SYSTEM, APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GRANTING ACCESS TO A SHARED COMMUNICATIONS BUS
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- successively providing each of a plurality of nodes an opportunity to gain access to a shared bus according to a time slot allocation referenced from a time reference, until one of the nodes has a message to send via the shared bus;
transmitting a frame from the node that has the message to send;
establishing a new time reference at each of the nodes based on an indication provided by the transmitted frame; and
successively providing each of the plurality of nodes the opportunity to gain access to the shared bus according to the time slot allocation referenced from the new time reference, until one of the nodes has a message to send via the shared bus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems, apparatuses and methods for timing access to a shared communications bus by a plurality of devices. Each of a plurality of nodes is successively provided an opportunity to gain access to a shared bus according to a time slot allocation referenced from a time reference. The successive time slot allocation occurs until one of the nodes has a message to send via the shared bus. The node that has the message to send transmits a frame onto the bus. A new time reference is established at each of the nodes based on an indication provided by the transmitted frame, whereby each of the nodes can then be afforded a new opportunity to gain access to the shared bus according to the time slot allocation referenced from the new time reference.
40 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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successively providing each of a plurality of nodes an opportunity to gain access to a shared bus according to a time slot allocation referenced from a time reference, until one of the nodes has a message to send via the shared bus; transmitting a frame from the node that has the message to send; establishing a new time reference at each of the nodes based on an indication provided by the transmitted frame; and successively providing each of the plurality of nodes the opportunity to gain access to the shared bus according to the time slot allocation referenced from the new time reference, until one of the nodes has a message to send via the shared bus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method comprising:
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determining, at a device, when the device has an opportunity to transmit data on a shared bus based on the device'"'"'s time slot allocation order relative to a time reference; recognizing data transmitted from another device onto the shared bus prior to the device'"'"'s opportunity to transmit; framing the transmitted data to at least identify an end of frame indication for the transmitted data; establishing a new time reference determined from the end of frame indication; and determining when the device has a new opportunity to transmit data on the shared bus based on the device'"'"'s time slot allocation order relative to the new time reference. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus capable of communicating via a shared bus, comprising:
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a receiver coupled to the shared bus and configured to receive data originating from other nodes coupled to the shared bus; and a processor configured to determine when the apparatus is allowed to transmit a message based on a time slot allocated for the apparatus relative to a time reference, to frame the data received prior to the apparatus'"'"' time slot, to establish a new time reference based on an indication in the received data, and to determine when the apparatus is allowed to transmit a message based on the time slot relative to the new time reference. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system comprising:
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a shared communications bus; a plurality of environmental devices capable of communicating via the shared communications bus, each of the environmental devices comprising; means for determining when the respective device has an opportunity to transmit a frame on the shared communications bus based on the respective device'"'"'s time slot allocation order relative to a time reference; means for receiving frames originating from the one or more other environmental devices coupled to the shared bus; means for framing the received frame to at least identify an end of the received data frame; means for establishing a new time reference based on the end of the received data frame for determining subsequent frame transmission opportunities. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification