Fly-by and ack-accelerated arbitration for broadcast packets

Abstract

A method for administering transmission of a first type of packets and a second type of packets over a serial bus is disclosed. The method comprises: if there is a packet of a second type to be sent, then concatenating the packet of the second type to a plurality of packets of the first type and sending the plurality of packets of the first type followed by the concatenated packet of the second type; and if there is no packet of the second type to be sent, then concatenating a bogus ack packet to the plurality of packets of the first type and sending the plurality of packets of the first type followed by the concatenated bogus ack packet.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method of handling an acknowledgement packet, the acknowledgement packet being of a first or second type, the method comprising:
 receiving the acknowledgement packet at a first software layer regardless of type, wherein the receipt of the acknowledgement packet at the first software layer is sufficient to trigger an accelerated arbitration process; and   wherein:
 if the acknowledgement packet is of the first type, then filtering the acknowledgement packet at a second software layer; and 
 if the acknowledgement packet is of the second type, then recognizing the acknowledgement packet at the second software layer. 
   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first software layer comprises an IEEE 1394-compliant physical layer. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the second software layer comprises an IEEE 1394-compliant link layer 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the acknowledgement packet is further concatenated to an asynchronous stream packet. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first type comprises a bogus acknowledgement packet and the second type comprises a non-bogus acknowledgement packet. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the bogus acknowledgement packet comprises at least a first portion that is recognized by the first software layer. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the bogus acknowledgement packet comprises at least a second portion that is not recognized by the second software layer. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the second portion is not the complement of the first portion. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the receipt of the acknowledgement packet at the first software layer regardless of type enables fly-by concatenation. 
     
     
         40 . A serial bus apparatus capable of accelerated bus arbitration, the serial bus apparatus comprising:
 a serial bus interface configured to receive an acknowledgement packet, the acknowledgement packet being at least of either a first or second type;   a processor; and   a computer readable apparatus having a storage medium with at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program configured to, when executed on the processor:
 receive the acknowledgement packet at a first software layer regardless of type, wherein the receipt of the acknowledgement packet at the first software layer causes an accelerated arbitration process; and 
 implement logic such that:
 if the acknowledgement packet is of the first type, then filter the acknowledgement packet at a second software layer; and 
 if the acknowledgement packet is of the second type, then recognize the acknowledgement packet at the second software layer. 
 
   
     
     
         41 . The serial bus apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the first software layer comprises an IEEE 1394-compliant physical layer. 
     
     
         42 . The serial bus apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the second software layer comprises an IEEE 1394-compliant link layer 
     
     
         43 . The serial bus apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the acknowledgement packet is further concatenated to an asynchronous stream packet. 
     
     
         44 . The serial bus apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the first type of packet comprises a bogus acknowledgement packet. 
     
     
         45 . The serial bus apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the bogus acknowledgement packet comprises at least a portion that is not recognized by the second software layer. 
     
     
         46 . A method of transmitting an acknowledgement packet, comprising:
 generating an acknowledgement packet, the packet being one of a plurality of types, a first of said plurality of types comprising an acknowledgment packet according to a known protocol, a second of said plurality of types comprising a bogus acknowledgement packet; and   transmitting the acknowledgement packet to a receiving apparatus, wherein the receiving apparatus is configured to: (i) accelerate arbitration responsive to receiving any acknowledgement packet, and (ii) filter out bogus acknowledgement packets at a first software layer.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the acknowledgement packet comprises two portions; and
 wherein the first packet type comprises a second portion that is the complement of a first portion, and wherein the bogus acknowledgement packet comprises a second portion that is not the complement of a first portion.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the second acknowledgement packet type is in compliant with the IEEE 1394 serial bus standard. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the first software layer comprises a link layer. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the bogus acknowledgement packet comprises a second nibble that is a complement of a first nibble.