Method for multiple sensors to communicate on a uni-directional bus
First Claim
1. A data communication system comprising:
- at least one unidirectional communication bus; and
a plurality of transmitting sensors coupled to said at least one communication bus, at least one of said plurality of transmitting sensors capable of sensing a data transmission from other of said plurality of transmitting sensors.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a system of and a method for multiple transmitters to communicate data over a single uni-directional communication bus. In one form of the present invention, a data communication system using time-domain multiplexing includes a uni-directional current-modulated communication bus, a plurality of sensors coupled to the communication bus, at least one of the sensors capable of detecting the data transmission of a sensor outside of the current loop of the first sensor, the sensors also capable of transmitting data on the communication bus using current loop modulation. In another form of the present invention, a method of transmitting data on a uni-directional communication bus is provided. The method includes the steps of enabling a first device to transmit a data signal on the communication bus, the data transmission followed by an idle period, and the first device including a current sensor; enabling a second device to detect the first device'"'"'s data transmission and the idle period; and enabling the first device to transmit data upon detecting the idle period, the first device positioned in a first current loop and the second device positioned in a second current loop outside of the first current loop, the second current loop passing through the current sensor of the first device.
24 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A data communication system comprising:
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at least one unidirectional communication bus; and
a plurality of transmitting sensors coupled to said at least one communication bus, at least one of said plurality of transmitting sensors capable of sensing a data transmission from other of said plurality of transmitting sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In a data communication system including a unidirectional communication bus and multiple devices coupled to the communication bus, a method for the multiple devices to communicate, said method comprising the steps of:
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enabling a first device to transmit a data signal on the communication bus, the data transmission followed by an idle period, and the first device including a current sensor;
enabling a second device to detect the first device'"'"'s data transmission and the idle period; and
enabling the first device to transmit data upon detecting the idle period, the first device positioned in a first current loop and the second device positioned in a second current loop outside of the first current loop, the second current loop passing through the current sensor of the first device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification