Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
151 words
A method of assigning slots available in a frame for a UCOL-type star network, effected simultaneously by all stations belonging to the network itself, in which each station may request one or more slots with a single request in relation to the value of the request itself, characterized by comprising the following steps: a) writing request for assigning slots from all the stations, in a first memory unit; b) transferring requests which are not null into a second memory unit while eliminating requests which are null; c) cyclically decrementing requests which are in said second memory unit; d) transferring requests relative to assignments of single slots obtained in step c) into a third memory unit; e) eliminating, from said second memory unit, requests which are fully satisfied; f) repeating steps c), d) and e) until all requests for slots are satisfied or all slots available in a frame are run out.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
151 words
A method of assigning slots available in a frame for a UCOL-type star network, effected simultaneously by all stations belonging to the network itself, in which each station may request one or more slots with a single request in relation to the value of the request itself, characterized by comprising the following steps: a) writing request for assigning slots from all the stations, in a first memory unit; b) transferring requests which are not null into a second memory unit while eliminating requests which are null; c) cyclically decrementing requests which are in said second memory unit; d) transferring requests relative to assignments of single slots obtained in step c) into a third memory unit; e) eliminating, from said second memory unit, requests which are fully satisfied; f) repeating steps c), d) and e) until all requests for slots are satisfied or all slots available in a frame are run out.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that step b) is preceded by a step in which, to each individual request, an informative field, designed to indicate the station to which the request belongs, is added, and that only informative fields relative to assignments obtained in step c) are transferred into said third memory unit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
153 words
Electronic device, comprising: a first circuit block (1) including a first memory unit (3) of the type RAM for storing incoming requests for assignment, a second circuit block (8) being connected to said first circuit block (1), the second circuit block (8) having a second memory unit (11) in which requests for assignment to be carried out on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis are cyclically loaded, having decrement circuit means (13) connected downstream from said second memory unit (11), having filter means (10) coupled between an input of said second memory unit (11) and said decrement circuit means (13) for eliminating the requests for assignment which are null or already satisfied, and having control circuit means (14) which permits and realizes the cyclic scanning of requests, and a third memory unit (18) provided at an output of said second circuit block (8) for storing the requests relative to single slots assigned during each cycle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
153 words
Electronic device, comprising: a first circuit block (1) including a first memory unit (3) of the type RAM for storing incoming requests for assignment, a second circuit block (8) being connected to said first circuit block (1), the second circuit block (8) having a second memory unit (11) in which requests for assignment to be carried out on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis are cyclically loaded, having decrement circuit means (13) connected downstream from said second memory unit (11), having filter means (10) coupled between an input of said second memory unit (11) and said decrement circuit means (13) for eliminating the requests for assignment which are null or already satisfied, and having control circuit means (14) which permits and realizes the cyclic scanning of requests, and a third memory unit (18) provided at an output of said second circuit block (8) for storing the requests relative to single slots assigned during each cycle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
Electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the first block (1) includes identification circuitry (2) for generating a signal (7) identifying the station to which each request belongs that is present in the first memory unit (3).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
Electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the circuitry implementing the processing algorithm for assigning slots is integrable in a VLSI-CMOS circuitry.