1. A method of sending a packet from a source node to a destination node comprising:
associating the packet with a traffic flow, the traffic flow directed from the source node to the destination node in a same broadcast domain, wherein the source node is connected with the destination node via a first and a second communication path;
measuring a criterion for the first communication path and for the second communication path, wherein the criterion is based on an attribute of a policy setting;
selecting between the first and second communication paths based on the measured criterion;
assigning the selected communication path to the associated traffic flow; and
sending the packet via the selected communication path.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the packet with the traffic flow comprises:
determining a source port number and a destination port number in a header of the packet to associate the packet with the traffic flow.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein selecting between the first and second communication paths comprises:
updating a data path forwarding table with state information, wherein the state information include the source port number, the destination port number, and the selected communication path for the packet.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting between the first and second communication paths comprises:
updating the data path forwarding table with the state information of an intermediate node between the source and destination node.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting between the first and second communication paths comprises:
updating the data path forwarding table with state information of a reverse communication path from the destination node to the source node.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein sending the packet via the selected communication path comprises:
accessing the data path forwarding table to obtain the source port number and the destination port number for sending the packet.
7. An intermediate layer coupled with layer two and layer three of a network protocol stack, the intermediate layer comprising:
a data path processor to associate a packet to a traffic flow, and to send the packet via a selected communication path, wherein the traffic flow is directed from a source node to a destination node in a same broadcast domain; and
a control block, communicatively coupled to the data path processor, further comprising:
a neighbor discovery module to find reachable nodes connected to the source node;
a path discovery module to find a first and a second communication path, wherein the source node is connected with the destination nod via the first and the second communication path;
a policy engine module to select a criterion for the traffic flow, wherein the criterion is based on an attribute of a policy setting;
a metric measurement module to measure the criterion for the first communication path and for the second communication path; and
a path selection module to select between the first and second communication paths based on the measured criterion, and to assign the selected communication path to the associated traffic flow.
8. The intermediate layer in claim 7, wherein the data path processor is to determine a source port number and a destination port number in a header of the packet to associate the packet with the traffic flow.
9. The intermediate layer in claim 7, further comprising an interface block, communicatively coupled to a Transmission Control ProtocolInternet Protocol (TCPIP) layer and the data path processor, to transfer the packet between the TCPIP layer and the data path processor.
10. The intermediate layer in claim 7, further comprising a packet multiplexer, communicatively coupled to a Network Interface Card (NIC) layer, the data path processor and the control block, to transfer the packet among the NIC layer, data path processor and the control block, wherein the NIC layer comprises at least one NIC.
11. The intermediate layer in claim 7, wherein the packet is a control packet or a data packet.
12. The intermediate layer in claim 8, wherein the path selection module updates a data path forwarding table with state information, wherein the state information include the source port number, the destination port number, and the selected communication path for the packet.
13. The path selection module in claim 12, wherein the path selection module is to update the data path forwarding table with the state information of an intermediate node between the source and destination node.
14. The path selection module in claim 12, wherein the path selection module is to update the data path forwarding table with state information of a reverse communication path from the destination node to the source node.
15. The data path processor in claim 12, wherein the data path processor is to access the data path forwarding table to obtain the source port number and the destination port number for sending the packet.
16. The interface block in claim 9, further comprising:
a Virtual-NIC (V-NIC), to provide a pseudo NIC interface to the TCPIP layer; and
a Smart Path Selection-Network Interface Card (SPS-NIC) associated with at least two physical NICs, to provide a pseudo NIC interface to the TCPIP layer.
17. The intermediate layer in claim 16, wherein the data path processor is further to associate a packet to a traffic flow when the packet originates from a SPS-NIC.
18. The intermediate layer of claim 7, wherein each of the first and second communication paths operates in accordance with Bluetooth, Ethernet, 802.11n, Ultra Wide Band or HomePlug AV communication protocols.
19. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed in a source node, cause an intermediate layer coupled with layer two and layer three of a network protocol stack to perform the following steps:
associating a packet with a traffic flow, the traffic flow directed from the source node to a destination node in a same broadcast domain, wherein the source node is connected with the destination node via a first and a second communication path;
measuring a criterion for the first communication path and for the second communication path, wherein the criterion is based on an attribute of a policy setting;
selecting between the first and second communication paths based on the measured criterion;
assigning the selected communication path to the associated traffic flow; and
sending the packet via the selected communication path.
20. The medium of claim 19, wherein each of the first and second communication paths operates in accordance with Bluetooth, Ethernet, 802.11n, Ultra Wide Band or HomePlug AV communication protocols.
