Patent ID: 7680045

Claim:
A packet switching device having one or more input ports and one or more output ports, the packet switching device providing for switching of one or more data packets among the one or more input ports and the one or more output ports, the packet switching device comprising: a crosspoint matrix, the crosspoint matrix providing for switching of the one or more data packets as to the one or more input ports and the one or more output ports; a port control coupled to the crosspoint matrix, the port control having a virtual output queue associated with the one or more output ports and providing status information, the status information including (i) weighting associated with the one or more input ports and (ii) feedback information as to the virtual output queue; and an arbiter, the arbiter coupled to the port control so as to receive the weighting and feedback information and coupled to the crosspoint matrix so as to provide for configuration of the crosspoint matrix, the arbiter supporting a first status matrix, a second status matrix, and a decision matrix, wherein (a) the first status matrix includes elements, the elements representing the weighting of combinations of each respective one of the one or more input ports with each respective one of the one or more output ports, (b) the second status matrix includes a reduced set of the elements of the first status matrix, the reduced set being determined responsive to the feedback information and the first status matrix, and (c) the decision matrix includes marked combinations representing elements of the second status matrix as determined through switching, wherein the marked combinations providing for configuration of the crosspoint matrix and wherein the arbiter is configured to pass at least one of the marked combinations to at least one of the one or more input ports.