EP0217351A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Communication control apparatus
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1986-09-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-09-30
Abstract
Abstract A communication control apparatus wherein the version number of a communication control program in a packet accepted by a receive circuit (1) is compared at a comparator (2) with that of the local station. When the version for the local station is determined to be older than the version for the remote station, the apparatus receives the latest communication control program from the remote station and stores it in a rewritable memory (4), thereby allowing communication using the latest version.
Inventors
- 👤 Kiichiro Tamaru
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 21:47
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F8/00; G06F8/70; G06F8/71
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
133 words
A communications control apparatus provided in each computer system for communication between computer systems linked by a computer network comprising a transmit-receive circuit (1) connected to said computer network so as to communicate between the local station and other remote stations characterized in that said communication control apparatus comprises a rewritable storage unit(4) in which a communication program is stored; a comparison unit (2) for determining whether or not a version number of communication control program in a packet accepted by said transmit-receive circuit is newer than that of the communication control program stored in said storage unit; and a controller(3) for performing communication between said local station and a remote station using a communication control program of the latest version compatible therebetween on the basis of an output of said comparison unit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
133 words
A communications control apparatus provided in each computer system for communication between computer systems linked by a computer network comprising a transmit-receive circuit (1) connected to said computer network so as to communicate between the local station and other remote stations characterized in that said communication control apparatus comprises a rewritable storage unit(4) in which a communication program is stored; a comparison unit (2) for determining whether or not a version number of communication control program in a packet accepted by said transmit-receive circuit is newer than that of the communication control program stored in said storage unit; and a controller(3) for performing communication between said local station and a remote station using a communication control program of the latest version compatible therebetween on the basis of an output of said comparison unit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A communication control apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transmit-receive circuit further comprises a version number hold circuit (105) for holding the version number of the communication control program in the packet received.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A communication control apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said version number hold circuit is constituted with a latch.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
A communication control apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said comparison unit is comprised of an n-bit full adder (211) for adding the version number of a communication control program for the remote station and the inverted version number of a communication control program for the local station.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
70 words
A communication control apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the output from said full adder represents a coincidence or noncoincidence between the version number of the communication control program for the remote station and that of the communication control program for the local station, and wherein a carry output from said adder represents which version is newer when both the version numbers are not coincident with each other.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
94 words
A communication control apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said controller (3) requests the remote station to transfer to the local station the newer version of communication control program when the program version for the local station is older than the program version for the remote station, and informs the remote station that the program version for the remote station is older, or forcedly transfers to the remote station the newer version of communication control program, when the program version for the remote station is older than that for the local station.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A communication control apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said controller sends an acknowledgement signal when it receives a packet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
A communication control apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the information that the communication control program of the local station is of an old version, the request for transfer of the newer version, and the acknowledgement signals are stored in said storage unit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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