Multi-equipment routing method and master station for layered protocol communication network system

Claim 1

A multi-equipment routing master station for facilitating digital data stream transmission/reception, comprising: A) layer one (1) protocol means, coupled to receive/transmit data along a multi-drop transmission line, for facilitating data conveyance, B) polling means, coupled to transmit/receive data to/from the layer one protocol means, for utilizing at least a first selected message field to determine a network equipment type, NET, and for unifying/sorting data from/to at least first and second port means that are responsive to at least first and second NET secondary stations for respective NETs utilizing further protocol layers, C) the first port means, being responsive to the polling means and to further protocol layers for a first respective NET, for utilizing a first data link control protocol to unify/sort transmitted/received data from/to the first NET secondary station(s), and D) the second port means, coupled to the polling means and to further protocol layers for a second respective NET, for utilizing a second data link control protocol to unify/sort transmitted/received data from/to the second NET secondary station(s), wherein the digital data stream includes message fields, in a layered protocol communication network system having the multi-drop transmission line coupled to secondary stations of at least the first and the second NET, wherein each first selected message field includes a link address header for identifying a matched secondary station for the message such that a network equipment type (NET) is also automatically identified, wherein the first port means and the second port means substantially comprise at least a first synchronous data link control telecommunications packet assembler/disassembler means (SDLC TPAD) and at least a first multi-point X.25 master packet assembler/disassembler means (MX.25 Master PAD), respectively, operably coupled to transmit/receive data in the network and existing within the multi-equipment routing master station as complete and independent virtual ports, and E) further including that, where a layered protocol physical layer is operably coupled to transmit/receive data for the at least first and second NETs and said data is arranged in message fields, having a layer 1 protocol unit for performing standard high level data link control (HDLC) handling of the data, the multi-equipment routing master station utilizes a sequential protocol stack such that: the polling means is operably coupled to receive data from the layered protocol physical layer and utilizes a first message field to provide a link address of the data to identify and route the data to one of: a SDLC TPAD and a MX.25 Master PAD, and further including, E1) for the SDLC TPAD, link control unit means (LCU), operably coupled to the polling means to transmit/receive data for the first NET to/from the polling means, for managing link level data flow and providing said data to at least a first station control unit means (SCU), and the SCU means, operably coupled to transmit/receive data for the first NET to/from the LCU, for routing said data to a preselected secondary station, E2)for the MX.25 Master PAD, level 2 port control unit (LCU) means, operably coupled to the polling means to transmit/receive the data for the second NET to/from the polling means, for managing link level data flow and providing the said data to level station control block (SCU) means, and the SCU means, operably coupled to transmit/receive data for the second NET to/from the LCU, for routing said data to a preselected secondary station, E3) a level 3 protocol is provided such that there is further provided: E3a) for the SDLC TPAD, SDLC transfer means, operably coupled to transmit/receive the data to/from the SCU means, for transferring SDLC data across a transmission medium, and E3b) for the MX.25 PAD, X.25 transfer means, operably coupled to transmit/receive the data to/from the SCU means, for routing packets of said data traffic across a transmission medium.

