Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A method for communication using a network having a plurality of nodes (1,2,3,4;11,12,13,14), a first network medium (10) connected to a first group (1,2,3,4) of said plurality of nodes, and a second network medium (20) being for transmitting control signals and connected to a second group (11,12,13,14) of said plurality of nodes, said method characterized by comprising the steps of: transmitting a transmission signal from any of said nodes to said first network medium (10) when initiating data transmission, and looping-back to said second network medium (20) said transmission signal from a receiving node that has received said transmission signal such that information on a state of congestion at said receiving node is communicated.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
166 words
An optical communication network device having a plurality of nodes (1,2,3,4;11,12,13,14), a first optical fiber network (101) connected to said nodes, and a second optical fiber network (201) being for transmitting control signals and connected to said plurality of nodes, each of said nodes characterized by comprising: a plurality of optical transmitters (61-64), a plurality of optical data receivers (161-164) and a plurality of receiving side control signal receivers (181-184) all of which are coupled to said first optical fiber network (101); a plurality of switching means (171-174) each of which recognizes an address data addressed to a receiving node from a signal received at said receiving side control signal receivers, and performs switching between looping-back of the signal received by said first optical fiber network as it is to said second optical fiber network (201) and introducing of said signal received into said optical data receivers; and a plurality of transmitting side control receivers (71-74) which are coupled to said second optical fiber network (201).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
An optical communication network device according to claim 2, which is of a wavelength multiplex type and in which outputs of said optical transmitters (61-64) provided respectively to the nodes have wavelengths different from one another.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
An optical communication network device according to claim 2, in which said switching means provided respectively to the nodes comprise optical semiconductor gate switches (403, 404).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
An optical communication network device according to claim 2, in which said transmitting side control signal receivers provided respectively to the nodes comprise filter means for selectively receiving only the signal transmitted from the optical transmitter of a transmitting node.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
An optical communication network device according to claim 4, in which each of said optical semiconductor gate switches arranged such that they function also as said receiving side control signal receiver.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
120 words
A method for communication using an optical communication network device which is of a wavelength multiplex type and in which outputs of said optical transmitters (61-64) provided respectively to nodes have wavelengths different from one another, said method characterized by comprising the steps of: transmitting an address data of a receiving node from a transmitting node by an optical transmitter to a first optical fiber network; receiving by a receiving side control signal receiver the address data which is received from the first optical fiber network and which is transmitted from the transmitting node; and looping-back by a loop back means to a second network (201) information on a state of congestion of the optical receiver of the receiving node.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method for communication according to claim 7, in which, in the step of looping-back, a loop back signal from the receiving node is detected, and a request is made to the transmitting node to stop transmission and, if not possible to stop the transmission, the transmitted data is stored at a data buffer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method for communication according to claim 7, in which a pattern of said address data includes a synchronization signal.