Frame removal mechanism for token ring networks

Claim 2

A station on a computer network, said station comprising: A. transmitting means for transmitting one or more information frames on the network; B. originating means responsive to said transmitting means for originating one or more strip delimiter frames and transmitting said delimiter frames on to the network at the end of the information frame transmission; C. strip delimiter frame detecting means for detecting error-free strip delimiter frames on the network; and D. frame stripping means responsive to said transmitting means and said strip delimiter frame detecting means for stripping from the network information frames received after frame transmission is begun and before one of said strip delimiter frames is detected.

Claim 3

The station of claim 1, said station further comprising a counter responsive to said transmitting means for counting the frames transmitted by the station on to the network.

Claim 4

The station of claim 2 wherein said counter is further responsive to said frame stripping means such that the frame count is reduced by one for each error-free frame stripped from the network.

Claim 5

The station of claim 3 wherein said frame stripping means is further responsive to said counter such that frames other than said strip delimiter frames or frames identifying said station as the source station are not stripped after the earlier of: i. the count equalling zero, or ii. the detection of a strip delimiter frame.

Claim 6

The station of claim 2 wherein said counter is further responsive to said originating means and increments the frame count by one for each strip delimiter frame transmitted.

Claim 7

The station of claim 5 wherein said counter is additionally responsive to said frame stripping means such that the frame count is reduced by one for each error-free frame stripped from the network.

Claim 8

The station of claim 6 wherein said frame stripping means is further responsive to said counter such that frames other than said strip delimiter frames or frames identifying said station as the source station are not stripped after the earlier of: i. the detection of a strip delimiter frame, or ii. the frame count equalling zero.

Claim 9

A station on a computer network, said station comprising: A. transmitting means for transmitting one or more information frames on the network; B. originating means responsive to said transmitting means for originating one or more strip delimiter frames and transmitting said frames on to the network at the end of the information frame transmission; C. frame stripping means for stripping frames from the network; D. a counter responsive to said transmitting means and said originating means for counting the frames transmitted on to the network by the station, and further responsive to said frame stripping means for decrementing said count for each error-free information frame stripped from the network by the station; E. strip delimiter frame detecting means for detecting error-free strip delimiter frames on the network; and F. frame stripping control means responsive to said transmitting means, said strip delimiter frame detecting means and said counter for controlling said frame stripping means such that frames other than strip delimiter frames or frames identifying said station as the source station received after said frame transmission is begun and before the earlier of: i. the detection of a strip delimiter frame, or ii. the frame count equalling zero. are stripped.

Claim 10

A station on a computer network, said station comprising: A. transmitting means for transmitting one or more information frames on the network; B. originating means responsive to said transmitting means for originating one or more strip delimiter frames and transmitting said frames on to the network at the end of the information frame transmission; C. frame stripping means for stripping frames from the network; D. a counter responsive to said transmitting means and said originating means for counting the frames transmitted on to the network by the station, and further responsive to said frame stripping means for decrementing said count for each error-free information frame stripped from the network by the station; E. strip delimiter frame detecting means for detecting error-free strip delimiter frames on the network; and F. frame stripping control means responsive to said transmitting means, said strip delimiter frame detecting means and said counter for controlling said frame stripping means such that frames other than strip delimiter frames or frames identifying said station as the source station received after said frame transmission is begun and before the earlier of: i. the detection of a strip delimiter frame, or ii. the frame count equalling zero. are stripped.

Claim 11

A station on a computer network, said station comprising: A. transmitting means for transmitting one or more information frames on to the network; B. frame stripping means for stripping frames from the network; C. a counter responsive to said transmitting means for counting the frames transmitted on to the network by the station, and further responsive to said frame stripping means for decrementing said count for each error-free information frame stripped from the network by the station; and D. frame stripping control means for controlling the frame stripping means such that information frames are stripped from the network when said counter has a non-zero count.

Claim 12

A station on a computer network, said station comprising: A. transmitting means for transmitting one or more information frames on to the network; B. frame stripping means for stripping frames from the network; C. a counter responsive to said transmitting means for counting the frames transmitted on to the network by the station, and further responsive to said frame stripping means for decrementing said count for each error-free information frame stripped from the network by the station; and D. frame stripping control means for controlling the frame stripping means such that information frames are stripped from the network when said counter has a non-zero count.

