PROGRAM FOR POLLING PARTY LINE DATA STATIONS FOR MESSAGE PICKUPS

• US 3,702,008 A
• Filed: 12/07/1970
• Issued: 10/31/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George Stephen Groth
• Original Assignee: George Stephen Groth
• Inventors: Groth, George Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey E. Springborn
• Application Number:
  US05/095,737
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 178/3 340/172.5,163 179/15BA,15BU 444/1
• US Class Current: 710/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/22 using successive scanning, e.g. polling G06F13/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling

Abstract

Data stations on multistation lines are polled for messages in accordance with a program which directly varies the number of times each station is polled during a polling round with the quantity of messages available at the station, as determined by responses to prior pollings. Initially, all stations are polled and the identities of those having available messages are placed in a data pattern defining an alternate poll code sequence. The alternate sequence is then utilized for subsequent polling rounds during which the data pattern is modified by wiping out the identities of stations no longer having messages. After a predetermined number of alternate rounds or after all the messages are collected, whichever occurs first, the initial polling round is again sent and the process repeated. Data processing is provided by a programmed general purpose computer.

Claims

1. A method of processing a pattern defining a sequence of polling codes which are transmitted in the sequence by a controller to a multistation line to obtain responses from the several line stations indicating whether messages are available thereat, comprising the step of:

modifying the sequence by directly varying the number of times the polling codes appear in the pattern with the quantity of message traffic available at the corresponding several stations as determined from the responses.

2. A method of processing a pattern of polling codes in accordance with claim 1 wherein the step of modifying the sequence includes adding a polling code to the pattern when a response indicates that the corresponding station has a message thereat.

3. A method of processing a pattern of polling codes in accordance with claim 1 wherein the step of modifying the sequence includes removing a polling code from the pattern when a response indicates that messages are unavailable at the corresponding station.

4. A method of forming a sequence of polling codes which are initially all transmitted in a main sequence to stations on a multistation line to obtain responses from the several stations indicating whether messages are available thereat comprising the steps of:

storing a data pattern in a memory defining an alternate sequence of polling codes, and modifying the alternate sequence by varying the number of times the several polling codes appear in the pattern in accordance with the responses from the several stations.

5. A method of forming a sequence of polling codes in accordance with claim 4 wherein the step of modifying the alternate sequence includes inserting data defining the polling code of each station whose response indicates that a message is available thereat.

6. A method of forming a sequence of polling codes in accordance with claim 4 wherein the step of modifying the alternate sequence includes wiping out data defining the polling code of each station whose response indicates that messages are unavailable thereat.

7. A method of polling stations, on a multistation line, utilizing a plurality of stored polling codes to obtain responses from the several stations indicating whether messages are available thereat comprising the steps of:

transmitting to the line a main sequence of the stored polling codes, forming a data pattern in the memory to define an alternate sequence of polling codes by varying the number of times the several polling codes appear in the pattern in accordance with the responses by the several stations to the main sequence, and transmitting to the line the stored polling codes in the alternate sequence as defined in the data pattern.

8. A method of polling stations, in accordance with claim 7, wherein the step of forming the data pattern includes inserting data defining the polling code of each station whose response indicates that a message is available thereat.

9. A method of polling stations, in accordance with claim 7, including the additional steps of:

modifying the data pattern to change the defined alternate sequence of polling codes in accordance with the responses by the several staTions to the alternate sequence, and transmitting to the line the stored polling codes in the alternate sequence as defined in the modified data pattern.

10. A method of polling stations, in accordance with claim 9, wherein the step of modifying the data pattern includes wiping out data defining the polling code of each station whose response indicates that messages are unavailable thereat.

11. A method of polling stations, in accordance with claim 10, wherein the step of modifying the data pattern is repeated each time the alternate sequence defined by the modified data pattern is transmitted to the line.

12. A method of polling stations, in accordance with claim 11, wherein the step of transmitting the main sequence is initiated after a predetermined plurality of alternate sequences are transmitted to the line.

13. A method of polling stations, in accordance with claim 11, wherein the step of transmitting the main sequence is initiated when all data defining polling codes is wiped out of the modified data pattern.