21. The medium of claim 19, wherein associating the packet with the traffic flow comprises:
determining a source port number and a destination port number in a header of the packet to associate the packet with the traffic flow;
22. The medium of claim 21, wherein selecting between the first and second communication paths comprises:
updating a data path forwarding table with state information, wherein the state information include the source port number, the destination port number, and the selected communication path for the packet.
23. The medium of claim 19, wherein selecting between the first and second communication paths further comprises:
updating the data path forwarding table with the state information of an intermediate node between the source and destination node.
24. The medium of claim 19, wherein selecting between the first and second communication paths further comprises:
updating the data path forwarding table with state information of a reverse communication path from the destination node to the source node.
25. The medium of claim 19, wherein selecting between the first and second communication paths further comprises:
accessing the data path forwarding table to obtain the source port number and the destination port number for sending the packet.
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 3D camera system with a field of view adapted to capture a composite 3D image of a figure of interest within said field of view, the 3D camera system comprising:
a computer adapted to generate a clock signal and an initiation signal to start data acquisition following the emission of an illuminating light pulse;
a pulsed light source having a beam shaping element, said pulsed light source emitting at least one light pulse illuminating the figure of interest within said field of view;
a digital memory circuit connected to said computer and to a 3D sensor;
a 2D camera having an overlapping field of view, and a 2D image output connected to said computer;
a 3D sensor connected to the computer and adapted both to acquire a ladar 3D image of said field of view and to store the ladar 3D image in said digital memory;
wherein said 3D sensor includes:
a 3D focal plane array;
a sensor housing;
a lens system which collects light pulse signals reflected from said figure of interest and directs said collected light pulse signals onto the 3D focal plane array,
said 3D focal plane array including:
an array of optical detectors having a regular geometric arrangement, positioned in a focal plane of said lens system, and each detector converting an incident light pulse signal into an electrical pulse signal; and
a readout circuit, including an array of unit cell electrical circuits with corresponding regular geometric arrangement;
wherein each unit cell electrical circuit has an input electrically connected to a terminal of a companion optical detector of said array of optical detectors, said unit cell electrical circuit adapted to amplify said electrical pulse signals and having a trigger circuit adapted to detect the presence of said electrical pulse signal and thereupon to produce an acquisition termination signal, wherein each unit cell electrical circuit further includes a unit cell timing circuit initiated by said initiation signal, said unit cell timing circuit being terminated by said acquisition termination signal, thereby measuring the time of flight of a light pulse to the unit cell, said unit cell timing circuit having a unit cell time of flight output connected to the periphery of the readout circuit, and the readout circuit having a ladar 3D image output comprised of the unit cell time of flight outputs;
wherein the computer is adapted to develop a composite 3D image from the ladar 3D image output and the 2D image output.
2. The 3D camera system of claim 1, wherein the readout circuit includes at least one digital processor.
3. The 3D camera system of claim 1, wherein the 3D sensor includes an embedded computer.
4. The 3D camera system of claim 1, wherein the 2D camera is an infrared sensor.
5. The 3D camera system of claim 1, wherein the timing circuit is a count accumulator driven by a clock.
6. The 3D camera system of claim 1, wherein the initiation signal is coincident with the emission of an illuminating light pulse from the pulsed light source.
7. The 3D camera system of claim 1, wherein the unit cell electrical circuit includes an analog to digital converter of at least one bit.
8. The 3D camera system of claim 1, wherein the computer develops the composite 3D image by employing a method selected from the set consisting of: overlaying, and texturing.
9. The 3D camera system of claim 1, wherein each unit cell electrical circuit includes an electrical amplifier, said electrical amplifier having an input connected through a conductive bump to a terminal of a companion optical detector of said array of optical detectors, said electrical amplifier having an output connected to a unit cell trigger circuit, the unit cell trigger circuit adapted to detect the presence of said electrical pulse signal and to produce an acquisition termination signal, and said electrical amplifier output further connected to a plurality of normally-off switch inputs, and the output of each switch further connected to a memory capacitor, and a logic circuit for selecting a control input located on each of the switches, and adapted to turn on said switches in a sequence, thereby producing a set of analog samples of said electrical pulse signal;
wherein the unit cell timing circuit is initiated by said initiation signal following the emission of an illuminating pulse and is terminated by said acquisition termination signal, thereby measuring the time of flight of an illuminating pulse to the unit cell;
wherein the unit cell timing circuit further includes a unit cell time of flight output adapted to drive said unit cell time of flight values to the periphery of the readout circuit, and a unit cell output circuit having an input connecting to each of said memory capacitors and an output connecting to an analog sample output circuit adapted to drive said analog samples to the periphery of the readout circuit.
10. The 3D camera system of claim 9, wherein the analog sample output is connected to an analog to digital converter.
11. The 3D camera system of claim 9, wherein the logic circuit for selecting and turning on each of the switches in a sequence is a circular selector driven by a clock.
