Communication network

Claim 2

The communication network according to claim 1, wherein said second identifiers are assigned to said stations establishing said isochronous data communication by said asynchronous data communication.

Claim 3

The communication network according to claim 2, wherein when said isochronous data transmitted by said sending station is received by said plurality of receiving stations in said isochronous data communication, the only one receiving station of said plurality of receiving stations sends out to said transmission path a response signal for controlling the transmission of said isochronous data by said sending station and/or reporting the acknowledgment of said isochronous data communication by the receiving station.

Claim 4

The communication network according to claim 3, wherein said only one receiving station is set by said asynchronous data communication.

Claim 5

The communication network according to claim 2, wherein when said isochronous data transmitted by said sending station is received by said plurality of receiving stations in said isochronous data communication, said plurality of receiving stations respectively send out to said transmission path response signals for controlling the transmission of said isochronous data by said sending station and/or reporting the acknowledgment of said isochronous data communication by the receiving stations, and said sending station receives only the response signal sent out from the only one receiving station of said plurality of receiving stations.

Claim 6

A communication network in which a plurality of stations are connected to each other by a loop-shaped transmission path, any one of the plurality of stations functioning as a master station, and asynchronous data communication relating to asynchronous data not requiring real time properties and isochronous data communication relating to isochronous data requiring the real time properties can be established, wherein actual IDs which are used at the time of said asynchronous data communication and are not overlapped with each other are respectively fixedly assigned to said stations, said master station sends out to said transmission path an inquiry token packet for inquiring whether or not each of said stations has a communication request of said asynchronous data, each of said stations sends out, provided that it holds said asynchronous data and the actual ID of the station to be a destination of transmission of the asynchronous data when it receives said inquiry token packet transmitted through said transmission path, the communication request of said asynchronous data and the actual ID of the station to be the destination of transmission to said transmission path using a slot previously assigned to the station, said master station sends out to said transmission path a token packet for asynchronous data in which a station to be a source of transmission of the asynchronous data (hereinafter referred to as a sending station) and a station to be a destination of transmission of the asynchronous data (hereinafter referred to as a receiving station) are designated using said actual IDs on the basis of the communication request of the asynchronous data and the actual ID of the station to be the destination of transmission which are transmitted through said transmission path, and the station which sends out the communication request of said asynchronous data transmits, when said token packet for asynchronous data in which the station is designated as a sending station is transmitted through said transmission path, the asynchronous data to be transmitted to said receiving station, so that said asynchronous data communication is started.

Claim 7

The communication network according to claim 6, wherein each of said stations further sends out the actual ID of the station which is a source of transmission of said asynchronous data when it receives said inquiry token packet transmitted through said transmission path.

Claim 8

The communication network according to claim 7, wherein each of said stations further sends out information representing the amount and/or the priority of said asynchronous data when it receives said inquiry token packet transmitted through said transmission path.

Claim 9

The communication network according to claim 8, wherein said master station further sends out to said transmission path an identification signal for each of said stations to identify said slot after sending out said inquiry token packet.

Claim 10

The communication network according to claim 9, wherein said sending station sends out, provided that said asynchronous data and the actual ID of the station to be a destination of transmission of the asynchronous data are set in its inner by an equipment connected to the external thereof when it receives said inquiry token packet transmitted through said transmission path to the inner, the communication request of said asynchronous data and the actual ID of the station to be the destination of transmission to said transmission path using said slot, and said asynchronous data corresponding to one packet and the actual ID of a source of transmission of the asynchronous data which are transmitted through said transmission path from said sending station are received by said receiving station and then read out by the equipment connected to the external thereof.

