Alcatel Lucent

Nortel Networks Corporation

Alcatel

Eric Combes

Roger J Maitland

Kevin Smith

Hal Ireland

The direct memory access device and method of the present invention uses an event calendar, an expired event queue of a fixed size, a calendar scanner, and an event mover. The event calendar stores an event in a linked list. The expired event queue stores an event that has already expired from the event calendar. The calendar scanner automatically scans the event calendar without management by a central processing unit (CPU). The event mover moves an event from the event calendar to the expired event queue without management by the CPU. The method provides for storing the event in the linked list, automatically scanning the event calendar without management by the CPU, moving the event from the event calendar to an expired event queue of a fixed size without management by the CPU, and storing the event that has already expired from the event calendar.

Direct memory access (DMA) device with event mover that moves event from event calendar to expired event queue without management of central processing unit

An off-load for processing a data frame containing information has a memory for storing information on a plurality of processing paths. A processor in the off-load engine determines which processing path the data frame is to be processed. Each one of a plurality of processing engines processes the data frame depending on whether the processing engine is within the determined processing path. Some of the processing engines are implemented in hardware and/or data frame type specific software and others makes use of generic software. In some embodiments, the data frame is also parsed for further processing by the processing engines. In some embodiments, a static header is also pre-pended to the data frame to allow easy access to information associated with the data frame by the processing engines.

System and method for processing multiple types of data frames

A scheduler in, for example, an off-load engine reports events for processing data frames to processing engines. Each event to report has associated to it an event information to report to a respective processing engine for processing, for example, a data frame. Responsive to a prompt having a specified time, a processor looks up the event information to report at the specified time in one or more memories. For each event information to report at the specified time, at least some of the event information is forwarded to the respective processing engine. A state machine is used as the processor to implement functionality of the scheduler in hardware thereby providing off-loading of processing in the off-load engine from software to hardware.

Scheduling data frames for processing: apparatus, system and method

An apparatus produces a combined data frame in DHO (Diversity Hand-Off) from data frames each having one or more payload sequences. Each payload sequence has associated with it one or more quality indicators. The quality indicators may be for example a CRCI (Cyclic Redundancy Code Indicator) for the payload sequence and a QE (Quality Estimate) of the data frame having the payload sequence. For corresponding payload sequences from each of the data frames a bit sequence is defined for each corresponding payload sequence with the quality indicators occupying one or more consecutive bits within the bit sequence. A processor selects, as a payload sequence for the combined data frame, one of the corresponding payload sequences on the basis of the bit sequences. The apparatus is implemented in software or in hardware.

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Boisbriand, Canada

Eric Combes