Patent US780733A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0503323A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0503323A2
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EP
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Serial bus interface and method
Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc
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Filing: 1992-02-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-02-19
Abstract
Abstract A communication interface and method wherein messages are transmitted from slave nodes (11,11',11'') to a master node (12) only in response to polling by the master node, and the responses by the slave node include signals corresponding to the number of data bytes that will be sent, preceded by a reply byte that constitutes a checksum. The number of data bytes in a message may be limited, so that messages longer than a given number of data bytes may require transmission in a plurality of message packets in response to separate polling signals from the master node (12). <IMAGE>
Inventors
- 👤 Peter C. Digiulio
- 👤 David K. Lee
- 👤 Edilberto I. Salazar
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 16:57
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L12/00; H04L12/28; H04L12/40; H04L12/40006; H04L12/40013; H04L12/403
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
131 words
In an apparatus for receiving data and control signals from a bus and for applying data and control signals to said bus, wherein the apparatus includes a transmit buffer for storing messages for application to the bus, means for storing the full or empty states of said transmit buffer, and a controller, the improvement wherein said controller comprises means responsive to the receipt of a signal from said bus that includes a predetermined control signal for applying to said bus a byte signal representing the number of bytes of data stored in said transmit buffer, and means responsive to the application of said byte signal to said bus for applying said data bytes to said bus, whereby the number of data bytes applied to said bus corresponds to said byte signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
131 words
In an apparatus for receiving data and control signals from a bus and for applying data and control signals to said bus, wherein the apparatus includes a transmit buffer for storing messages for application to the bus, means for storing the full or empty states of said transmit buffer, and a controller, the improvement wherein said controller comprises means responsive to the receipt of a signal from said bus that includes a predetermined control signal for applying to said bus a byte signal representing the number of bytes of data stored in said transmit buffer, and means responsive to the application of said byte signal to said bus for applying said data bytes to said bus, whereby the number of data bytes applied to said bus corresponds to said byte signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means responsive to the receipt of said predetermined control signal for applying to said bus a reply signal before applying said byte signal thereto, said reply signal including a checksum of the predetermined control signal and the reply signal and the status of said transmit buffer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means responsive to the application of said data bytes to said bus for applying cyclic redundancy check bytes to said bus corresponding to said byte signal and data signals.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
157 words
In an apparatus for receiving data and control signals from a bus and for applying data and control signals to said bus, wherein the apparatus includes a receive buffer for receiving messages from the bus, a transmit buffer for storing messages for application to the bus, means for storing the full or empty states of said receive and transmit buffers, and a controller, the improvement wherein said apparatus comprises means for storing an address unique to said apparatus, and said controller comprises means responsive to the receipt of a signal from said bus that includes said address and a first control signal for applying to said bus a byte signal representing the number of bytes of data stored in said transmit buffer, means responsive to the application of said byte signal to said bus for applying said data bytes to said bus, whereby the number of data bytes applied to said bus corresponds to said byte signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
157 words
In an apparatus for receiving data and control signals from a bus and for applying data and control signals to said bus, wherein the apparatus includes a receive buffer for receiving messages from the bus, a transmit buffer for storing messages for application to the bus, means for storing the full or empty states of said receive and transmit buffers, and a controller, the improvement wherein said apparatus comprises means for storing an address unique to said apparatus, and said controller comprises means responsive to the receipt of a signal from said bus that includes said address and a first control signal for applying to said bus a byte signal representing the number of bytes of data stored in said transmit buffer, means responsive to the application of said byte signal to said bus for applying said data bytes to said bus, whereby the number of data bytes applied to said bus corresponds to said byte signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said bus is a serial bus.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said apparatus is a peripheral device of a mail processing system.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising means responsive to the receipt of said address and first control signal for applying to said bus a reply signal before applying said byte signal thereto, said reply signal including a checksum of the address and first control signal and the reply signal and the status of said transmit buffer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising means responsive to the application of said data bytes to said bus for applying cyclic redundancy check bytes to said bus corresponding to said byte signal and data signals.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
168 words
A communication system for communication between a master node and a plurality of slave nodes via a bus, wherein each of said master and slave nodes includes control means, and means for transmitting control and data bytes via said bus and for receiving control and data bytes from said bus, the improvement wherein each of said slave nodes has a unique address, said master node comprises means for polling said slave nodes by applying address signals to said bus corresponding sequentially to the addresses of said slave nodes, and wherein each of said slave nodes comprises means responsive to the receipt of an address signal corresponding thereto for applying a reply signal to said bus, means responsive to the application of said reply signal to said bus for applying a byte signal to said bus corresponding to a number of bytes, and means responsive to application of said byte signal to said bus for applying a number of data bytes to said bus corresponding to said byte signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
168 words
A communication system for communication between a master node and a plurality of slave nodes via a bus, wherein each of said master and slave nodes includes control means, and means for transmitting control and data bytes via said bus and for receiving control and data bytes from said bus, the improvement wherein each of said slave nodes has a unique address, said master node comprises means for polling said slave nodes by applying address signals to said bus corresponding sequentially to the addresses of said slave nodes, and wherein each of said slave nodes comprises means responsive to the receipt of an address signal corresponding thereto for applying a reply signal to said bus, means responsive to the application of said reply signal to said bus for applying a byte signal to said bus corresponding to a number of bytes, and means responsive to application of said byte signal to said bus for applying a number of data bytes to said bus corresponding to said byte signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 9 wherein said means for applying a reply signal comprises means applying a checksum signal to said bus corresponding to said address signal and said reply signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system of claim 9 wherein said slave nodes further comprise means responsive to the application of said data bytes to said bus for applying cyclic redundancy check bytes to said bus corresponding to said byte signal and data bytes.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
