Communication control system

Claim 1

A communication system, comprising: a communication channel; and a plurality of communication stations, said communication stations communicating with each other over said communication channel, each communication station in said system being identified by a station number and including a transmitting unit for transmitting a data signal including a transmitting station source number identifying the station from which said data signal has been transmitted, carrier wave detection means for detecting the presence of a carrier wave on said communication channel indicative of the transmission of a data signal by another communication station and outputting a carrier wave detection signal in response thereto, and a transmission control unit including means for instructing said transmitting unit to transmit data upon expiration of an initial time period consisting of a predetermined period of time during which no carrier wave has been detected beginning after initialization of the station in which the transmission control unit is provided, means responsive to said carrier wave detection signal for reading a station source number from said data signal transmitted by another communication station as indicated by said carrier wave detection signal and determining a waiting period which varies as a function of the read station source number, and means for instructing said transmitting unit to transmit data upon expiration of said determined waiting period during which no carrier wave has been detected, the expiration of said determined waiting period being determined by said transmission control unit, wherein said initial time period is an amount of time sufficient to allow all stations in the system to complete transmission of data, n represents the number of communication stations in said system, and T 1 represents said initial time period, such that T.sub.1 >(transmitting time of #1 station)+(transmitting time of #2 station)+(transmitting time of #3 station)+. . . (transmitting time of #n station)+(T.sub.s ×n) wherein T s is a predetermined time interval required between transmissions of different stations, and the transmitting time of each station is a known amount of time required for completion of data transmission, and wherein said waiting period is an amount of time sufficient to allow all stations having a station number between said read station source number and the station number of the reading station to complete transmission of data, and T N represents said waiting period, such that T.sub.N =(M-N)×T.sub.2, M>N T.sub.N =(n+M-N)×T.sub.2, M<N wherein T 2 is a time interval such that T 2 >T s , N is the value of the station source number read by said transmission control unit, and M is the value of the station source number of the reading station in which said transmission control unit is contained.