Computer network system

Claim 1

A computer network system comprising first and second spacially separated and electrically isolated central stations, each of said central stations having a transmission and a receiving terminal, a continuous closed loop network being provided for each central station, each network at one loop end thereof being connected to the transmission terminal of its associated central station and the other loop end to the receiving terminal of its associated central station, each central station being provided with means for transmitting a vacant time slot and including for this purpose a clock signal generator and a slot signal generator operated under control of signals from said clock generator to produce said vacant time slot for supply to the transmission terminal of the relevant central station, a plurality of member stations, each having two sets of transmission and reception terminals, one set of the transmission and reception terminals of each member station being connected to one of the closed loop networks in series relation and the other set of said transmission and reception terminals of each member station being connected to the other of the closed loop networks in series relation, the series connection of said one set of the transmission and reception terminals to said one of the closed loops being in inverse relation to the series connection of the other set of the transmission and reception terminals to said other of the closed loops in terms of the physical distance of the member stations from the respective central stations, whereby each of the member stations is adapted for equal access to a vacant time slot transmitted by each central station to enable communication between a member station accessing a vacant time slot and a member station addressed thereby.