System and method for management of memory access in a communication network by use of a hyperbolic mapping function

1. A memory access system, comprising:

a) a plurality of storage locations for storing data therein;

b) addressing means for selecting a desired one of the storage locations on the basis of a memory address; and

c) address transformation means for generating a single value of the memory address from one or more corresponding values of an input quantity by mapping each value of the input quantity to the corresponding value of the memory address by a hyperbolic function, the number of values of the input quantity that correspond to a single value of the memory address varying across a range of values of the input quantity.

2. The memory access system as claimed in claim 1 , in which various values of the input quantity are received over time, in which the address transformation means generates a plurality of memory addresses forming a range of memory addresses, and selects addresses at one end of the memory address range to correspond to a range comprising the most frequently occurring values of the input quantity.

3. The memory access system as claimed in claim 2 , in which the address transformation means selects the other end of the memory address range to correspond to extreme values of the input quantity.

4. The memory access system as claimed in claim 2 , in which the address transformation means divides the range of values of the input quantity by a value of the input quantity forming the one end of the range of most frequently occurring values.

5. The memory access system as claimed in claim 1 , in which, for a first part of the range of values of the input quantity, the address transformation means maps each value of the input quantity to the corresponding value of the memory address by a first hyperbolic function; and, for a second part of the range of values of the input quantity, the address transformation means maps each value of the input quantity to the corresponding value of the memory address by a second hyperbolic function.

6. The memory access system as claimed in claim 1 , in which the address transformation means maps some values of the memory address to a single value of the input quantity.

7. A source tracking memory for storing data for identifying fragments of a data structure received via a communication link, comprising a memory access system, said memory access system comprising:

a) a plurality of storage locations for storing data therein;

b) addressing means for selecting a desired one of the storage locations on the basis of a memory address; and

c) address transformation means for generating a single value of the memory address from one or more corresponding values of an input quantity by mapping each value of the input quantity to the corresponding value of the memory address by a hyperbolic function, the number of values of the input quantity that correspond to a single value of the memory address varying across a range of values of the input quantity.

8. The source tracking memory as claimed in claim 7 , in which the input quantity comprises a set of data for characterizing the fragments.

9. The source tracking memory as claimed in claim 8 , in which the fragments comprise header information, and in which the set of data is derived from the fragment header information.

10. An internet protocol based communication system comprising a source tracking memory for storing data for identifying fragments of a data structure received via a communication link, comprising a memory access system, said memory access system comprising:

a) a plurality of storage locations for storing the data therein;

b) addressing means for selecting a desired one of the storage locations on the basis of a memory address; and

c) address transformation means for generating a single value of the memory address from one or more corresponding values of an input quantity by mapping each value of the input quantity to the corresponding value of the memory address by a hyperbolic function, the number of values of the input quantity that correspond to a single value of the memory address varying across a range of values of the input quantity.

11. An asynchronous transfer mode based communication system comprising a source tracking memory for storing data for identifying fragments of a data structure received via a communication link, comprising a memory access system, said memory access system comprising:

a) a plurality of storage locations for storing the data therein;

b) addressing means for selecting a desired one of the storage locations on the basis of a memory address; and

c) address transformation means for generating a single value of the memory address from one or more corresponding values of an input quantity by mapping each value of the input quantity to the corresponding value of the memory address by a hyperbolic function, the number of values of the input quantity that correspond to a single value of the memory address varying across a range of values of the input quantity.

12. A method of accessing memory in a memory system in which one or more values of an input quantity correspond to a single value of a memory address, the method comprising the steps of:

a) transforming the input quantity to generate a corresponding value of the memory address by a hyperbolic function; and

b) varying the number of values of the input quantity that are transformed to a single value of the memory address across a range of values of the input quantity.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , including the step of receiving various values of the input quantity over time, and selecting one end of the memory address range to correspond to a range comprising the most frequently occurring values of the input quantity.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , including the step of selecting a minimum value of the memory address to correspond to extreme values of the input quantity.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 , and the step of dividing the range of values of the input quantity by a value of the input quantity forming the one end of the range of most frequently occurring values.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12 , including the steps of using a first hyperbolic function to transform each value of the input quantity to a corresponding value of the memory address for a first part of a range of values of the input quantity; and using a second hyperbolic function to transform each value of the input quantity to a corresponding value of the memory address for a second part of the range of values of the input quantity.

17. A method of identifying fragments of a data structure received via a communication link using a source tracking memory for storing data in which one or more values of an input quantity correspond to a single value of a memory address, the method comprising the steps of:

a) transforming the input quantity to generate a corresponding value of the memory address by a hyperbolic function; and

b) varying the number of values of the input quantity that are transformed to a single value of the memory address across a range of values of the input quantity.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 , in which the input quantity comprises a set of data for characterizing the fragments.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , in which the fragments comprise header information, and in which the method includes the step of generating the set of data from the fragment header information.

20. A circuit for performing an address transformation, comprising:

a) means for generating a single value of a memory address from one or more corresponding values of an input quantity by mapping each value of the input quantity to the corresponding value of the memory address by a hyperbolic function; and

b) means for varying the number of values of the input quantity that correspond to a single value of the memory address across a range of values of the input quantity.

21. The circuit of claim 20 , comprising a plurality of stages for pipelined operation.