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:
Aug. 30, 2011
Filed:
Apr. 27, 2006
Martin Curran-gray, Fife, GB;
Slawomir K. Ilnicki, Los Altos Hills, CA (US);
Takashi Hidai, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Martin Curran-Gray, Fife, GB;
Slawomir K. Ilnicki, Los Altos Hills, CA (US);
Takashi Hidai, Palo Alto, CA (US);
JDS Uniphase Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
A communications apparatus includes an input for receiving a data stream being transmitted from a first network node to a second network node using a main channel. A processing resource of the communications apparatus identifies data signifying an idle period within the data stream and determines whether the idle period is at least a suitable minimum duration to support initiating transmission of sub-channel data in place of at least part of the data signifying the idle period. Further, the processing resource is arranged to identify when the idle period is not of the suitable minimum duration and a need arises to transmit the sub-channel data within a predetermined period of time. In such circumstances, the processing resource sends a flow control message upstream to the first network node to halt transmissions therefrom, thereby generating the idle period of at least the suitable minimum duration.