12. A 3D camera system with a field of view adapted to capture composite a 3D image of a figure within said field of view, the 3D camera system comprising:
a computer adapted to generate a clock signal and an initiation signal to start data acquisition following the emission of an illuminating light pulse;
a pulsed light source having a beam shaping element, said pulsed light source emitting at least one light pulse illuminating a figure of interest within said field of view;
an electronically controlled mirror connected to the computer, and adapted to deflect said light pulse throughout the field of view upon instruction of the computer;
a digital memory circuit connected both to said computer and to a 3D sensor;
a 2D camera having an overlapping field of view and a 2D image output connected to said computer;
a 3D sensor connected to the computer and adapted both to acquire a ladar 3D image of said field of view and to store the ladar 3D image in said digital memory;
wherein said 3D sensor includes:
a 3D focal plane array;
a sensor housing;
a lens system adapted both to collect light pulse signals reflected from said figure of interest and to direct said collected light pulse signals onto the 3D focal plane array, said 3D focal plane array including:
an array of optical detectors having a regular geometric arrangement, positioned in a focal plane of said lens system, each detector adapted to convert an incident light pulse signal into an electrical pulse signal; and
a readout circuit having an array of unit cell electrical circuits with corresponding regular geometric arrangement;
wherein each unit cell electrical circuit has an input electrically connected to a terminal of a companion optical detector of said array of optical detectors, said unit cell electrical circuit adapted to amplify said electrical pulse signals and having a trigger circuit adapted to detect the presence of said electrical pulse signal and thereupon to produce an acquisition termination signal, wherein each unit cell electrical circuit further includes a unit cell timing circuit initiated by said initiation signal, said unit cell timing circuit being terminated by said acquisition termination signal, thereby measuring the time of flight of a light pulse to the unit cell, said unit cell timing circuit having a unit cell time of flight output connected to the periphery of the readout circuit, and the readout circuit having a ladar 3D image output corresponding to the unit cell time of flight outputs;
wherein the computer is adapted to develop a composite 3D image from the ladar 3D image output and the 2D image output.
13. The 3D camera system of claim 12, wherein the readout circuit includes at least one digital processor.
14. The 3D camera system of claim 12, wherein the 3D sensor includes an embedded computer.
15. The 3D camera system of claim 12, wherein the timing circuit is a count accumulator driven by a clock.
16. The 3D camera system of claim 12, wherein the initiation signal is coincident with the emission of an illuminating light pulse.
17. The 3D camera system of claim 12, wherein the computer develops the composite 3D image by employing a method selected from the set consisting of: overlaying, and texturing.
18. A 3D camera system with a field of view adapted to capture 3D images of figures within said field of view, the 3D camera system comprising:
a computer adapted to generate a clock signal and an initiation signal to start data acquisition following the emission of an illuminating light pulse;
a pulsed light source having a beam shaping element, said pulsed light source emitting at least one light pulse illuminating a figure of interest within said field of view;
an electronically controlled mirror connected to the computer, and adapted to deflect said light pulse throughout the field of view;
a digital memory circuit connected both to said computer and to a 3D sensor;
a 3D sensor connected to the computer, and adapted both to acquire a 3D image of said field of view and to store the 3D image in said digital memory;
wherein said 3D sensor includes:
a 3D focal plane array;
a sensor housing;
a lens system which collects light pulse signals reflected from said figure of interest and directs said collected light pulse signals onto the 3D focal plane array,
said 3D focal plane array including:
an array of optical detectors having a regular geometric arrangement, positioned in a focal plane of said lens system, and each detector converting an incident light pulse signal into an electrical pulse signal; and
a readout circuit, including an array of unit cell electrical circuits with corresponding regular geometric arrangement;
wherein each unit cell electrical circuit has an input electrically connected to a terminal of a companion optical detector of said array of optical detectors, said unit cell electrical circuit adapted to amplify said electrical pulse signals and having a trigger circuit adapted to detect the presence of said electrical pulse signal and thereupon to produce an acquisition termination signal, wherein each unit cell electrical circuit further includes a unit cell timing circuit initiated by said initiation signal, said unit cell timing circuit being terminated by said acquisition termination signal, thereby measuring the time of flight of a light pulse to the unit cell, said unit cell timing circuit having a unit cell time of flight output connected to the periphery of the readout circuit, and the readout circuit having a 3D image output comprised of the unit cell time of flight outputs;
wherein the computer is adapted to capture three dimensional motion data of said figure of interest from the ladar 3D image output.
19. The 3D camera system of claim 18, wherein the captured three dimensional motion data is incorporated into a video game.
20. The 3D camera system of claim 18, wherein a computer program is adapted to rotate and approach the captured three dimensional motion data from different geometrical points of view.