Claim 13

A station on a computer network, said station comprising: A. transmitting means for transmitting one or more information frames on the network; B. originating means responsive to said transmitting means for originating one or more strip delimiter frames and transmitting said frames on to the network at the end of the information frame transmission. C. frame stripping means for stripping frames from the network; D. a counter responsive to said transmitting means and said originating means for counting the frames transmitted on to the network by the station, and further responsive to said frame stripping means for decrementing said count for each error-free information frame stripped from the network by the station; E. strip delimiter frame detecting means for detecting error-free strip delimiter frames on the network; F. error condition detecting means for detecting frames indicating a network error condition; G. token detecting means for detecting the network token; and H. frame stripping control means responsive to said transmitting means, said strip delimiter frame detecting means, said error condition detecting means, said token detecting means and said counter for controlling said frame stripping means such that frames other than strip delimiter frames, received after said frame transmission is begun and before the earlier of: i. the detection of one of said strip delimiter frames, ii. the frame count equalling zero, iii. the detection of a network error condition, or iv. the detection of the network token, are stripped.

Claim 14

A station on a computer network, said station comprising: A. transmitting means for transmitting one or more information frames on the network; B. originating means responsive to said transmitting means for originating one or more strip delimiter frames and transmitting said frames on to the network at the end of the information frame transmission. C. frame stripping means for stripping frames from the network; D. a counter responsive to said transmitting means and said originating means for counting the frames transmitted on to the network by the station, and further responsive to said frame stripping means for decrementing said count for each error-free information frame stripped from the network by the station; E. strip delimiter frame detecting means for detecting error-free strip delimiter frames on the network; F. error condition detecting means for detecting frames indicating a network error condition; G. token detecting means for detecting the network token; and H. frame stripping control means responsive to said transmitting means, said strip delimiter frame detecting means, said error condition detecting means, said token detecting means and said counter for controlling said frame stripping means such that frames other than strip delimiter frames, received after said frame transmission is begun and before the earlier of: i. the detection of one of said strip delimiter frames, ii. the frame count equalling zero, iii. the detection of a network error condition, or iv. the detection of the network token, are stripped.

Claim 15

A station on a computer network, said station comprising: A. transmitting means for transmitting one or more information frames on the network; B. originating means responsive to said transmitting means for originating one or more strip delimiter frames and transmitting said delimiter frames on to the network at the end of the information frame transmission; C. strip delimiter frame detecting means for detecting said strip delimiter frames on the network; D. token detecting means for detecting a token on the network; E. network error condition detecting means for detecting error conditions on the network; and F. frame stripping means responsive to said transmitting means, and said strip delimiter frame detecting means, said token detecting means and said network error condition detecting means for stripping from the network information frames received after frame transmission is begun and before: i. the detection of one of said strip delimiter frames is detected. ii. the detection of a token, or iii. the detection of a network error condition.

Claim 16

A station on a computer network, said station comprising: A. transmitting means for transmitting one or more information frames on the network; B. originating means responsive to said transmitting means for originating one or more strip delimiter frames and transmitting said delimiter frames on to the network at the end of the information frame transmission; C. strip delimiter frame detecting means for detecting said strip delimiter frames on the network; D. token detecting means for detecting a token on the network; E. network error condition detecting means for detecting error conditions on the network; and F. frame stripping means responsive to said transmitting means, and said strip delimiter frame detecting means, said token detecting means and said network error condition detecting means for stripping from the network information frames received after frame transmission is begun and before: i. the detection of one of said strip delimiter frames is detected. ii. the detection of a token, or iii. the detection of a network error condition.

Claim 19

The method of claim 12, said method further comprising counting the frames transmitted on to the network and maintaining a frame count.

Claim 20

The method of claim 13, said counting step further comprising reducing the count by one for each error-free frame stripped from the network by the station.

Claim 21

The method of claim 14, said frame stripping step further comprising discontinuing the frame stripping at the earlier of: i. the count equalling zero, or ii. the detection of one of said strip delimiter frames.

Claim 22

The method of claim 15, said counting step additionally comprising incrementing the frame count by one for each strip delimiter frame transmitted.

Claim 23

The method of claim 16, said counting step further comprising reducing the frame count by one for each error-­free frame stripped from the network.

Claim 24

The method of claim 17, said stripping step comprising discontinuing frame stripping such that frames other than said strip delimiter frames and frames identifying said station as the source station will not be stripped after the earlier of: i. the detection of one of said strip delimiter frames, or ii. the frame count equalling zero.