Communication system having message repeating terminals
First Claim
1. A system for communicating on a single bus formed by a power distribution network, said system comprising a plurality of units joinable to the network, including at least three terminal units, each terminal unit being connectable directly with at least one external communication device, such as an input or output device, and having when connectable to an input device, means responsive to a message received therefrom for generating a message to be received by another terminal unit, and when connectable to an output device, means responsive to a message received from another terminal unit for transmitting the message to the output device, at least a first one of said terminal units further comprising:
- means for receiving on the network a message transmitted from a second terminal unit;
means for determining whether the message is intended for a third terminal unit; and
means for retransmitting on the network such a message intended for a third terminal unit.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system is provided for communicating between terminal units joined on a power distribution network. The terminal units in the system are capable of interfacing with external devices to which they are attached, of communicating with other terminal units, and of functioning as repeater units. When a message is received by a terminal unit, it determines whether the message is intended for itself or for another terminal unit. If it is intended for another terminal unit, it amplifies and retransmits the message. The system also includes means for determining the shortest communication path between one unit and an intended recipient terminal unit. When a previously established communication route is no longer effective, the system automatically determines a new communication route.
250 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A system for communicating on a single bus formed by a power distribution network, said system comprising a plurality of units joinable to the network, including at least three terminal units, each terminal unit being connectable directly with at least one external communication device, such as an input or output device, and having when connectable to an input device, means responsive to a message received therefrom for generating a message to be received by another terminal unit, and when connectable to an output device, means responsive to a message received from another terminal unit for transmitting the message to the output device, at least a first one of said terminal units further comprising:
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means for receiving on the network a message transmitted from a second terminal unit; means for determining whether the message is intended for a third terminal unit; and means for retransmitting on the network such a message intended for a third terminal unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In a system having a plurality of units and a single bus formed by a power distribution network joining the units, the units including at least a pair of terminal units each terminal unit being connectable to at least one external communication device, such as an input or output device, and having, when connectable to an input device, means for generating a message received from the input device to another terminal unit, and, when connectable to an output device, means for transmitting a message received from another terminal unit to the output device, a repeating terminal unit connectable to at least one input/output device and comprising:
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means connectable with the network for transmitting a message received from an input device to another terminal unit when said repeating terminal is connectable to an input device; means connectable with the network for receiving a message transmitted by another unit; means responsive to the received message for determining whether the message is intended for yet another terminal unit; means connectable with the network for retransmitting on the network such a received message intended for another terminal unit; and means for transmitting a received message intended for said repeating terminal unit to an output device, when said repeating terminal is connectable to an output device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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- 16. A system for communicating on a single bus formed by a power distribution network, said system comprising a plurality of units joined to the network, including at least a pair of terminal units, each terminal unit being connected to and having means for communicating with an external communication device, such as an input or device, and having means for communicating on the network with the other terminal unit, and at least one repeater unit having means for receiving and means for retransmitting messages on the network, at least one of said units further comprising means for determining a communication route between said one unit and a terminal unit, including means for initially directing a message directly to said terminal unit and means for redirecting a message to said terminal unit through each repeater unit individually, when communication is not established directly with said terminal unit.
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24. A system for communicating on a power distribution network, said system comprising a plurality of addressable units joined to the network, including at least a pair of terminal units, each terminal unit being connected to, and having means for communicating with, an external communication device, such as an input or output device, and having means for communicating on the network with the other terminal unit, and at least one repeater unit having means for receiving and means for retransmitting messages on the network, said system further comprising means for storing as a communication route the addresses of each unit used for communicating between two of the units, means for establishing the capability of communication between two intended communicating units along a previously stored communication route prior to transmitting a message from one of the communicating units to the other, and means for automatically determining a communication route between the communicating units when communication is not established along a previously stored communication route by said means for establishing.
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25. A method of determining a communication route between one terminal unit and another terminal unit in a communication system having a plurality of terminal units and a plurality of repeater units joined by a power distribution network, which units are individually addressable, said method comprising:
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directing a message from the one terminal unit directly to the other terminal unit; then directing a message from the one terminal unit to the other terminal unit through successively increasing numbers of identified repeater units, when communication is not previously established with the other terminal unit, until the other terminal unit receives the message; and
thereafterstoring the addresses of the units forming the communication route between the one and the other terminal units. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A method for communicating on a power distribution network between a plurality of individually addressable terminal units with each terminal unit being connected directly with at least one external communication device comprising, sequentially:
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receiving at a first terminal unit a message received from an external device, transmitting the message on the network for receipt by an intended recipient terminal unit; receiving by a second terminal unit on the network the transmitted message; determining whether the message is intended for a third terminal unit; retransmitting on the network a message intended for a third terminal unit; and transmitting the received message intended for the second terminal unit to an external device. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for sending a second message on a power distribution network from a transmitting unit to an intended receiving unit via at least one other unit, all of which units are addressable, comprising, in sequence:
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determining a route from the transmitting unit to the receiving unit via a communication route formed of an ordered sequence of at least one individually addressable intermediate unit each of which functions as a repeater unit; establishing the capability of communication between the transmitting unit and receiving unit along the previously determined communication route by sending a first message to the receiving unit; transmitting the second message from the transmitting unit to the receiving unit over the communication route when the capability of such communication is established; determining a new communication route between the transmitting and receiving units when communication is not established along the previously determined communication route; and transmitting the second message from the transmitting unit to the receiving unit over the new communication route.
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Specification