Local area network for vehicle
First Claim
1. A local area network for a vehicle comprising:
- a plurality of terminal stations located in the vehicle, each having an input/output port for various signals;
transmission means for interconnecting the plurality of terminal stations;
a main-loop including a series connection of the plurality of terminal stations and the transmission means;
a sub-loop, arranged in parallel to the main-loop, including a series connection of the plurality of terminal stations and the transmission means;
said plurality of terminal stations including first and seond terminal stations, said first terminal station being connected to an input device for receiving information therefrom, and said second terminal station being connected to an output device for supplying information thereto; and
control means, provided at at least one of the plurality of terminal stations, for maintaining a token-passing system in the main-loop, and for detecting an abnormal state of the main loop and transmitting said information directly from the first terminal station to the second terminal station through the sub-loop independent of the transmission through the main-loop during a normal operation state of the main-loop, and for coupling the main-loop with the sub-loop in a loopback configuration, stopping the signal transmission between said first and second terminal stations, and changing the sub-loop to the token-passing system when detecting an abnormal operation state of the main-loop.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a local area network for a vehicle which comprises a plurality of terminal stations each having an input/output port for various signals, a main-loop formed by series connection of the terminal stations and transmission lines, a sub-loop arranged in parallel to the main-loop and formed by series connection of the terminal stations and transmission lines, and controllers. One of the terminal stations receives a large amount of information such as an audio signal from an audio transmitter and one of the other terminal stations supplies a large amount of information such as an audio signal to an audio receiver. When the main-loop is in a normal operation state, the main-loop operates as a token-passing system and the sub-loop acts as a direct transmission route from one of the terminal stations to another terminal station, and when the main-loop is in an abnormal operation state, the main-loop is coupled with the sub-loop and the transmitting of information such as an audio signal is stopped, and simultaneously, the sub-loop is switched to the token-passing system. Thus, the double loops, i.e., the main-loop and the sub-loop, are effectively utilized. In addition, any decrease in the reliability of various signals transmission when a failure of the main-loop occurs, can be prevented.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A local area network for a vehicle comprising:
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a plurality of terminal stations located in the vehicle, each having an input/output port for various signals; transmission means for interconnecting the plurality of terminal stations; a main-loop including a series connection of the plurality of terminal stations and the transmission means; a sub-loop, arranged in parallel to the main-loop, including a series connection of the plurality of terminal stations and the transmission means; said plurality of terminal stations including first and seond terminal stations, said first terminal station being connected to an input device for receiving information therefrom, and said second terminal station being connected to an output device for supplying information thereto; and control means, provided at at least one of the plurality of terminal stations, for maintaining a token-passing system in the main-loop, and for detecting an abnormal state of the main loop and transmitting said information directly from the first terminal station to the second terminal station through the sub-loop independent of the transmission through the main-loop during a normal operation state of the main-loop, and for coupling the main-loop with the sub-loop in a loopback configuration, stopping the signal transmission between said first and second terminal stations, and changing the sub-loop to the token-passing system when detecting an abnormal operation state of the main-loop. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A local area network for a vehicle, comprising:
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a plurality of terminal nodes, located within said vehicle, said terminal nodes including at least (a) a first terminal node for receiving first information of a type which can be interrupted during an abnormality, and (b) a second terminal node for transmitting said first information to a location in said vehicle when said first information is received; means for interconnecting said terminal nodes in; (a) a main-loop formed by a series connection of said terminal nodes, and (b) a sub-loop, formed by a series connection of said terminal nodes, said sub-loop in parallel with said main-loop; and control means for; (a) detecting any abnormality in either loop; (b) maintaining said first information passing from said first terminal node to said second terminal node normally, and interrupting said first information passing when said abnormality is detected; and (c) maintaining a local area network token passing system in said main-loop normally, and at least in said sub-loop during said abnormality. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification