Communication device

Claim 2

A communication device (1) comprising: an upper layer communication control unit (2) having a plurality of upper layer communication protocols (5, 6, 7); a lower layer communication control unit (3), subordinated to said upper layer communication control unit, having a function of forming an inter-upper-layer communication by transmitting the data sent from said upper layer communication control unit to a communication transmission path or sending the data received from said communication path to said upper layer communication control unit; and a communication path register memory (4) for storing a set of the address of a communication partner device, the discriminator of the upper layer communication protocol being used and the name of a communication path, wherein a request of setting/cancelling of the communication path, or a transmission request as well as designation of the communication path to be used is performed from said upper layer communication control unit (2) to said lower layer communication control unit (3), and indication of setting/cancelling of the communication path, or indication of the communication path used as well as reception indication is performed from said lower layer communication control unit (3) to said upper layer communication control unit (2).

Claim 3

A communication device according to claim 1, wherein said upper layer communication control unit (2) includes a general communication protocol (5) and an extended communication protocol (6, 7) as upper layer communication protocols to be handled, and said communication path register memory (4) stores a pair of the address of a communication partner device with which communication is being performed in accordance with the extended communication protocol and the name of the communication path being used.

Claim 4

A communication device according to claim 2, wherein said upper layer communication control unit is set so that it communicates with the communication partner not registered in the communication path register memory in accordance with the upper layer general communication protocol (5).

Claim 5

A communication device comprising: a communication path register memory (4) for storing a set of the address of a communication partner device, the name of a communication path and/or the discriminator of an upper layer communication protocol in order to store one or more communication paths; an upper layer communication control unit (2) including a plurality of upper layer communication protocols (5, 6, 7); and a lower layer communication control unit (3) subordinated to said upper layer communication control unit, having a function of forming an inter-upper-layer communication by transmitting the data sent from said upper layer communication control unit to a communication transmission path or sending the data received from said communication path to said upper layer communication control unit; and having functions of, if a request of setting a communication path for communication in accordance with the upper layer communication protocol is received from said upper layer communication control unit (2), sending a preamble code having a code indicative of the name of the upper layer communication protocol to be used and a discriminator of the communication path, and of, if the preamble code and the discriminator of the communication path are received, registering in said memory (4) the discriminators of the communication partner device, the communication path and/or the upper layer communication protocol; wherein a request of setting/cancelling of the communication path, or a transmission request as well as designation of the communication path to be used is performed from said upper layer communication control unit (2) to said lower layer communication control unit (3), and indication of setting/cancelling of the communication path, or indication of the communication path used as well as reception indication is performed from said lower layer communication control unit (3) to said upper layer communication control unit (2).

Claim 6

A communication device comprising: a communication path register memory (4) for storing a set of the address of a communication partner device, the name of a communication path and/or the discriminator of an upper layer communication protocol in order to store one or more communication paths; an upper layer communication control unit (2) including a plurality of upper layer communication protocols (5, 6, 7); and a lower layer communication control unit (3) subordinated to said upper layer communication control unit, having a function of forming an inter-upper-layer communication by transmitting the data sent from said upper layer communication control unit to a communication transmission path or sending the data received from said communication path to said upper layer communication control unit; and having functions of, if a request of setting a communication path for communication in accordance with the upper layer communication protocol is received from said upper layer communication control unit (2), sending a preamble code having a code indicative of the name of the upper layer communication protocol to be used and a discriminator of the communication path, and of, if the preamble code and the discriminator of the communication path are received, registering in said memory (4) the discriminators of the communication partner device, the communication path and/or the upper layer communication protocol; wherein a request of setting/cancelling of the communication path, or a transmission request as well as designation of the communication path to be used is performed from said upper layer communication control unit (2) to said lower layer communication control unit (3), and indication of setting/cancelling of the communication path, or indication of the communication path used as well as reception indication is performed from said lower layer communication control unit (3) to said upper layer communication control unit (2).

Claim 7

A communication device comprising; an upper layer communication control unit (2) for processing an upper layer communication protocol (5, 6, 7); and a lower layer communication control unit (3) subordinated to said upper layer communication control unit, having a function of forming an inter-upper-layer communication by transmitting the data sent from said upper layer communication control unit to a communication transmission path or sending the data received from said communication path to said upper layer communication control unit in such at manner that if data to be transmitted according to the upper layer communication protocol is received from said upper layer communication control unit (2), it is transmitted by one frame in such a manner that it is divided at intervals of the data length permitted within one frame on a communication path, and if a frame including the divided data according to the upper layer communication protocol is received from the communication path, a plurality of frames are received until they are completed as the data according to the upper layer communicatior protocol and the data according to the upper layer protocol thus assembled is sent to said upper layer communication control unit; wherein a request of setting/cancelling of the communication path, or a transmission request as well as designation of the communication path to the used is performed from said upper layer communication control unit (2) to said lower layer communication control unit (3), and indication of setting/cancelling of the communication path, or indication of the communication path used as well as reception indication is performed from said lower layer communication control unit (3) to said upper layer communication control unit (2).

Claim 8

A communication device comprising; an upper layer communication control unit (2) for processing an upper layer communication protocol (5, 6, 7); and a lower layer communication control unit (3) subordinated to said upper layer communication control unit, having a function of forming an inter-upper-layer communication by transmitting the data sent from said upper layer communication control unit to a communication transmission path or sending the data received from said communication path to said upper layer communication control unit in such at manner that if data to be transmitted according to the upper layer communication protocol is received from said upper layer communication control unit (2), it is transmitted by one frame in such a manner that it is divided at intervals of the data length permitted within one frame on a communication path, and if a frame including the divided data according to the upper layer communication protocol is received from the communication path, a plurality of frames are received until they are completed as the data according to the upper layer communicatior protocol and the data according to the upper layer protocol thus assembled is sent to said upper layer communication control unit; wherein a request of setting/cancelling of the communication path, or a transmission request as well as designation of the communication path to the used is performed from said upper layer communication control unit (2) to said lower layer communication control unit (3), and indication of setting/cancelling of the communication path, or indication of the communication path used as well as reception indication is performed from said lower layer communication control unit (3) to said upper layer communication control unit (2).