US4627045A — Alternating communication channel switchover syst…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 140 words

A common communication system having a plurality of stations, each of which is coupled to at least two active communication channels for communicating packets between the stations, each of the stations comprising: transmitter means selectively coupled to each channel for transmitting packets; receiver means selectively coupled to each channel for receiving packets; channel quality assessment means coupled to the receiver means for assessing the quality of each of the channels based on previous use of the channels and providing a quality factor for each channel; and channel selection means coupled to the channel quality assessment means, the transmitter means and the receiver means for selecting the channel from among the active channels on which at least one subsequent packet is to be transmitted and received as a function of the quality factors, such that use of the active channels alternates.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 140 words

A common communication system having a plurality of stations, each of which is coupled to at least two active communication channels for communicating packets between the stations, each of the stations comprising: transmitter means selectively coupled to each channel for transmitting packets; receiver means selectively coupled to each channel for receiving packets; channel quality assessment means coupled to the receiver means for assessing the quality of each of the channels based on previous use of the channels and providing a quality factor for each channel; and channel selection means coupled to the channel quality assessment means, the transmitter means and the receiver means for selecting the channel from among the active channels on which at least one subsequent packet is to be transmitted and received as a function of the quality factors, such that use of the active channels alternates.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 41 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the channel quality assessment means provides a first local quality factor representative of the operating condition of a first channel, and a second local quality factor representative of the operating condition of a second channel.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 49 words

The system of claim 2 wherein the first local quality factor is a function of at least one of the packets previously received on the first channel wherein the second local quality factor is a function of at least one of the packets previously received on the second channel.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 37 words

The system of claim 3 wherein the packets comprise serial digital error-encoded data and the first and second local quality factors are functions of proportions of packets received in error from the first and second channels, respectively.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 37 words

The system of claim 3 wherein the packets comprise serial digital error-encoded data and the first and second local quality factors are functions of proportions of packets transmitted in error from the first and second channels, respectively.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 48 words

The system of claim 5 wherein the receiver means provides a timeout error signal to the channel quality assessment means after a predetermined length of time within which no packets from a channel are received, and wherein the local quality factors are functions of the timeout error signals.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 23 words

The system of claim 3 wherein the transmitter means of each station periodically transmits its local quality assessment factors to the other stations.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 62 words

The system of claim 7 wherein the channel quality assessment means further provides a first group quality factor for the first channel as a function of the first local quality factors received from each of the stations, and a second group quality factor for the second channel as a function of the second local quality factors received from each of the stations.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 33 words

The system of claim 8 wherein the channel selection means provides a channel margin as a function of the first and second local quality factors and the first and second group quality factors.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 33 words

The system of claim 9 wherein the channel selection means selects the channel on which at least one subsequent packet is to be transmitted and received as a function of the channel margin.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 42 words

The system of claim 10 wherein the channel selection means comprises an integrating controller which is responsive to a setpoint and a measured variable, and wherein the channel margin is the setpoint and wherein a presently selected channel is the measured variable.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 35 words

The system of claim 3 wherein certain packets transmitted by a station require an acknowledge packet from another station and wherein the first and second local quality factors are functions of acknowledge signals not received.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 57 words

The system of claim 1 wherein each packet transmitted by a station includes a channel selected field which identifies the channel selected by the channel selection means, and wherein each station receiving the packet selectively couples its transmitter and receiver means to the channel identified by the channel selection field for a subsequent transmission of a packet.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 153 words

A common communication system for a distributed process control system comprising: a plurality of active communication channels for carrying encoded packets; and a plurality of stations, each of which is coupled to each channel for processing the packets, each station comprising: means selectively coupled to each channel for transmitting and receiving packets; means for providing channel quality factors for each channel as a function of at least one of the packets previously received over that channel; means for selecting one channel from among the plurality of active channels on which to transmit and receive at least one of the next packets as indicated by a previous packet; and means for determining which channel the next packet transmitted by that station will identify for use by all of the stations in transmitting and receiving at least one subsequent packet as a function of the quality factors, such that use of the active channels alternates.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 153 words

