Kenneth Ray Barker

US Patent:

6980563, Dec 27, 2005

Filed:

Apr 13, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/834591

Inventors:

Kenneth James Barker - Holly Springs NC, US
Charles Reeves Hoffman - Raleigh NC, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04J003/16

US Classification:

370465, 370535, 370537

Abstract:

A system and method of reducing the input and output pins used to interface a fast serial port Ethernet processing system using multiplexing. Using the system of the present invention, four pins can allow a plurality of Ethernet communication paths to be connected to a single processor on a substrate. These four connections include a clocking input as well as a strobe signal which coordinates the multiplexing and identifies the time period for a predetermined source. The physical layer and the processor are each provided with a multiplexor which is controlled by the strobe to select the network to be coupled at any given time. The multiplexor includes a counter which is incremented by the clocking input and reset by the strobe signal.

US Patent:

7161961, Jan 9, 2007

Filed:

Jun 13, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/880450

Inventors:

Kenneth James Barker - Holly Springs NC, US
Rolf Clauberg - Gattikon, CH
Jean Louis Calvignac - Cary NC, US
Andreas Guenther Herkersdorf - Langnau a. Albis, CH
Fabrice Jean Verplanken - La Gaude, FR
David John Webb - Rueschlikon, CH

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04J 3/00
H04J 3/02
H04L 12/56

US Classification:

370476, 370538, 370543, 370403

Abstract:

The present invention relates to a device for combining at least two data signals having an input data rate into a single data stream having an output data rate being higher than the input data rate for transmission on a shared medium or vice versa, particularly, to a single SDH/SONET framer capable of handling a large range of SDH/SONET frames from STM-i to STM-j with an aggregated total capacity corresponding to an STM-j frame where i and j are integers in the range from 1 to 64 or higher according to the STM-N definition of the SDH/SONET standards. More over, the present invention can also be extended to work with STS-1 as lowest range. STS-1 exists in SONET only not SDH and corresponds to a data rate of 51. 5 Mb/s a third of the 156 Mb/s of STM-1. The device according to the present invention comprises at least two ports for receiving and/or sending said at least two data signals, a port scanning unit for extracting data from the data signals received by said ports and/or synthesizing data to be transmitted via the ports, respectively, whereby said port scanning unit is configured to extract data from ports providing data streams having at least two different input data rates and/or to synthesize data to be transmitted via the ports taking data streams having at least two different data rates.

US Patent:

7330479, Feb 12, 2008

Filed:

Sep 25, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/670711

Inventors:

Kenneth J. Barker - Holly Springs NC, US
Chad B. McBride - Rochester MN, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04L 12/56
H04L 12/28

US Classification:

370419, 370235

Abstract:

In a first aspect, a first method is provided for controlling the flow of data between a first and second clock domain. The first method includes the steps of (1) selecting one of a plurality of ports included in a physical layer interface in the second clock domain to which to send data; and (2) transmitting data from a transmit buffer in the first clock domain to the selected port in the physical layer interface in the second clock domain. Numerous other aspects are provided.

US Patent:

8130792, Mar 6, 2012

Filed:

Aug 28, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/467848

Inventors:

Kenneth James Barker - Holly Springs NC, US
Rolf Clauberg - Gattikon, CH
Jean Louis Calvignac - Cary NC, US
Andreas Guenther Herkersdorf - Albis, CH
Fabrice Jean Verplanken - La Gaude, FR
David John Webb - Rueschlikon, CH

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04J 3/00
H04J 3/02

US Classification:

370476, 370538, 370543

Abstract:

The present invention relates to a device for combining at least two data signals having an input data rate into a single data stream having an output data rate being higher than the input data rate for transmission on a shared medium or vice versa, particularly, to a single SDH/SONET framer capable of handling a large range of SDH/SONET frames from STM-i to STM-j with an aggregated total capacity corresponding to an STM-j frame where i and j are integers in the range from 1 to 64 or higher according to the STM-N definition of the SDH/SONET standards. More over, the present invention can also be extended to work with STS-1 as lowest range. STS-1 exists in SONET only not SDH and corresponds to a data rate of 51. 5 Mb/s a third of the 156 Mb/s of STM-1. The device according to the present invention comprises at least two ports for receiving and/or sending said at least two data signals, a port scanning unit for extracting data from the data signals received by said ports and/or synthesizing data to be transmitted via the ports, respectively, whereby said port scanning unit is configured to extract data from ports providing data streams having at least two different input data rates and/or to synthesize data to be transmitted via the ports taking data streams having at least two different data rates.

US Patent:

20060029095, Feb 9, 2006

Filed:

Oct 11, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/247419

Inventors:

Kenneth Barker - Holly Springs NC, US
Charles Hoffman - Raleigh NC, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04J 3/22

US Classification:

370465000

Abstract:

A system and method of reducing the input and output pins used to interface a fast serial port Ethernet processing system using multiplexing. Using the system of the present invention, four pins can allow a plurality of Ethernet communication paths to be connected to a single processor on a substrate. These four connections include a clocking input as well as a strobe signal which coordinates the multiplexing and identifies the time period for a predetermined source. The physical layer and the processor are each provided with a multiplexor which is controlled by the strobe to select the network to be coupled at any given time. The multiplexor includes a counter which is incremented by the clocking input and reset by the strobe signal.

US Patent:

20080112425, May 15, 2008

Filed:

Jan 18, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/016941

Inventors:

Kenneth Barker - Holly Springs NC, US
Chad McBride - Rochester MN, US

International Classification:

H04L 12/56

US Classification:

370419000

Abstract:

In a first aspect, a first method is provided for controlling the flow of data between a first and second clock domain. The first method includes the steps of (1) selecting one of a plurality of ports included in a physical layer interface in the second clock domain to which to send data; and (2) transmitting data from a transmit buffer in the first clock domain to the selected port in the physical layer interface in the second clock domain. Numerous other aspects are provided.