High-speed mesh connected local area network

Patent 5088091 Issued on February 11, 1992. Estimated Expiration Date:

June 22, 2009. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventors

Assignee

Digital Equipment Corporation

Application

No. 370285 filed on 06/22/1989

US Classes:

370/406, Plurality of rings or loops to form a mesh network340/825.02Tree or cascade

Examiners

Primary: Olms, Douglas W.
Assistant: Hsu, Alpus H.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Flehr, Hohbach, Test, Albritton & Herbert

International Classes

H04J 003/24
H04Q 011/04

Abstract

A mesh connected local area network provides automatic packet switching and routing between host computers coupled to the network. The network has a multiplicity of cut-through, nonblocking switches, each capable of simultaneously routing a multiplicity of data packets. Low host-to-host latency is achieved through the use of cut-through switches with separate internal buffers for each packet being routed. The switches are interconnected with one another and are coupled to the host computers of the network by point to point full duplex links. While each switch can be coupled to ten or more network members, i.e., switches and hosts, each link is coupled to only two network members and is dedicated to carrying signals therebetween. Whenever a new switch or link is added to the network, and whenever a switch or link fails, the switches in the network automatically reconfigure the network by recomputing the set of legal paths through the network.