High speed polling protocol for multiple node network
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A communication network comprising:
- a plurality of remote nodes, each of said remote nodes comprising node processor means for repeating received messages addressed to others of said nodes;
a plurality of links which connect said plural nodes in a network of said nodes;
means for transmitting a polling message addressed to at least plural ones of said remote nodes; and
wherein each of said remote nodes comprise poll-responsive means responsive upon receipt of said polling message for transmitting a poll-answering message and for relaying said polling message to others of said remote nodes;
wherein each remote node is connected to plural ones of said links, and wherein said poll-responsive means comprise;
means for sensing which one of said plural links connected to said node said polling message arrived on; and
means responsive to said means for sensing for transmitting said poll-answering message on the link on which said polling message arrived while simultaneously transmitting said polling message on another link to which said node is connected;
wherein each of said remote nodes further comprises;
means for sensing a poll-answering message received on one of said links from another one of said remote nodes; and
means responsive to said means for sensing a poll-answering message for transmitting said poll-answering message received from said other one of said remote nodes on all links to which said node is connected.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is a multiple interconnected network of intelligent message-repeating remote nodes which employs a remote node polling process performed by a master node by transmitting a polling message generically addressed to all remote nodes associated with the master node. Each remote node responds upon receipt of the generically addressed polling message by transmitting a poll-answering informational message and by relaying the polling message to other adjacent remote nodes.
-
Citations
48 Claims
-
1. A communication network comprising:
-
a plurality of remote nodes, each of said remote nodes comprising node processor means for repeating received messages addressed to others of said nodes; a plurality of links which connect said plural nodes in a network of said nodes; means for transmitting a polling message addressed to at least plural ones of said remote nodes; and wherein each of said remote nodes comprise poll-responsive means responsive upon receipt of said polling message for transmitting a poll-answering message and for relaying said polling message to others of said remote nodes; wherein each remote node is connected to plural ones of said links, and wherein said poll-responsive means comprise; means for sensing which one of said plural links connected to said node said polling message arrived on; and means responsive to said means for sensing for transmitting said poll-answering message on the link on which said polling message arrived while simultaneously transmitting said polling message on another link to which said node is connected; wherein each of said remote nodes further comprises; means for sensing a poll-answering message received on one of said links from another one of said remote nodes; and means responsive to said means for sensing a poll-answering message for transmitting said poll-answering message received from said other one of said remote nodes on all links to which said node is connected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A communication network comprising:
-
a plurality of remote nodes, each of said remote nodes comprising node processor means for repeating received messages addressed to others of said nodes; a plurality of links which connect said plural nodes in a network of said nodes; means for transmitting polling message addressed to at least plural ones of said remote nodes; and wherein each of said remote nodes comprise poll-responsive means responsive upon receipt of said polling message for transmitting a poll-answering message and for relaying said polling message to other of said remote nodes; wherein said poll-responsive means comprises means for responding to a polling message after receiving n polling messages and for refraining from responding to intervening polling messages, wherein n is an integer individually assigned to an individual node, whereby different nodes respond to polling messages at different rates.
-
-
14. A communication network comprising:
-
a plurality of remote nodes, each of said remote nodes comprising node processor means for repeating received messages addressed to others of said nodes; a plurality of links which connect said plurality of remote nodes in a network of said nodes; means for transmitting a polling message addressed to at least plural ones of said remote nodes; and wherein each of said remote nodes comprise poll-responsive means responsive upon receipt of said polling message for transmitting a poll-answering message and for relaying said polling message to others of said remote nodes; wherein said means for transmitting a polling message on said links comprises a master node in said network, said master node being connected by respective ones of said links to at least one of said remote nodes; wherein; said remote nodes are divisible into a plurality of zones of said remote nodes, each of said zones including its own master node connected to at least one of the remote nodes within the zone, and said node processor means further comprises means for inhibiting the repeating of received messages not originated by a master node in the corresponding zone. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A communication network comprising:
-
a plurality of remote nodes, each of said remote nodes comprising node processor means for repeating received messages addressed to others of said nodes; a plurality of links which connect said plural nodes in a network of said nodes; means for transmitting a polling message addressed to at least plural ones of said remote nodes; and wherein each of said remote nodes comprise poll-responsive means responsive upon receipt of said polling message for transmitting a poll-answering message and for relaying said polling message to others of said remote nodes; wherein each remote node is connected to plural ones of said links, and wherein said poll-responsive means comprise; means for sensing which one of said plural links connected to said node said polling message arrived on; and means responsive to said means for sensing for transmitting said poll-answering message on the link on which said polling message arrived while simultaneously transmitting said polling message on another link to which said node is connected; wherein said means responsive to said means for sensing transmits said polling message on all other links to which said node is connected; wherein said poll-responsive means comprises means for responding to a polling message after receiving n polling messages and for refraining from responding to intervening polling messages, wherein n is an integer individually assigned to an individual node, whereby different nodes respond to polling messages at different rates. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
-
-
23. A communication network comprising:
-
a plurality of remote nodes, each of said remote nodes comprising node processor means for repeating received messages addressed to others of said nodes; a plurality of links which connect said plural nodes in a network of said nodes; means for transmitting polling message addressed to at least plural ones of said remote nodes; and wherein each of said remote nodes comprise poll-responsive means responsive upon receipt of said polling message for transmitting a poll-answering message and for relaying said polling message to others of said remote nodes; wherein each remote node is connected to plural ones of said links, and wherein said poll-responsive means comprise; means for sensing which one of said plural links connected to said node said polling message arrived on; and means responsive to said means for sensing for transmitting said poll-answering message on the link on which said polling message arrived while simultaneously transmitting said polling message on another link to which said node is connected; wherein said means responsive to said means for sensing transmits said polling message on all other links to which said node is connected; and wherein each of said remote nodes further comprises; means for sensing a poll-answering message received on one of said links from another one of said remote nodes; and means responsive to said means for sensing a poll-answering message for transmitting said poll-answering message received from said other one of said remote nodes on all links to which said node is connected. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. A communication network comprising:
-
a plurality of remote nodes, each of said remote nodes comprising node processor means for repeating received messages addressed to others of said nodes; a plurality of links which connect said plural nodes in a network of said nodes; means for transmitting a polling message addressed to at least plural ones of said remote nodes; and wherein each of said remote nodes comprise poll-responsive means responsive upon receipt of said polling message for transmitting a poll-answering message and for relaying said polling message to others of said remote nodes; wherein each remote node is connected to plural ones of said links, and wherein said poll-responsive means comprise; means for sensing which one of said plural links connected to said node said polling message arrived on; and means responsive to said means for sensing for transmitting said poll-answering message on the link on which said polling message arrived while simultaneously transmitting said polling message on another link to which said node is connected; wherein said means responsive to said means for sensing transmits said polling message on all other links to which said node is connected; wherein said means for transmitting a polling message on said links comprises a master node in said network, said master node being connected by respective ones of said links to at least one of said remote nodes; and wherein; said remote nodes are divisible into a plurality of zones of said remote nodes, each of said zones including its own master node connected to at least one of the remote nodes within the zone, and said node processor means further comprises means for inhibiting the repeating of received messages not originated by a master node in the corresponding zone. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
-
Specification