Claim 11

The communication network according to claim 6, wherein each of said plurality of stations belongs to any one of a plurality of predetermined groups, said master station sends out said inquiry token packet to said transmission path for each of said groups, each of said stations receives said inquiry token packet transmitted through said transmission path, and sends out, provided that it holds said asynchronous data and the actual ID of the station to be a destination of transmission of the asynchronous data when the token packet is for the group to which the station belongs, the communication request of said asynchronous data and the actual ID of the station to be the destination of transmission to said transmission path using a slot previously assigned to each of the stations, said master station sends out to said transmission path a token packet for asynchronous data in which said sending station and said receiving station are designated using said actual IDs on the basis of the communication request of said asynchronous data and the actual ID of the station to be the destination of transmission which are transmitted through said transmission path for each of said groups, and the station which sends out the communication request of said asynchronous data transmits, when said token packet for asynchronous data in which the station is designated as said sending station is transmitted through said transmission path, the asynchronous data to be transmitted to said receiving station, so that said asynchronous data communication is started.

Claim 12

The communication network according to claim 11, wherein said master station sends out, next time it sends out said inquiry token packet to the certain group of said plurality of groups, said inquiry token packet to the other group.

Claim 13

The communication network according to claim 12, wherein each of said stations receives said inquiry token packet transmitted through said transmission path, and further sends out, when the token packet is for the group to which the station belongs, the actual ID of the station to be a source of transmission of said asynchronous data.

Claim 14

The communication network according to claim 13, wherein each of said stations receives said inquiry token packet transmitted through said transmission path, and further sends out, when the token packet is for the group to which the station belongs, information representing the amount and/or the priority of said asynchronous data.

Claim 15

The communication network according to claim 14, wherein said master station further sends out to said transmission path an identification signal for each of said stations to identify said slot after sending out said inquiry token packet.

Claim 16

The communication network according to claim 15, wherein said sending station receives said inquiry token packet transmitted through said transmission path to its inner, and sends out, provided that said asynchronous data and the actual ID of the station to be a destination of transmission of the asynchronous data are set in the inner by an equipment connected to the external thereof when the token packet is for the group to which the station belongs, a transmission request of said asynchronous data and the actual ID of the station to be the destination of transmission to said transmission path using said slot, and said asynchronous data corresponding to one packet and the actual ID of a source of transmission of the asynchronous data which are transmitted through said transmission path from said sending station are received by said receiving station and then read out by the equipment connected to the external thereof.

Claim 17

In a communication network in which a plurality of stations are connected to each other by a loop-shaped transmission path, any one of the plurality of stations functioning as a master station, the stations other than the master station functioning as slave stations, and asynchronous data communication relating to asynchronous data not requiring real time properties and isochronous data communication relating to isochronous data requiring the real time properties can be established, a method of setting actual IDs which are used at the time of the asynchronous data communication and are not overlapped with each other, wherein said slave stations are respectively initially assigned initial IDs which are common at least among the slave stations and further respectively comprise switches for switching between connection and disconnection of said transmission path, said master station sends out to said transmission path a token packet for switching which can be received by the slave stations having said initial IDs, and then sends out to said transmission path an actual ID setting command for respectively setting the actual IDs which differ from each other in said slave stations, each of said slave stations disconnect said transmission path using said switch when it receives said token packet for switching from said master station in a case where it has said initial ID, not to transmit a receiving signal to the station positioned on the downstream side of the slave station on said transmission path, each of said slave stations sets, when it receives through said transmission path said actual ID setting command from said master station in a case where it has said initial ID, the actual ID on the basis of the received command, and each of said slave stations connects the transmission path using said switch when the actual ID is set therein, to transmit to the station positioned on the downstream side of the slave station on said transmission path the subsequent fixed ID setting command transmitted through said transmission path from said master station, so that said actual IDs are successively set in the slave stations, starting in the slave station positioned on the downstream side of said master station and nearest thereto.

Claim 18

The ID setting method according to claim 17, wherein each of said slave stations transmits, after said actual ID is set therein, a fixed ID setting acknowledgment indicating that the actual ID is set to the master station.

Claim 19

The ID setting method according to claim 17, wherein each of said stations synchronizes an internal clock with a clock of the master station by receiving said token packet for switching sent out by said master station for each predetermined time period and transmitted through said transmission path.

Claim 20

The ID setting method according to claim 18, wherein each of said stations synchronizes an internal clock with a clock of the master station by receiving said token packet for switching sent out by said master station for each predetermined time period and transmitted through said transmission path.