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.

Date of Patent:
Aug. 26, 2003

Filed:

Aug. 31, 1999
Applicant:
Inventors:

Daniel M O'Keeffe, Ballyhooly, IE;

Justin A Drummond-Murray, Chorleywood, GB;

Annette E Sohor, Dublin, IE;

Paul Flood, Tigard, OR (US);

Assignee:

3Com Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H04L 1/256 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H04L 1/256 ;
Abstract

A multi-port data communication device includes a common central memory through which all data packets must pass. Packet data is written to and read from the common memory space in bursts in response to receive write requests and transmit read requests. A transmit read request for a first burst of data in a packet has in a central arbiter a relatively low priority and transmit read requests for a second and any subsequent burst of data in a packet have in the central arbiter a relatively high priority. Preferably the receive write requests have in said central arbiter a priority intermediate said relatively low priority and said relatively high priority. The priority system reduces the likelihood of underrun and overrun particularly when the burst size is generally smaller than the packet size.


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