Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
181 words
In a data transmission network having a tree structure with at least one station at one network level being connected by means of a data transmission channel to a station of a higher network level, in which data blocks are normally transmitted between a transmitting station at one level to a station at a different network level, said data blocks including operating status information, indicating normal or abnormal operation signifying that all stations at lower levels have fault-free status or else identifying only those with fault conditions, whereby data relating to normally operating stations is not transmitted to the next higher level, the combination comprising; apparatus at the transmitting stations for monitoring the operating status of the stations of the next lower network level and means responsive to said monitoring for transmitting data blocks to the next higher network level station with a status signal field having at least one status signal byte for indicating normal or abnormal operation of stations at said lower network level, and other data corresponding only to abnormally operating stations at said next lower network level.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
181 words
In a data transmission network having a tree structure with at least one station at one network level being connected by means of a data transmission channel to a station of a higher network level, in which data blocks are normally transmitted between a transmitting station at one level to a station at a different network level, said data blocks including operating status information, indicating normal or abnormal operation signifying that all stations at lower levels have fault-free status or else identifying only those with fault conditions, whereby data relating to normally operating stations is not transmitted to the next higher level, the combination comprising; apparatus at the transmitting stations for monitoring the operating status of the stations of the next lower network level and means responsive to said monitoring for transmitting data blocks to the next higher network level station with a status signal field having at least one status signal byte for indicating normal or abnormal operation of stations at said lower network level, and other data corresponding only to abnormally operating stations at said next lower network level.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, including means at said transmitting station for constructing a data block having two data block parts and the address of said transmitting station, one of said parts containing said status signals and the other of said parts containing data accepted from a lower level of said network.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 including means located at said transmitting station for grouping said status signals to be transmitted into a number of sub-sets, comparing means for comparing the information in said sub-sets with predetermined reference status signals corresponding to fault-free operation, and means responsive to said comparing means for suppressing information in said sub-sets at said transmitting station and not transmitting the same to the receiving station.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, including means for transmitting data control signals prior to said sub-sets containing information identifying the number of the sub-sets following after said control signal within said data block, said sub-sets each including a sub-address identifying the station originally transmitting data in said sub-set.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
102 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said network has a tree structure in which stations of the first network level are each connected to a plurality of data generators and in which there is at least one station at a higher network level, and including means for transmitting data blocks from said transmitting station each containing the address of the transmitting station, a status control signal referring to the non fault-free status of stations immediately monitored by said transmitting station, and a sequence of joined data blocks received at said transmitting station from the stations at the next lower network level.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, including means located at said transmitting station for the formation of an error message in response to a locally detected error condition.