What is claimed is:
1. A network element within a network that includes first and second portions, the first and second portions of the network being within separate administrative domains, and the network element being within the first network portion, comprising: ingress and egress links coupling the first network portion to the second network portion, the second network portion including a destination for a block transfer connection path from a source, through the ingress and egress links, to the destination; and a control unit, coupled to the ingress and egress links, receiving from the first network portion a request cell having a rate request encoded therein, generating an acknowledgment cell in response to the request cell only if the rate request is denied, and transmitting the request cell along the connection path for review of the rate request.
2. The network element according to claim 1, wherein the control unit communicates to the source an acknowledgment cell received from the connection path traversing the second network portion.
3. The network element according to claim 1, wherein the rate request is denied by a node along the connection path between the source and the network element.
4. The network element according to claim 1, wherein the rate request is denied by the network element.
5. The network element according to claim 1, wherein the control unit modifies the encoded rate request and transmits the request cell with the modified encoded rate request along the connection path to the second network portion.
6. The network element according to claim 1, wherein the request cell is issued from the source or from a node along the connection path.
7. The network element according to claim 1, wherein the control unit incorporates asynchronous transfer mode block transfer protocols.
8. The network element according to claim 7, wherein the protocols include asynchronous transfer mode block transfer with delayed transmission.
9. The network element according to claim 1, wherein the first network portion is a public network.
10. The network element according to claim 1, wherein the second network portion is a private network.
11. The network element according to claim 1, wherein the request cell includes a plurality of rate requests encoded therein.
12. A method for propagating a rate request along a block transfer connection between a source and a destination, comprising the steps of: issuing to a network a request cell having a rate request encoded therein for a connection; transmitting the request cell along the connection and across a boundary of the network located between a public network portion and a private network portion thereof, the private network portion including the destination; generating an acknowledgment cell, in response to the request cell, only from within the private network portion of the network unless the rate request is rejected; and transmitting to the source on the network the acknowledgment cell indicating the status of the rate request.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the acknowledgment cell indicates that the rate request has been granted, granted at a lower rate, or denied.
14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the request cell in the issuing step issues from the source or a node on the network.
15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the network has a second private network portion that includes the source.
16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method incorporates asynchronous transfer mode block transfer protocols.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the protocols include asynchronous transfer mode block transfer with delayed transmission.
18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the public network portion includes a plurality of public networks.
19. A method for propagating a rate request received at a network node along a block transfer connection, comprising the steps of: receiving from a network a request cell having a rate request encoded therein for a connection; determining whether to grant or reject the rate request; suppressing generation of an acknowledgment cell unless the rate request is rejected; and transmitting the request cell, for further review of the rate request, along the connection and across a boundary of the network located between a public network portion and a private network portion thereof, the private network portion including a destination system for the connection.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the rate request is rejected by an upstream node along the connection.
21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the rate request is rejected by the network node.
22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of: receiving from the private network portion of the network an acknowledgment cell; and transmitting the acknowledgment cell along the connection toward a source on the network.
23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the acknowledgment cell indicates that the rate request has been granted, granted at a lower rate, or denied.
24. The method according to claim 19, wherein the request cell received in the receiving step was issued from a source or a node on the network.
25. The method according to claim 19, wherein the method incorporates asynchronous transfer mode block transfer protocols.
26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the protocols include asynchronous transfer mode block transfer with delayed transmission.
27. A destination end system that acknowledges a rate request received from a forward block transfer connection, the forward block transfer connection coupling the destination end system to a source end system through a network along a connection path, comprising: an ingress link coupled to the forward block transfer connection; an egress link coupled to a backward block transfer connection that traverses the network along the connection path to the source; and a control unit, coupled to the ingress and egress link, receiving from the network through the ingress link a request cell having a rate request encoded therein for the forward block transfer connection, generating an acknowledgment cell based on the rate request, and emitting the acknowledgment cell to the source on the backward block transfer connection through the egress link.
28. The destination end system according to claim 27, wherein the control unit incorporates asynchronous transfer mode block transfer protocols.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A living wall system for growing botanical lifeforms on a preexisting planar vertical structure, including:
a plurality of living wall modules, each of said modules having a base panel, said base panels configured to be capable of being disposed in an edge-abutting relationship arranged in a tessellated array; each base panel impinging directly on said pre-existing planar vertical structure and including means for securing and supporting each base panel on said pre-existing planar vertical structure;
a first planter tile type of said modules having a coffer wall, said coffer wall having bottom and opposed side perimetrical edge portions joined directly to a front surface of said base panel and having a central edge portion spaced apart from said front surface, whereby said coffer wall tapers inwardly as it extends downwardly from said central edge portion to said side and bottom edges to define an upwardly opening flared cavity adapted to contain a plant growing medium; said central edge portion extending at a medial height portion of said front surface of said base panel, whereby an upper height portion of said front surface of said base panel extends freely above said central edge portion of said coffer wall;
said coffer wall and base panel comprising a unitary modular structure of the same material; and
a second base tile type of said modules having said base panel and lacking any coffer wall, said base panels of said first and second types of modules tiles being shaped to be assemblable in a plane in said edge-abutting relationship capable of forming said tessellated array.
2. The living wall system of claim 1, wherein said base panel of said planter tile modules includes a first lower edge and a first pair of side edges extending obliquely upwardly from opposed ends of said first lower edge, and said bottom and opposed side perimetrical edge portions of said coffer wall includes a continuous edge portion that is congruent with said first lower and side edges and joined to said base panel adjacent to said lower and side edges.
3. The living wall system of claim 1, wherein said base panel is configured as a hexagon.
4. The living wall system of claim 1, wherein said base panel is configured as a diamond shape.
5. The living wall system of claim 1, wherein said means for securing and supporting each of said panels on the pre-existing planar vertical structure includes a mounting hole extending through said base panel in said upper height portion of said front surface.
6. A living wall system for growing botanical lifeforms on a pre-existing planar vertical structure, including:
a plurality of living wall modules, each of said modules having a base panel, said base panels configured to be capable of being disposed in an edge-abutting relationship arranged in a tessellated array; each base panel impinging directly on said pre-existing planar vertical structure and including means for securing and supporting each base panel on said pre-existing planar vertical structure;
a first planter tile type of said modules having a coffer wall, said coffer wall having bottom and opposed side perimetrical edge portions joined directly to a front surface of said base panel and having a central portion spaced apart from said front surface, whereby said coffer wall flares outwardly as it extends upwardly from said side and bottom edges to define an upwardly opening flared cavity adapted to contain a plant growing medium; said central edge portion extending at a medial height portion of said front surface of said base panel, whereby an upper height portion of said front surface of said base panel extends freely above said central edge portion of said coffer wall;
said means for securing and supporting each base panel including a mounting hole extending through said base panel in said upper height portion of said front surface;
said coffer wall and base panel comprising a unitary modular structure of the same material; and
a second base tile type of said modules having said base panel and lacking any coffer wall, said base panels of said first and second types of modules tiles being shaped to be assemblable in a plane in said edge-abutting relationship capable of forming said tessellated array.