Loop type data highway system

Claim 1

A loop type data highway system in which a plurality of stations are connected in cascade to a loop transmission line so that any station may transmit data on said transmission line to another station in response to receipt of a polling frame inquiring of a need by the station for reservation of said transmission for exclusive use in transmitting data, said polling frame including at least a first polling field and a second field indicating reservation status; wherein each of said stations comprises first means for receiving signals on said transmission line from the station located upstream therefrom on said line and for repeating sequentially the received signals on said transmission line to the station located downstream therefrom on said line; second means responsive to detection of the first field of the polling frame in the received signal to generate a reservation signal pattern indicative of the line being reserved when the station has a need for reservation of the line and for causing said generated reservation signal pattern to be sent out by said first means without delay in place of the second field of the received polling frame on the transmission line downstream of said station; third means for providing data to be sent on said transmission line to another station; and fourth means responsive to detection of the second field of said received polling frame indicative of the line being non-reserved for causing said first means to sent out on said transmission line said data provided by said third means subsequent to the sending out of said generated reservation pattern.