Filtering data flows
There is disclosed a method and controller for controlling an information flow in a data transmission system including receiving a plurality of data packets. The method and controller also includes selectively discarding and/or selectively time-shifting the data packets in a predetermined manner to generate a modified information flow. The method and controller also includes selectively discarding and/or selectively time-shifting the data packets of the modified information flow to generate at least one further modified information flow. The further modified information flow may be obtained in a selected one of a plurality of parallel steps.
1. A method of controlling an information flow in a data transmission system, comprising:
receiving a plurality of data packets in a controller;
selectively discarding the data packets in a predetermined manner and selectively time-shifting the data packets in the controller in a predetermined manner by servicing the data packets with a variable service rate to provide a variable spacing between the data packets, to generate a modified information flow; and
selectively discarding the data packets of the modified information flow and selectively time-shifting the data packets of the modified information flow in at least one of a plurality of further parallel steps in the controller by servicing the data packets of the modified information flow with a variable service rate to provide a variable spacing between the data packets of the modified information flow, to generate at least one further modified information flow.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the variable spacing is random or pseudo-random.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising generating a plurality of modified information flows and multiplexing the modified information flows.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the data packets have a received packet length and are received at a received sample rate, the method further comprising determining a configured packet length for each data packet based on a configured service rate thereof.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising selectively admitting the data packets in a queue.
6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein a level of service is associated with each data packet in the queue.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising allocating a priority level to each data packet.
8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the priority level includes an indication of urgency associated with the data packet and a level of loss tolerated for the data packet.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising multiplexing adjacent data packets if a configured packet length of one of the adjacent data packets provides a negative spacing with the other of the adjacent data packets.
10. A controller for controlling an information flow in a data transmission system, comprising:
means for receiving a plurality of data packets;
first control means for selectively discarding the data packets in a predetermined manner and selectively time-shifting the data packets in a predetermined manner by servicing the data packets with a variable service rate to provide a variable spacing between the data packets, to generate a modified information flow; and
a plurality of parallel second control means for selectively discarding the data packets of the modified information flow in a predetermined manner and selectively time-shifting the data packets of the modified information flow in a predetermined manner by servicing the data packets of the modified information flow with a variable service rate to provide a variable spacing between the data packets of the modified information flow, to provide a further modified information flow.
11. The controller as recited in claim 10 wherein the variable spacing is accomplished by employing one of a random pattern and a pseudo-random pattern.
12. The controller as recited in claim 10 further comprising means for allocating a priority level to each data packet.
13. The controller as recited in claim 10 further comprising means for multiplexing a plurality of modified information flows.
14. A controller for controlling an information flow in a data transmission system, comprising:
an input interface configured to receive a plurality of data packets;
a first policer-shaper configured to selectively discard the data packets in a predetermined manner and selectively time-shift the data packets in a predetermined manner by servicing the data packets with a variable service rate to provide a variable spacing between the data packets, to generate a modified information flow; and
a plurality of parallel second policer-shapers configured to selectively discard the data packets of the modified information flow in a predetermined manner and selectively time-shift the data packets of the modified information flow in a predetermined manner by servicing the data packets of the modified information flow with a variable service rate to provide a variable spacing between the data packets of the modified information flow, to provide a further modified information flow.
15. The controller as recited in claim 14 wherein the variable spacing is accomplished by employing one of a random pattern and a pseudo-random pattern.
16. The controller as recited in claim 14 wherein at least one of the first and second policer-shapers is configured to allocate a priority level to each data packet.
17. The controller as recited in claim 14 further comprising a cherish-urgency multiplexor configured to multiplex a plurality of modified information flows.