US5111456A — Apparatus and method for communicating data betwe…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 181 words

A communications system comprising a plurality of stations (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) and two communication paths which are unidirectional and oppositely directed with respect to each other, each communication path coupled to each of said stations such that said stations are sequentially interconnected; each of such plurality of stations (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) comprising: means to write data packets to one of said paths for transmission to downstream stations with that writing being in cycles of up to a predetermined maximum number of packets per cycle, a predetermined station further comprising means for detecting when all the stations (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) have completed their writing cycle and thereafter transmitting a reset signal from said predetermined station onto the other of said paths, said reset signal indicating that all of said stations have completed their writing cycle; and means to detect the reset signal and commence a further cycle of writing of packets on the basis of that reset signal.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 181 words

A communications system comprising a plurality of stations (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) and two communication paths which are unidirectional and oppositely directed with respect to each other, each communication path coupled to each of said stations such that said stations are sequentially interconnected; each of such plurality of stations (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) comprising: means to write data packets to one of said paths for transmission to downstream stations with that writing being in cycles of up to a predetermined maximum number of packets per cycle, a predetermined station further comprising means for detecting when all the stations (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) have completed their writing cycle and thereafter transmitting a reset signal from said predetermined station onto the other of said paths, said reset signal indicating that all of said stations have completed their writing cycle; and means to detect the reset signal and commence a further cycle of writing of packets on the basis of that reset signal.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 58 words

A communications system according to claim 1, wherein each of the stations (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N )) has means for temporarily inhibiting recommencement of a cycle by a reset signal on said other of the paths after commencement of a cycle by an earlier reset signal on said other of the paths.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 88 words

A communications system according to claim 2, wherein each station (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) is arranged to write further data packets on the other of the paths, the writing of the further data packets being effected in a plurality of further cycles each of a further predetermined maximum number of the further packets, the predetermined station (S 1 , S N ) being operative to generate a further reset signal on said one of the paths for re-initiating said further cycles.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 62 words

A communications system according to claim 2, wherein the system is arranged to generate and transmit a succession of data frames along each of said paths to which data packets are written by said stations (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ), each station being operative to write data packets to said frames for transmission along said path.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 32 words

A communications system according to claim 4, wherein said means for temporarily inhibiting recommencement of a cycle is operative to inhibit recommencement for the duration of a predetermined number of said frames.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 96 words

A communication system according to claim 4 on claim 3, wherein each of the said frames comprises a control field and a data field, each of the stations (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) being arranged to write a said data packet to said one path, or a said further packet to said other path, by writing to a corresponding one of the data fields, and to transmit said further reset signal on said one path, or said further reset signal on said other path, by writing to said control field.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 186 words

A method for communicating data in a communications system, the system comprising a plurality of stations (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) sequentially interconnected by two signal paths with those paths being unidirectional and oppositely directed with respect to each other, the station (S N , S 1 ) at the end of one of the paths being a tail station for that one path, said method comprising the following steps: each station writing data packets to said one of the paths with said writing being in cycles of up to a predetermined maximum number of packets per cycle; and the tail station (S N , S 1 ) for said one path detecting when all the stations (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) on said one path have completed their writing cycles and thereafter transmitting a reset signal on the other path; and each station (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) detecting the reset signal and commencing a further cycle of writing packets on the basis of the reset signal.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 186 words

A method for communicating data in a communications system, the system comprising a plurality of stations (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) sequentially interconnected by two signal paths with those paths being unidirectional and oppositely directed with respect to each other, the station (S N , S 1 ) at the end of one of the paths being a tail station for that one path, said method comprising the following steps: each station writing data packets to said one of the paths with said writing being in cycles of up to a predetermined maximum number of packets per cycle; and the tail station (S N , S 1 ) for said one path detecting when all the stations (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) on said one path have completed their writing cycles and thereafter transmitting a reset signal on the other path; and each station (S 1 , S 2 . . . S N ) detecting the reset signal and commencing a further cycle of writing packets on the basis of the reset signal.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 42 words

A method according to claim 7, wherein after commencement of a said cycle by a said reset signal on said other of the paths a further said reset signal on said other of the paths is temporarily inhibited from re-commencing a cycle.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 126 words

A communications system having a plurality of stations interconnected via at least one signal path, each of said plurality of stations comprising means for writing data packets to and reading data packets from said signal path, said writing being effected in cycles of up to a predetermined maximum number of packets per cycle, the system characterized in that: a predetermined one of said stations comprises means for detecting when the said plurality of stations have completed a writing cycle and thereafter transmitting a reset signal onto said signal path, said reset signal indicating that said stations have completed a writing cycle; and the other of said stations comprise means for detecting said reset signal and, in response to said reset signal, commencing a further writing cycle.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 126 words

