Message stripping protocol for a ring communication network

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein the stripping includes the process of inserting idle characters onto the network.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein the station of step (f) continues to strip until it detects a second predetermined bit sequence.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 wherein the second predetermined bit sequence includes an idle sequence and/or a start delimiter sequence.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 wherein the first predetermined bit sequence includes a start delimiter bit sequence.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 wherein the destination station strips the portion of the message appended to the source address.

Claim 10

The method of claim 7 wherein the generating station strips the portion of the message appended to the source address.

Claim 12

In a ring communicatin network system wherein stations are coupled serially to a ring with each station being operable to accept messages from locally connecting devices and placing said messages on the ring for delivery to a remote device and operable to receive messages from the ring and delivering said messages to the locally connecting devices a method for stripping expendable messages from the ring comprising the steps of: (a) transmitting from one of said stations a message including the identity of the source of the message, the identity of the destination of the message and a control indicia set in a first state; (b) buffering in each station a predetermined portion of the received message and comparing a selected portion of the buffered portion with the station's identity to determine a recipient station; (c) inserting idle characters on the line from the recipient station; (d) at a predefined station (i) monitoring the input to detect a predetermined bit sequence; (ii) buffering a selected portion of said predetermined bit sequence and bits thereafter; (iii) examining the buffered bits to determine the state of the control indicia; (iv) changing the state of said control indicia if found in said first state; and (v) stripping the buffered bits when the control indicia is different from the first state.

Claim 13

In a ring communicatin network system wherein stations are coupled serially to a ring with each station being operable to accept messages from locally connecting devices and placing said messages on the ring for delivery to a remote device and operable to receive messages from the ring and delivering said messages to the locally connecting devices a method for stripping expendable messages from the ring comprising the steps of: (a) transmitting from one of said stations a message including the identity of the source of the message, the identity of the destination of the message and a control indicia set in a first state; (b) buffering in each station a predetermined portion of the received message and comparing a selected portion of the buffered portion with the station's identity to determine a recipient station; (c) inserting idle characters on the line from the recipient station; (d) at a predefined station (i) monitoring the input to detect a predetermined bit sequence; (ii) buffering a selected portion of said predetermined bit sequence and bits thereafter; (iii) examining the buffered bits to determine the state of the control indicia; (iv) changing the state of said control indicia if found in said first state; and (v) stripping the buffered bits when the control indicia is different from the first state.

Claim 14

lI. The method of claim 10 further including at the recipient station the steps of: (e) monitoring the line to detect an explicit abort sequence, an implicit abort sequence, a start of new message sequence, or end of physical trailer sequence; and (f) continuing to insert idle characters until one of the sequences in step (e) is detected.

Claim 15

The method of claim 10 further including the steps of monitoring the line at said predefined station to detect a start delimiter sequence, and stripping the portion of the message from the start delimiter sequence until an explicit abort sequence or an implicit abort sequence or a start of new message is detected.

Claim 16

The method recited in claim 10 wherein said predefined station is a monitor station.

Claim 17

In a ring communication network system wherein stations are coupled serially to a ring with each station being operable to accept messages from locally connecting devices and placing said messages on the ring for delivery to a remote device and operable to receive messages from the ring and delivering said messages to the locally connecting devices a method for stripping expendable messages from the ring comprising the steps of: (a) transmitting from one of said stations a message including the identify of the source of the message, the identity of the destination of the message and a control indicia set in a first state; (b) receiving back the transmitted message; (c) buffering at said transmitting station, a portion of the received message; (d) correlating a selected portion of the buffered message with the station's address; (e) stripping a portion of the message from the line if the station's address correlates with the selected portion of the buffered message; (f) at a predefined station (i) monitoring the input to detect a predetermined bit sequence; (ii) buffering a selected portion of the predetermined bit sequence; (iii) examining the buffered bits to determine the state of the control indicia; (iv) changing the state of said control indicia if found in said first state; and (v) stripping the buffered bits when the control indicia is different from the first state.

Claim 18

In a ring communication network system wherein stations are coupled serially to a ring with each station being operable to accept messages from locally connecting devices and placing said messages on the ring for delivery to a remote device and operable to receive messages from the ring and delivering said messages to the locally connecting devices a method for stripping expendable messages from the ring comprising the steps of: (a) transmitting from one of said stations a message including the identify of the source of the message, the identity of the destination of the message and a control indicia set in a first state; (b) receiving back the transmitted message; (c) buffering at said transmitting station, a portion of the received message; (d) correlating a selected portion of the buffered message with the station's address; (e) stripping a portion of the message from the line if the station's address correlates with the selected portion of the buffered message; (f) at a predefined station (i) monitoring the input to detect a predetermined bit sequence; (ii) buffering a selected portion of the predetermined bit sequence; (iii) examining the buffered bits to determine the state of the control indicia; (iv) changing the state of said control indicia if found in said first state; and (v) stripping the buffered bits when the control indicia is different from the first state.

Claim 19

The method of claim 14 further including at the transmitting station the steps of: (g) monitoring the line to detect an explicit abort sequence, an implicit abort sequence, a start of message sequence or end of physical trailer sequence; and (h) continuing to insert idle characters until one of the sequences in step (g) is detected. 16. The method of claim 14 wherein the predetermined bit sequence in step (f) is a start delimiter sequence and further including the step of stripping the buffered bits in step (c) from the start delimiter sequence until an explicit or implicit abort sequence or a start of a new message is detected.

Claim 20

The method of claim 14 wherein stripping of the message in step (e) begins with the octet following the source address.

