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:
Jul. 21, 1998
Filed:
Mar. 25, 1996
Kent Blair Dahlgren, San Jose, CA (US);
I-Cube, Inc., Campbell, CA (US);
Abstract
A local area network switch includes input and output ports for receiving and transmitting broadcast and unicast data transmissions from and to corresponding network stations and a crosspoint switch for selectively routing data transmissions between the ports. All input ports have one connection to the crosspoint switch for forwarding incoming broadcast and unicast data transmissions to the crosspoint switch. Each output port has a unique unicast link to the crosspoint switch for receiving unicast transmissions directed solely to its corresponding network station. All output ports also share a second broadcast link to the crosspoint switch for receiving broadcast transmissions directed to all network stations. The crosspoint switch routes each unicast transmission from an input port only to the appropriate output port via the output port's unicast link and routes broadcast transmission from an input port to all output ports via the common broadcast link. Each output port can receive and store both unicast and broadcast transmissions routed concurrently through the crosspoint switch and can thereafter forward the stored transmissions sequentially to its corresponding network station.