The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 17, 1987
Filed:
Nov. 30, 1984
Gottfried W Luderer, Naperville, IL (US);
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
A multi-stage packet switching network comprising a plurality of packet switch nodes for communicating broadcast and non-broadcast packets each comprising stage identification information and sets of routing information. Each node responsive to receipt of one of the packets for decoding the stage identification information to determine if the packet is a broadcast or a non-broadcast packet. If a broadcast packet has been received, the switch node transmits this packet to the next sequential stage on all output links interconnecting the switch node to the next sequential stage. If the packet is of the non-broadcast type, the switch node decodes the stage identification field to determine which of the sets of the routing information is to be used for routing the non-broadcast packet to the next sequential stage. Before routing the non-broadcast packet to the next sequential stage, the switch node increments the stage identification field. The switch node contains the necessary circuits for performing the incrementing of the stage identification field of a non-broadcast packet and for bypassing the adder circuit for a non-stage identification information portions of the packet and for bypassing the adder circuit for stage indentification field of the broadcast packet.