Communications apparatus for transmitting and receiving synchronous and asynchronous data

Claim 2

Apparatus for receiving and transmitting signals having first and second states, said apparatus comprising: A. input means coupled to receive said signals; B. means coupled to said input means for separating said first state signals from said second state signals; C. bistable means coupled to produce a first output level in response to said first state signals and coupled to produce a second output level in response to said second state signals; D. first means coupled for response to said first and second state signals for generating a waveform having a frequency which is no less than the frequency of said received signals; E. first means for generating timing pulses upon the occurrence of first transitions of said waveform; F. a second means for generating a first state output signal in response to the simultaneous occurrence of said first output level and said timing pulse and for generating a second state oUtput signal in response to the simultaneous occurrence of said second level and said timing pulse; and G. output means, coupled to said second means for generating, for transmitting said signals.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein: A. said input means includes

Claim 4

output terminals, and

Claim 5

output terminals, and

Claim 6

said sync signal frequency is equal to the frequency of said received signals; and B. in asynchronous operation of said apparatus

Claim 7

said sync signal frequency is equal to the frequency of said received signals; and B. in asynchronous operation of said apparatus

Claim 8

said sync signal frequency is greater than the frequency of said received signals.

Claim 9

said sync signal frequency is greater than the frequency of said received signals.

Claim 10

output terminals, and

Claim 11

output terminals, and

Claim 12

bistable means coupled to said means for separating for generating a first level of said restored signal in response to the occurrence of said first state of said received signal and for generating a second level of said restored signal in response to the occurrence of said second state of said received signal; B. means responsive to said first and second states of said received signals for generating a sync signal whose frequency is no less than the frequency of said received signals; C. means for generating a clock signal having a first frequency which is no less than the frequency of said terminal means signals to be transmitted; D. wherein said means for transmitting comprises

Claim 13

bistable means coupled to said means for separating for generating a first level of said restored signal in response to the occurrence of said first state of said received signal and for generating a second level of said restored signal in response to the occurrence of said second state of said received signal; B. means responsive to said first and second states of said received signals for generating a sync signal whose frequency is no less than the frequency of said received signals; C. means for generating a clock signal having a first frequency which is no less than the frequency of said terminal means signals to be transmitted; D. wherein said means for transmitting comprises

Claim 14

second gate means for passing either said terminal means signal or said restored signal in response to the presence or absence respectively of said request to send signal.

Claim 15

second gate means for passing either said terminal means signal or said restored signal in response to the presence or absence respectively of said request to send signal.

Claim 16

means responsive to whichever of said clock or sync signals passes through said first gate means for generating a timing pulse for sampling signals to be transmitted,

Claim 17

means responsive to whichever of said clock or sync signals passes through said first gate means for generating a timing pulse for sampling signals to be transmitted,

Claim 18

means for electrically isolating said output means input and output terminals while coupling said first and second state output signals to said output means output terminals.

Claim 19

means for electrically isolating said output means input and output terminals while coupling said first and second state output signals to said output means output terminals.

Claim 20

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said received and transmitted signals are bipolar signals so that said first and second states of said received and transmitted signals are first and second polarities respectively.

Claim 21

means for electrically isolating said input and output terminals while coupling said signals to said output terminals; and wherein; B. said output means includes

Claim 22

means for electrically isolating said input and output terminals while coupling said signals to said output terminals; and wherein; B. said output means includes

Claim 23

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the frequency of said waveform is substantially equal to the frequency of said received signals.

Claim 24

first means for generating a first state output signal for transmission over said communication lines in response to the simultaneous occurrence of said timing pulse and said first level of whichever of said restored signal or terminal means signal is passed through said second gate means, and

Claim 25

first means for generating a first state output signal for transmission over said communication lines in response to the simultaneous occurrence of said timing pulse and said first level of whichever of said restored signal or terminal means signal is passed through said second gate means, and

Claim 26

second means for generating a second state output signal for transmission over said communications lines in response to the simultaneous occurrence of said timing pulse and said second level of whichever of said restored signal or terminal means signal is passed by said second gate means.

Claim 27

second means for generating a second state output signal for transmission over said communications lines in response to the simultaneous occurrence of said timing pulse and said second level of whichever of said restored signal or terminal means signal is passed by said second gate means.

Claim 28

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said each of said input means and output means are isolation transformers.

Claim 29

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said bistable means, said first means and said second means for generating includes a multivibrator.

Claim 30

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 further comprising: A. signal transmit terminal means for generating signals to be transmitted having first and second states and for generating a request to send signal; B. clock signal generator means for producing clock signals having a first frequency; C. first gate means for enabling the occurrence of said timing pulses in response to said clock signals when said request to send signal is generated and disabling the occurrence of said timing pulses in response to the occurrence of said first transitions of said waveform when said request to send signal is generated; and D. second gate means for disabling said bistable means from transferring said first and second output levels to said second means for generating when said request to send signal is generated and for enabling signals from said terminal means to generate said first and second state output signals respectively in response to the simultaneous occurrence of said terminal means first state signal and said timing pulse and in response to the simultaneous occurrence of said terminal means second state signal and said timing pulse when said request to second signal is generated.

Claim 31

Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said timing pulses are generated to sample the state of said bistable means output levels and said terminal means output states at substantially the middle of said signals indicated by said levels and states and wherein A. in synchronous operation of said apparatus

Claim 32

Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said clock signal generator means includes further means for producing second clock signals having a second frequency, said second frequency being no greater than the minimal frequency of said received signals and said terminal means signals; and further comprising: A. counter means for dividing said second clock signal frequency by a factor N thereby producing a third clock signal having a third frequency; B. means for resettIng said counter means in response to said received signals thereby inhibiting the generation of said third clock signal; and C. means for indicating the absence of said received signals when said third clock signal is generated.

Claim 33

Apparatus as defined in claim 9 further comprising means for inhibiting said terminal from generating said request to send signal when said third clock signal is absent.

Claim 34

Communications apparatus for receiving and transmitting signals, having first and second states, over communication lines, said apparatus including means for restoring said signals received and means for transmitting said signals received and including local terminal means for generating signals having first and second states to be transmitted and for generating a request to send signal so that said terminal means signals may be transmitted, wherein A. said means for restoring signals received comprises

Claim 35

Communications apparatus for receiving and transmitting signals, having first and second states, over communication lines, said apparatus including means for restoring said signals received and means for transmitting said signals received and including local terminal means for generating signals having first and second states to be transmitted and for generating a request to send signal so that said terminal means signals may be transmitted, wherein A. said means for restoring signals received comprises

Claim 36

Communications apparatus as defined in claim 11 further comprising a plurality of further ones of said communications apparatus, each of said communications apparatus providing substantially similar means and wherein the first of said communications apparatus, is coupled over communications lines to transmit signals for receipt by a successive one of said communications apparatus and wherein the last of said communications apparatus is coupled over communications lines to transmit signals for receipt by said first of said communications apparatus.

Claim 37

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 further comprising means in each of said plurality of communications apparatus for detecting the absence of transmitted signals over said communications lines and for thereby enabling at least one of said locally coupled terminals of said communications apparatus to transmit signals over said lines.

Claim 38

Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said received signals are bipolar signals so that said first state thereof is a first polarity signal and so that said second state thereof is a second polarity signal.