Claim 21

In a ring communication network system wherein stations are coupled serially to a ring with each station being operable to accept messages from locally connecting devices and placing said messages on the ring for delivery to a remote device and operable to receive messages from the ring and delivering said messages to the locally connecting devices a method for stripping expendable messages from the ring comprising the steps of: (a) transmitting from one of said stations a message including the identity of the source of the message, the identity of the destination of the message and a control indicia set in a first state; (b) receiving the transmitted message at a station; (c) buffering a portion of said received message; (d) correlating a selected portion of the buffered message with the station's address; (e) stripping a portion of the message from the line if the station's address correlates with the selected portion of the buffered message; (f) at a predefined station (i) monitoring the input to detect a predetermined bit sequence; (ii) buffering a selected portion of the predetermined bit sequence; (iii) examining the buffered bits to determine the state of the control indicia; (iv) changing the state of said control indicia if found in said first state; and (v) stripping the buffered bits when the control indicia is different from the first state.

Claim 22

In a ring communication network system wherein stations are coupled serially to a ring with each station being operable to accept messages from locally connecting devices and placing said messages on the ring for delivery to a remote device and operable to receive messages from the ring and delivering said messages to the locally connecting devices a method for stripping expendable messages from the ring comprising the steps of: (a) transmitting from one of said stations a message including the identity of the source of the message, the identity of the destination of the message and a control indicia set in a first state; (b) receiving the transmitted message at a station; (c) buffering a portion of said received message; (d) correlating a selected portion of the buffered message with the station's address; (e) stripping a portion of the message from the line if the station's address correlates with the selected portion of the buffered message; (f) at a predefined station (i) monitoring the input to detect a predetermined bit sequence; (ii) buffering a selected portion of the predetermined bit sequence; (iii) examining the buffered bits to determine the state of the control indicia; (iv) changing the state of said control indicia if found in said first state; and (v) stripping the buffered bits when the control indicia is different from the first state.

Claim 23

In a ring communication network system wherein stations are coupled serially to a ring with each station being operable to accept messages from locally connecting devices and placing said messages on the ring for delivery to a remote device and operable to receive messages from the ring and delivering said messages to the locally connecting devices a means for stripping expendable messages from the ring when one of said stations has transmitted a message including the identity of the source of the message, the identity of the destination of the message and a control indicia set in a first state, including means (148) for receiving back the transmitted message, means (142) for buffering a portion of said received message, means (140) for correlating a selected portion of the buffered message with the source address, characterized in that it includes means (130, 132, 134, 136) for stripping a portion of the message from the line if the source address correlates with the selected portion of the buffered message, means (101, 103) for monitoring the input at a predefined station to detect a predetermined bit sequence, means (108) for buffering a selected portion of the predetermined bit sequence, means (110, 112) for examining the buffered bits to determine the state of the control indicia, and means (104, 105) for stripping the buffered bits when the control indicia is different from the first state.

Claim 24

In a ring communication network system wherein stations are coupled serially to a ring with each station being operable to accept messages from locally connecting devices and placing said messages on the ring for delivery to a remote device and operable to receive messages from the ring and delivering said messages to the locally connecting devices a means for stripping expendable messages from the ring when one of said stations has transmitted a message including the identity of the source of the message, the identity of the destination of the message and a control indicia set in a first state, including means (148) for receiving back the transmitted message, means (142) for buffering a portion of said received message, means (140) for correlating a selected portion of the buffered message with the source address, characterized in that it includes means (130, 132, 134, 136) for stripping a portion of the message from the line if the source address correlates with the selected portion of the buffered message, means (101, 103) for monitoring the input at a predefined station to detect a predetermined bit sequence, means (108) for buffering a selected portion of the predetermined bit sequence, means (110, 112) for examining the buffered bits to determine the state of the control indicia, and means (104, 105) for stripping the buffered bits when the control indicia is different from the first state.

Claim 25

In a ring communication network system wherein stations are coupled serially to a ring with each station being operable to accept messages from locally connecting devices and placing said messages on the ring for delivery to a remote device and operable to receive messages from the ring and delivering said messages to the locally connecting devices a means for stripping expendable messages from the ring when one of said stations has transmitted a message including the identity of the source of the message, the identity of the destination of the message and a control indicia set in a first state including means (148') for receiving the transmitted message at a destination station, means (142') for buffering a portion of said receive message, means (140') for correlating a selected portion of the buffered message with the station's address, characterized in that it includes means (130', 132', 134', 136') for stripping a portion of the message from the line if the station's address correlates with the selected portion of the buffered message, means (101, 103) for monitoring the input at a predefined station to detect a predetermined bit sequence, means (108) for buffering a selected portion of the predetermined bit sequence, and means (110, 112) for examining the buffered bits to determine the state of the control indicia, and means (104, 105) for stripping the buffered bits when the control indicia is different from the first state.

Claim 26

In a ring communication network system wherein stations are coupled serially to a ring with each station being operable to accept messages from locally connecting devices and placing said messages on the ring for delivery to a remote device and operable to receive messages from the ring and delivering said messages to the locally connecting devices a means for stripping expendable messages from the ring when one of said stations has transmitted a message including the identity of the source of the message, the identity of the destination of the message and a control indicia set in a first state including means (148') for receiving the transmitted message at a destination station, means (142') for buffering a portion of said receive message, means (140') for correlating a selected portion of the buffered message with the station's address, characterized in that it includes means (130', 132', 134', 136') for stripping a portion of the message from the line if the station's address correlates with the selected portion of the buffered message, means (101, 103) for monitoring the input at a predefined station to detect a predetermined bit sequence, means (108) for buffering a selected portion of the predetermined bit sequence, and means (110, 112) for examining the buffered bits to determine the state of the control indicia, and means (104, 105) for stripping the buffered bits when the control indicia is different from the first state.