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. 04, 2003
Filed:
Nov. 20, 2001
Timothy Heighway, Northampton, GB;
Klaus Gaedke, Hannover, DE;
Thomson Licensing S.A., Boulogne, FR;
Abstract
In a digital bus, such as the IEEE 1394 serial bus, the procedure for sending data from a link layer IC onto the data bus is that the link layer IC requests access to the bus and then waits until the physical layer IC grants the desired access. Upon detecting the grant status, the link layer IC is free to send data onto the bus. But if in the meantime the link layer IC refrains from sending data onto the bus, the granted bus access will not be given up. As a consequence the bus is blocked for an indefinite time period because the bus access granted cannot be overwritten by the physical layer IC. According to the invention an additional timer function is implemented in the link layer IC. This 'bus grant missed' timer function controls the link layer IC in such a way that it automatically gives back the bus control to the physical layer IC after a predetermined time period has elapsed during which the link layer IC has sent no data onto the bus.