Claim 14

A method for enabling secondary stations of at least a first and a second different communication network equipment type (NET) to transmit/receive data, comprising the steps of at least one of (A) and (B): A) for transmitting, utilizing at least two virtual ports, wherein a virtual port is provided for each different NET: A1) each virtual port's utilizing a data link control protocol to receive corresponding at least first/second NET secondary station(s) data, to unify said data together with a first selected message field that identifies the NET, and to provide said unified data for polling, A2) polling data received from at least the first and the second virtual port and unifying said data in accordance with the identified NET for transmission, and A3) utilizing a layer one protocol unit to facilitate data conveyance, B) for receiving, utilizing at least two virtual ports, wherein a virtual port is provided for each different NET: B1) utilizing a layer one protocol unit to facilitate data conveyance, B2) polling and sorting received data to an identified NET and passing said data to at least a first/second virtual port in accordance with the identified first/second NET, and B3) each virtual port's utilizing a data link control protocol to sort the received NET data in accordance with identified receiving at least first/second NET secondary station(s) and to provide said sorted data to the identified secondary station(s), wherein the data in (A) and (B) is arranged in message fields, on a same multidrop transmission line coupled to the secondary stations of at least the first and the second different communication network equipment type (NET), wherein data includes at least a first selected message field having a link address header for identifying a matched secondary station for the message such that a network equipment type (NET) is also automatically identified, wherein the first and the second virtual ports substantially comprise at least a first synchronous data link control telecommunications packet assembler/disassembler means (SDLC TPAD) and at least a first multi-point X.25 master packet assembler/disassembler means (MX.25 Master PAD), respectively, operably coupled to transmit/receive data in the network and existing within a multi-equipment routing master station as complete and independent virtual ports, and C) further including utilizing a layered protocol physical layer to transmit/receive data for the at least first and second NETs where said data is arranged in message fields, having a layer one protocol unit for performing standard high level data link control (HDLC) handling of the data, utilizing a sequential protocol stack such that: polling includes utilizing a first message field to provide a link address of the data to identify and route the data to a SDLC TPAD/MX.25 Master PAD, and further including, C1) for the SDLC TPAD, a link control unit's (LCU's) managing bit-oriented data flow and providing said data to at least a first station control unit (SCU), and the SCUs's routing said data to a secondary station identified by a message field (address header), C2) for the MX.25 Master PAD), a level 2 port control unit's (LCU's) managing bit-oriented data flow and providing the said data to level station control block (SCU(s)), and the SCUs's routing said data to a secondary station identified by a message field (address header), and C3) providing a level 3 protocol such that: C3a) for the SDLC TPAD, transferring data received from the SCU unit(s) (SDLC data) across a transmission medium, and C3b) for the MX.25 PAD, routing packets of data from the SCU(s) across a transmission medium.

Claim 15

A method for enabling secondary stations of at least a first and a second different communication network equipment type (NET) to transmit/receive data, comprising the steps of at least one of (A) and (B): A) for transmitting, utilizing at least two virtual ports, wherein a virtual port is provided for each different NET: A1) each virtual port's utilizing a data link control protocol to receive corresponding at least first/second NET secondary station(s) data, to unify said data together with a first selected message field that identifies the NET, and to provide said unified data for polling, A2) polling data received from at least the first and the second virtual port and unifying said data in accordance with the identified NET for transmission, and A3) utilizing a layer one protocol unit to facilitate data conveyance, B) for receiving, utilizing at least two virtual ports, wherein a virtual port is provided for each different NET: B1) utilizing a layer one protocol unit to facilitate data conveyance, B2) polling and sorting received data to an identified NET and passing said data to at least a first/second virtual port in accordance with the identified first/second NET, and B3) each virtual port's utilizing a data link control protocol to sort the received NET data in accordance with identified receiving at least first/second NET secondary station(s) and to provide said sorted data to the identified secondary station(s), wherein the data in (A) and (B) is arranged in message fields, on a same multidrop transmission line coupled to the secondary stations of at least the first and the second different communication network equipment type (NET), wherein data includes at least a first selected message field having a link address header for identifying a matched secondary station for the message such that a network equipment type (NET) is also automatically identified, wherein the first and the second virtual ports substantially comprise at least a first synchronous data link control telecommunications packet assembler/disassembler means (SDLC TPAD) and at least a first multi-point X.25 master packet assembler/disassembler means (MX.25 Master PAD), respectively, operably coupled to transmit/receive data in the network and existing within a multi-equipment routing master station as complete and independent virtual ports, and C) further including utilizing a layered protocol physical layer to transmit/receive data for the at least first and second NETs where said data is arranged in message fields, having a layer one protocol unit for performing standard high level data link control (HDLC) handling of the data, utilizing a sequential protocol stack such that: polling includes utilizing a first message field to provide a link address of the data to identify and route the data to a SDLC TPAD/MX.25 Master PAD, and further including, C1) for the SDLC TPAD, a link control unit's (LCU's) managing bit-oriented data flow and providing said data to at least a first station control unit (SCU), and the SCUs's routing said data to a secondary station identified by a message field (address header), C2) for the MX.25 Master PAD), a level 2 port control unit's (LCU's) managing bit-oriented data flow and providing the said data to level station control block (SCU(s)), and the SCUs's routing said data to a secondary station identified by a message field (address header), and C3) providing a level 3 protocol such that: C3a) for the SDLC TPAD, transferring data received from the SCU unit(s) (SDLC data) across a transmission medium, and C3b) for the MX.25 PAD, routing packets of data from the SCU(s) across a transmission medium.