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:
May. 17, 2005
Filed:
Dec. 11, 2000
Martyn Fice, Royston, GB;
Jonathan King, Thetford, GB;
Martyn Fice, Royston, GB;
Jonathan King, Thetford, GB;
Nortel Networks Limited, St. Laurent, CA;
Abstract
A structure for an optical packet for transmission over an optical network comprises a packet header () and a packet payload (). The header comprises first and second sections (). The first section () comprises a series of clock pulses () at the data rate of the second section of the packet header, or a multiple or sub-multiple thereof. This header structure enables the clock pulses in the first section () to be used to control the timing instants when the header information in the second section () is read. The header information can thus be read using the data in the header alone, without needing to alter the structure of the packet payload. The clock pulses can be delayed in order to enable them to be used to control the reading of data in the second section of the packet header. The invention ca be used in optical communications networks.