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:
Oct. 29, 2002
Filed:
Jun. 30, 2000
Ronald P. Bianchini, Jr., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Jeff Schulz, Valencia, PA (US);
Veera Reddy, Wexford, PA (US);
Joseph A. Hook, Baden, PA (US);
Marconi Communications, Inc., Warrendale, PA (US);
Abstract
A switch of a network connected to a switch control processor. The switch includes port cards which receive packets from and send packets to the network. The switch comprises a switch control processor for providing control information. The switch includes fabrics for switching the packets. The fabrics receive control information from the switch control processor but all the fabrics only implement the control information at a same logical time when each fabric receives a control initiation signal from one of the port cards. Each respective fabric continuously operating on packets before, during and after each respective fabric receives the control initiation signal. A method for switching packets. The method includes the steps of receiving packets at a port card of a switch from a network. Then there is the step of sending fragments of each packet to fabrics of the switch. Then there is the step of distributing control information from a switch control processor to the fabrics of the switch as the port card continues to receive packets. Next there is the step of receiving a control initiation signal from a switch control processor through the network at the port card. Then there is the step of sending the control initiation signal from the port card to the fabrics. Next there is the step of implementing the control information at each fabric only after the respective fabric receives the control initiation signal so all the fabrics implement the control information at the same time.