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:
Nov. 12, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 23, 1998
Innowave ECI Wireless Systems Ltd., Petach-Tikva, IL;
Abstract
A method and apparatus for a data transmission rate of multiples of 100 mega-bits per second (Mbps) in a terminal for a wireless metropolitan area network. A terminal includes a first media access control unit (MAC) unit for receiving Fast Ethernet data packets at a rate of 100 Mbps for communication over a wireless link, n−1 additional MAC units for receiving Fast Ethernet data packets at a rate of 100 Mbps for communication over the wireless link, a multiplexer having n inputs, wherein each input is coupled to receive the data packets from a corresponding one of the MAC units and wherein the output of the multiplexer provides time-division multiplexed data, a packet formatting apparatus coupled to the output of the multiplexer for formatting the time division multplexed data according to radio frames, and a wireless transceiver coupled to the packet formatting apparatus for communicating the radio frames over a wireless link wherein the wireless link has a maximum bandwidth capacity of at least n times 100 Mbps. Each MAC unit can include a rate control unit and a rate buffer for temporarily storing data packets received by the corresponding MAC unit prior to providing them to a corresponding one of the inputs of the multiplexer. Each MAC unit can include a corresponding layer-two or layer-three switch having a 100 Mbps port. The maximum transmission rate is limited only by the bandwidth of the wireless link.