Network hub for maintaining node bandwidth in a single-node network

Claim 2

Apparatus operating to communicate data transmitted by a first of a plurality of nodes for receipt by a second of the plurality of nodes, the data being transmitted and received according to a transmitting and a receiving shared media protocol, respectively, the apparatus comprising: first circuit means coupled to the first of the plurality of nodes for emulating the second of the plurality of nodes by receiving data transmitted by the first one of the plurality of nodes according to the receiving shared media protocol; storage means coupled to store the data received by the first circuit means; and second circuit means coupled to the storage means and to the second of the plurality of nodes for accessing the stored data and emulating the first of the plurality of nodes by sending the accessed data to the second of the plurality of nodes according to the transmitting shared media protocol.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, including processor means operating to control the first and second circuit means.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage means includes random access memory means for storing the data.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data includes information indicative of the second of the plurality of the nodes as the recipient of the data, and including means for determining from the information the second of the plurality of nodes.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data sent by the first of the plurality of nodes includes a portion identifying the second of the plurality of nodes as a destination for the data, and including means for decoding the portion for causing the second circuit means to connect to the second of the plurality of nodes.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data is in the form of a data frame, and the second circuit means operates to send the accessed data to the second of the plurality of nodes as the data frame according to the shared media protocol during an interval that begins before the complete data frame has been received by the apparatus from the first one of the plurality of nodes.

Claim 8

Apparatus for interconnecting a plurality of data communicating nodes, including at least a sender node and a receiver node respectively operating to send and receive data according to a predetermined transmit and receive protocol, the apparatus operating to establish a communicating path from the sender node to the receiver node, the data including information identifying the receiver node as the recipient of the data, the apparatus comprising: first circuit means responsive to data transmitted by the sender node for receiving the data in a manner that emulates the receive protocol of the receiver node; second circuit means responsive to the information for identifying the receiver node from the plurality of nodes; and third circuit means responsive to the second circuit means, and coupled to the first circuit means for re-transmitting to the receiver node the data in a manner that emulates the transmit protocol of the sender node; whereby the apparatus operates as a proxy for the receiver and sender nodes for the communication of the data.

Claim 9

Apparatus for interconnecting a plurality of data communicating nodes, including at least a sender node and a receiver node respectively operating to send and receive data according to a predetermined transmit and receive protocol, the apparatus operating to establish a communicating path from the sender node to the receiver node, the data including information identifying the receiver node as the recipient of the data, the apparatus comprising: first circuit means responsive to data transmitted by the sender node for receiving the data in a manner that emulates the receive protocol of the receiver node; second circuit means responsive to the information for identifying the receiver node from the plurality of nodes; and third circuit means responsive to the second circuit means, and coupled to the first circuit means for re-transmitting to the receiver node the data in a manner that emulates the transmit protocol of the sender node; whereby the apparatus operates as a proxy for the receiver and sender nodes for the communication of the data.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first circuit means includes storage means operating to receive and store the data from the sender node.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the third circuit means includes means for accessing the data from the storage means for re-transmission to the receiver node.

Claim 12

Apparatus intercoupling a plurality of data communicating nodes, including a data sender node and a data receiver node, for communicating data from the data sender node to the data receiver node, the data communicating nodes being of a type operating to send and receive data according to a shared media protocol, the apparatus comprising: means for responding to data transmission by the data sender node in a manner representative of the data receiver node according to the shared media protocol to receive the data transmitted by the data sender node; and means coupled to the responding means for re-transmitting the data to the data receiver node in a manner representative of the data sender node and according to the shared media protocol.

Claim 13

Apparatus intercoupling a plurality of data communicating nodes, including a data sender node and a data receiver node, for communicating data from the data sender node to the data receiver node, the data communicating nodes being of a type operating to send and receive data according to a shared media protocol, the apparatus comprising: means for responding to data transmission by the data sender node in a manner representative of the data receiver node according to the shared media protocol to receive the data transmitted by the data sender node; and means coupled to the responding means for re-transmitting the data to the data receiver node in a manner representative of the data sender node and according to the shared media protocol.

Claim 14

In a data communicating network having a plurality of data communicating nodes including at least first and second data communicating nodes respectively operating according to a predetermined protocol to transmit and receive data, the data including information indicative of the intended destination of data, a method for establishing a communicating path for the transmitted data that is transparent to the first and second data communicating nodes, the method comprising the steps of: emulating the second data communicating node to receive the data from the first data communicating node; identifying from the information the second data communicating node as the intended destination of the data; and re-transmitting the data to only the identified second data communicating node in a manner that emulates the first data communicating node.

Claim 15

In a data communicating network having a plurality of data communicating nodes including at least first and second data communicating nodes respectively operating according to a predetermined protocol to transmit and receive data, the data including information indicative of the intended destination of data, a method for establishing a communicating path for the transmitted data that is transparent to the first and second data communicating nodes, the method comprising the steps of: emulating the second data communicating node to receive the data from the first data communicating node; identifying from the information the second data communicating node as the intended destination of the data; and re-transmitting the data to only the identified second data communicating node in a manner that emulates the first data communicating node.

Claim 16

The method of claim 11, wherein the data is in the form of a data frame, and the re-transmitting step includes re-transmitting the data frame during a time interval that begins before the complete data frame has been received.

Claim 17

The method of claim 12, wherein the re-transmitting step includes the step of holding the data frame until the identified second communicating node is able to receive the data frame.