Classification: B60H

Abstract:
1. Method for operating a multi-port bridge for the routing of data packets, differentiated in accordance with traffic classes, wherein the definition of the traffic classes in the multi-port bridge is in accordance with the IEEE 802.1D standard, wherein in the method, an additional traffic class for isochronous data traffic received via a first port is introduced and in that the multi-port bridge is configured in such a manner that, for each transmission direction, at least one predetermined second port is operated in the “forwarding” state in which the at least one predetermined second port forwards data packets of the additional traffic class for isochronous data traffic from a queue and in that during the forwarding, all ports apart from the predetermined first and second ports are deactivated, wherein the method comprises: a first checking step that checks whether the additional traffic class for isochronous data traffic is assigned to the arriving traffic; the method being continued in the case of a positive result of the first checking step in a second checking step in which it is checked whether an isochronous data flow is active; the method being continued in accordance with the IEEE802.1D standard in the case of a negative result of the first checking step; the method is continued in the case of a positive result of the second checking step in a triggering step in which a watchdog circuit is triggered which, in operation, is used for informing a control unit that a data stream is currently active, the control unit regulating the forwarding of the traffic stream in the additional traffic class.