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Method and system for transmitting data packets buffered in a distributed queue on a communication network

  • US 5,038,346 A
  • Filed: 11/08/1989
  • Issued: 08/06/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1988
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of transmitting data packets in time slots on a communication network having first and second unidirectional buses which are oppositely directed and a plurality of access units coupled between the busses, said method including the steps of forming a distributed queue of data packets by queueing in each access unit the therein received data packets to be transmitted on the first unidirectional bus, transmitting a request flag on the second unidirectional bus by each access unit for each data packet in the queue in the respective access unit, keeping track in each access unit of all request flags passing said access unit on the second unidirectional bus, and transmitting a data packet from the queue in an access unit after a predetermined number of empty time slots has passed said access unit on the first bus;

  • characterized in that at the time a further data packet arrives in an access unit and is added to the queue therein a request flag is transmitted on the second bus by said access unit, and said further data packet is transmitted by said access unit in the first empty time slot on the first bus after a preselected number of free slots on the first bus have passed said access unit, said preselected number of free slots being equal to the total number of data packets in the distributed queue at the time of arrival of the further data packet in said access unit;

    whereby only data packets which were queued in the network before arrival of said further data packet are transmitted before said further data packet, in accordance with the first-in/first-out principle.

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