A common communication system for a distributed process control system comprising: a plurality of active communication channels for carrying encoded packets; and a plurality of stations, each of which is coupled to each channel for processing the packets, each station comprising: means selectively coupled to each channel for transmitting and receiving packets; means for providing channel quality factors for each channel as a function of at least one of the packets previously received over that channel; means for selecting one channel from among the plurality of active channels on which to transmit and receive at least one of the next packets as indicated by a previous packet; and means for determining which channel the next packet transmitted by that station will identify for use by all of the stations in transmitting and receiving at least one subsequent packet as a function of the quality factors, such that use of the active channels alternates.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 177 words

A common communication system having a plurality of stations coupled to a plurality of active communication channels for transmitting data packets among the stations, each station comprising: transmitter means for transmitting data packets, each data packet including a channel selection field which identifies a selected channel from among the active channels for a succeeding transmission of a data packet; receiver means for receiving data packets and providing an indication of the selected channel contained in the channel selection field of the received packet; quality assessment means for maintaining quality factors for each channel based upon occurrence of communication errors when that channel is in use; margin computation means for determing a channel margin based upon the quality factors; means for coupling the station to the selected channel contained in the channel selection field of the received data packet; and means for determining the selected channel to be identified by the channel selection field of the data packet transmitted by the transmitter means based upon the channel margin, such that all of the active channels are regularly selected.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 177 words

A common communication system having a plurality of stations coupled to a plurality of active communication channels for transmitting data packets among the stations, each station comprising: transmitter means for transmitting data packets, each data packet including a channel selection field which identifies a selected channel from among the active channels for a succeeding transmission of a data packet; receiver means for receiving data packets and providing an indication of the selected channel contained in the channel selection field of the received packet; quality assessment means for maintaining quality factors for each channel based upon occurrence of communication errors when that channel is in use; margin computation means for determing a channel margin based upon the quality factors; means for coupling the station to the selected channel contained in the channel selection field of the received data packet; and means for determining the selected channel to be identified by the channel selection field of the data packet transmitted by the transmitter means based upon the channel margin, such that all of the active channels are regularly selected.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 99 words

In a common communication system in which packets are transmitted and received among a plurality of stations, each of which is coupled to a plurality of active communication channels, the improvement comprising: means for assessing quality of communications over each of the active channels based upon previous use of each of the channels; means for causing the stations to alternately select, in synchronism, the channel from among the plurality of active channels for transmission and reception of at least one packet as a function of the assessed quality of each channel, such that use of the active channels alternates.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 99 words

In a common communication system in which packets are transmitted and received among a plurality of stations, each of which is coupled to a plurality of active communication channels, the improvement comprising: means for assessing quality of communications over each of the active channels based upon previous use of each of the channels; means for causing the stations to alternately select, in synchronism, the channel from among the plurality of active channels for transmission and reception of at least one packet as a function of the assessed quality of each channel, such that use of the active channels alternates.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 40 words

The invention of claim 16 wherein the means for causing the stations to alternately select periodically transmits to all stations a packet containing a channel selection field which identifies the channel for transmission and reception of at least one packet.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 80 words

A common communication system having a plurality of stations for transmitting and receiving packets over a plurality of active communication channels, characterized by each station assessing quality of communications over each of the active channels based upon previous use of each of the channels and each station having an opportunity to select the channel from among the plurality to use in a subsequent transmission based upon its assessment of quality, such that all of the active channels are regularly selected.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 80 words

A common communication system having a plurality of stations for transmitting and receiving packets over a plurality of active communication channels, characterized by each station assessing quality of communications over each of the active channels based upon previous use of each of the channels and each station having an opportunity to select the channel from among the plurality to use in a subsequent transmission based upon its assessment of quality, such that all of the active channels are regularly selected.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 62 words

The common communication system of claim 18 wherein each station provides, during a transmission, its own assessment of quality of communications over each of the active channels, and wherein each station, when selecting the channel for a subsequent transmission, bases the selecting on its own assessment of quality and the assessments of quality of the other stations of the common communication system.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1989-12-01	1990-06-02	1990-12-02	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1993-12-01	1994-06-02	1994-12-02	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1997-12-01	1998-06-02	1998-12-02	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Alternating communication channel switchover system

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