126 words
In a communication system for communication of messages from a first node via a bus, the improvement wherein said first node comprises means for applying messages packets to said bus having a maximum of N bytes, wherein N is an integer greater then one in response to the receipt from said bus of a signal requesting the application of a message packet to said bus by said first node, said first node further comprising means for decomposing messages for transmission thereby that have a greater number of bytes than N into a plurality of message packets each having no greater than N bytes, and means for sequentially transmitting said plurality of message packets in response to the receipt of sequential request for messages from said bus.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
126 words
In a communication system for communication of messages from a first node via a bus, the improvement wherein said first node comprises means for applying messages packets to said bus having a maximum of N bytes, wherein N is an integer greater then one in response to the receipt from said bus of a signal requesting the application of a message packet to said bus by said first node, said first node further comprising means for decomposing messages for transmission thereby that have a greater number of bytes than N into a plurality of message packets each having no greater than N bytes, and means for sequentially transmitting said plurality of message packets in response to the receipt of sequential request for messages from said bus.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
The communication system of claim 12 wherein said means for decomposing comprises means for including control information for the reconstruction of said message in the first byte of the first message packet of said plurality of message packets.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
118 words
A method for communicating with an apparatus for receiving data and control signals from a bus and for applying data and control signals to said bus, wherein the apparatus includes a transmit buffer for storing messages for application to the bus, and a controller, said method comprising responding to the receipt of a signal from said bus that includes a predetermined control signal by applying to said bus a byte signal representing the number of bytes of data stored in said transmit buffer, and, applying said data bytes to said bus in response to the application of said byte signal to said bus, whereby the number of data bytes applied to said bus corresponds to said byte signal.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
118 words
A method for communicating with an apparatus for receiving data and control signals from a bus and for applying data and control signals to said bus, wherein the apparatus includes a transmit buffer for storing messages for application to the bus, and a controller, said method comprising responding to the receipt of a signal from said bus that includes a predetermined control signal by applying to said bus a byte signal representing the number of bytes of data stored in said transmit buffer, and, applying said data bytes to said bus in response to the application of said byte signal to said bus, whereby the number of data bytes applied to said bus corresponds to said byte signal.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
151 words
A method for communicating with an apparatus for receiving data and control signals from a bus and for applying data and control signals to said bus, wherein the apparatus includes a receive buffer for receiving messages from the bus, a transmit buffer for storing messages for application to the bus, means for storing the full or empty states of said receive and transmit buffers, and a controller, said method comprising storing an address unique to said apparatus, applying to said bus a byte signal representing the number of bytes of data stored in said transmit buffer in response to the receipt of a signal from said bus that includes said address and a first control signal, and applying said data bytes to said bus in response to the application of said byte signal to said bus, whereby the number of data bytes applied to said bus corresponds to said byte signal.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
151 words
A method for communicating with an apparatus for receiving data and control signals from a bus and for applying data and control signals to said bus, wherein the apparatus includes a receive buffer for receiving messages from the bus, a transmit buffer for storing messages for application to the bus, means for storing the full or empty states of said receive and transmit buffers, and a controller, said method comprising storing an address unique to said apparatus, applying to said bus a byte signal representing the number of bytes of data stored in said transmit buffer in response to the receipt of a signal from said bus that includes said address and a first control signal, and applying said data bytes to said bus in response to the application of said byte signal to said bus, whereby the number of data bytes applied to said bus corresponds to said byte signal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
58 words
16 . The method of claim 15 further comprising applying to said bus a reply signal before applying said byte signal thereto in response to the receipt of said address and first control signal, said reply signal including a checksum of the address and first control signal and the reply signal and the status of said transmit buffer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
16 . The method of claim 15 further comprising applying cyclic redundancy check bytes to said bus corresponding to said byte signal and data signals in response to the application of said data bytes to said bus.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
110 words
A method for communication of messages from a first node via a bus, comprising applying messages packets to said bus having a maximum of N bytes, wherein N is an integer greater then one in response to the receipt from said bus of a signal requesting the application of a message packet to said bus by said first node, decomposing messages for transmission by said first node that have a greater number of bytes than N into a plurality of message packets each having no greater than N bytes, and sequentially transmitting said plurality of message packets in response to the receipt of sequential request for messages from said bus.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
110 words
A method for communication of messages from a first node via a bus, comprising applying messages packets to said bus having a maximum of N bytes, wherein N is an integer greater then one in response to the receipt from said bus of a signal requesting the application of a message packet to said bus by said first node, decomposing messages for transmission by said first node that have a greater number of bytes than N into a plurality of message packets each having no greater than N bytes, and sequentially transmitting said plurality of message packets in response to the receipt of sequential request for messages from said bus.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
39 words
A mail processing arrangement comprising apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8, or a system according to any of claims 9 to 13, or operable in accordance with the method of any of claims 14 to 17.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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