A communications system having a plurality of stations interconnected via at least one signal path, each of said plurality of stations comprising means for writing data packets to and reading data packets from said signal path, said writing being effected in cycles of up to a predetermined maximum number of packets per cycle, the system characterized in that: a predetermined one of said stations comprises means for detecting when the said plurality of stations have completed a writing cycle and thereafter transmitting a reset signal onto said signal path, said reset signal indicating that said stations have completed a writing cycle; and the other of said stations comprise means for detecting said reset signal and, in response to said reset signal, commencing a further writing cycle.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 30 words

The communications system recited in claim 9, wherein said at least one other station further comprises means for temporarily delaying commencement of a cycle in response to said reset signal.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 101 words

The communications system recited in claim 10, wherein: said signal path comprises first and second unidirectional legs, said first leg carrying data in an opposite direction to said second leg; said predetermined one of said stations comprises means for detecting when the said plurality of stations have completed their writing cycle onto said first leg and thereafter transmitting a reset signal onto said second leg; a second predetermined one of said stations comprises means for detecting when the said plurality of stations have completed their writing cycle onto said second leg and thereafter transmitting a reset signal onto said first leg.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 39 words

The communication system recited in claim 11, further comprising means for transmitting a succession of data frames along each of said legs, and means within each station for writing data packets to said frames for transmission along said path.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 33 words

The communications system recited in claim 12, wherein said means for temporarily delaying a cycle comprises means for delaying commencement of a cycle for the duration of a predetermined number of said frames.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 45 words

The communications system recited in claim 13, wherein each of the said frames comprises a control field and a data field, each data packet transmitted onto said signal path is written to a data field, and each reset signal is written to a control field.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 123 words

A method for operating a communications system having a plurality of stations interconnected via at least one signal path, each of said plurality of stations comprising means for writing data packets to and reading data packets from said signal path, said writing effected in cycles of up to a predetermined maximum number of packets per cycle, the method characterized in that: a predetermined one of said stations detects when the said plurality of stations have completed their writing cycle and thereafter transmits a reset signal onto said signal path, said reset signal indicating that said stations have completed their writing cycle; and the other of said stations detect said reset signal and, in response to said reset signal, commence a further writing cycle.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 123 words

A method for operating a communications system having a plurality of stations interconnected via at least one signal path, each of said plurality of stations comprising means for writing data packets to and reading data packets from said signal path, said writing effected in cycles of up to a predetermined maximum number of packets per cycle, the method characterized in that: a predetermined one of said stations detects when the said plurality of stations have completed their writing cycle and thereafter transmits a reset signal onto said signal path, said reset signal indicating that said stations have completed their writing cycle; and the other of said stations detect said reset signal and, in response to said reset signal, commence a further writing cycle.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method recited in claim 15, further comprising the step of temporarily delaying commencement of a cycle in response to said reset signal.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 96 words

The method recited in claim 16, wherein said signal path comprises first and second unidirectional legs, said first leg carrying data in an opposite direction to said second leg, and further comprising: said predetermined station detecting when the said plurality of stations have completed their writing cycle with respect to said first leg and thereafter transmitting a reset signal onto said second leg; and a second predetermined station detecting when the said plurality of stations have completed their writing cycle with respect to said second leg and thereafter transmitting a reset signal onto said first leg.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method recited in claim 17, further comprising transmitting a succession of data frames along each of the legs, and writing data packets to said frames for transmission along said path.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method recited in claim 18, wherein said step of temporarily delaying a cycle comprises delaying commencement of a cycle for the duration of a predetermined number of said frames.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 39 words

The method recited in claim 19, wherein each of the said frames comprises a control field and a data field, each data packet is written to a data field, and each reset signal is written to a control field.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 119 words

A method for operating a system of stations in communications with one another, comprising the steps of: (a) identifying a first station as an end station with respect to communications in a first direction; (b) initiating a first write cycle wherein at least each of said stations preceding said end station is permitted to transmit a predefined maximum amount of information in a first direction; (c) detecting when said write cycle has ended; (d) transmitting a reset signal from said first station to other stations in the system, said reset signal indicating that said first write cycle has ended; and (e) initiating a second write cycle after at least one of said other stations has received said reset signal.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 119 words

A method for operating a system of stations in communications with one another, comprising the steps of: (a) identifying a first station as an end station with respect to communications in a first direction; (b) initiating a first write cycle wherein at least each of said stations preceding said end station is permitted to transmit a predefined maximum amount of information in a first direction; (c) detecting when said write cycle has ended; (d) transmitting a reset signal from said first station to other stations in the system, said reset signal indicating that said first write cycle has ended; and (e) initiating a second write cycle after at least one of said other stations has received said reset signal.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1995-05-05	1995-11-04	1996-05-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1999-05-05	1999-11-04	2000-05-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2003-05-05	2003-11-04	2004-05-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus and method for communicating data between a plurality of stations

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