Data Packet Encapsulation Protocol for Universal Framing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current data packet encapsulation protocols, such as GFP and HDLC, suffer from high overhead and complexity, while the 64B/65B protocol limits minimum packet size, making them unsuitable for universal use in DSL and other communication systems, especially for Ethernet and delay-sensitive services.
Innovation Solution
A new encapsulation method using low overhead frames with a small number of sync bytes to delineate frame boundaries, allowing for flexible framing of packets of any length, including shorter packets, while maintaining compatibility with Ethernet and other larger packets, by employing N/(N+M)-byte frames.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If GFP protocol is used for packet transport, then any type of packet can be transferred over any media, but the overhead is high (at least six overhead bytes per packet) and synchronization is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the framing parameters by using a fixed 5-byte preamble (instead of GFP's variable framing) and eliminating the need for complex synchronization fields. The frame structure is simplified to: 5-byte preamble + variable-length data field, reducing overhead while maintaining packet compatibility across different media types.
2Adaptability or versatility
If HDLC protocol is used for packetized data transport, then any type of data packet can be transported, but the overhead is variable and depends on packet data contents, making it inappropriate for Ethernet data transport
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the variable overhead problem by using a fixed 5-byte preamble that is independent of packet contents. This fixed framing structure allows consistent overhead regardless of whether the packet is Ethernet, IP, or other types, making it suitable for universal data transport including Ethernet over DSL.
3Quantity of substance
If 64B/65B protocol is used for Ethernet transport over DSL, then low overhead (1 overhead sync byte per 65 byte frame) is achieved, but the minimum packet size is limited, inhibiting adoption for multiple types of services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the frame structure dynamic by allowing the data field to vary in length while maintaining a fixed 5-byte preamble. This enables the same frame structure to accommodate both short packets (for voice over IP) and long Ethernet packets, providing flexibility across multiple service types without increasing overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal framing protocol that can handle multiple packet types (Ethernet, IP, voice over IP) with different size requirements. The fixed 5-byte preamble combined with variable-length data fields makes the protocol adaptable to various services, eliminating the minimum packet size limitation of 64B/65B.
4Reliability
If conventional framing protocols are used, then frame boundaries are defined, but the amount of identification bytes added to the packet increases, reducing data throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential framing function from complex multi-byte identification sequences and implements it through a simple 5-byte preamble. This minimal preamble provides sufficient frame boundary identification without adding excessive overhead, thereby improving data throughput while maintaining reliable frame delimitation.
Data Source
AI summary
Protocols or methods are presented for encapsulating data in frames for transmission in a communication system, wherein (N+M)-byte frames are provided having one or a few sync bytes indicating a frame boundary, as well as an N-byte frame data field following the sync byte. Data bytes from packets are provided in the data field, wherein the data packets can be any length, including packets shorter than N−1 data bytes long.