Traffic control system of local area network
First Claim
1. (Amended) A traffic control system for a local area network (LAN) in which a plurality of terminals are connected to a traffic control unit for allocating a time slot to each of the plurality of terminals in response to a data transmission request from each terminal and for monitoring a LAN load,wherein said traffic control unit includes a load monitoring section, a high traffic mode noticing section, a time slot noticing section and a high traffic mode releasing section,wherein said each terminal includes a high traffic mode receiving section, a transmission control section, a time slot requesting section and an end noticing section,wherein said load monitoring section monitors a traffic state of said LAN, detecting the number of terminals requesting data transmission as operating terminals of said plurality of terminals connected to said LAN, counting a data amount on said LAN per unit time, and calculating a LAN load factor based on a transmission rate of said LAN and the counted data amount, and noticing a traffic state to said high traffic mode noticing section and to said high traffic mode releasing section,wherein said high traffic mode noticing section, in response to notice from said load monitoring section that the LAN load has become heavy, issues to all said plurality of terminals connected to said LAN a notice indicating that a time slot allocating request should be issued only for the first data transmission after a high traffic mode has set,wherein said time slot noticing section, having a time slot management table in which time slot managing information is stored, receives a time slot allocating request from one terminal and notices allocation of a time slot to said one terminal based on an operating state of other terminals,wherein said high traffic mode releasing section, in response to notice from said load monitoring section that the LAN load has become light, releases the high traffic mode to discard the time slot management table, sets a normal mode, and notices the setting of the normal mode to said plurality of terminals,wherein said high traffic mode receiving section receives from said high traffic mode noticing section a notice that the high traffic mode is set, and from said high traffic mode releasing section the notice that the high traffic mode is released to set the normal mode,wherein said time slot requesting section issues a time slot allocating request to said time slot noticing section of said traffic control unit via said transmission control section only when data transmission is first to be performed after the high traffic mode has been set, after calculating transmission timing,wherein said transmission control section has a same time slot management table in which time slot managing information is stored as that of said time slot noticing section, performs data transmission when the normal mode is set, determines whether or not the time slot allocating request is already issued when the high traffic mode is set, calculates the transmission timing of the time slot allocating request from the time slot management table when the time slot allocating request is not yet issued, to cause said time slot requesting section to issue the time slot allocating request, calculates the transmission timing based on time slot managing information and a time slot allocated by said traffic control unit stored in the time slot management table, and performs data transmission in synchronism with the calculated transmission timing after suspension of the data transmission, andwherein said end noticing section issues a notice indicating that the transmission is ended at a requesting terminal, to said load monitoring section at the time when the data transmission is completed in said transmission control section and excludes the requesting terminal from the operating terminal on said LAN.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A plurality of terminals are connected via LAN to a traffic control unit for allocating time slots in response to data transmission requests and for monitoring the LAN load. The traffic control unit includes a load monitoring section, a high traffic mode noticing section, a time slot noticing section and a high traffic mode releasing section and each of terminals includes a high traffic mode receiving section, a transmission control section, a time slot requesting section and an end noticing section. When the load monitoring section detects the high traffic state of the LAN, the high traffic mode noticing section notices to all the terminals that the system is set in a high traffic mode. When the high traffic mode receiving section of each terminal receives the notice, the high traffic mode is set. In the high traffic mode, the time slot requesting section in each terminal issues a time slot allocating request to the time slot noticing section only for the first data transmission after the high traffic mode has set, and the time slot noticing section allocates a time slot to the requesting terminal. When ending the data transmission the end noticing section the transmission end to the traffic control unit. When the load monitoring section detects the low traffic state, the high traffic mode releasing section notices to all the terminals that the system be set in a normal mode.
28 Citations
9 Claims
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1. (Amended) A traffic control system for a local area network (LAN) in which a plurality of terminals are connected to a traffic control unit for allocating a time slot to each of the plurality of terminals in response to a data transmission request from each terminal and for monitoring a LAN load,
wherein said traffic control unit includes a load monitoring section, a high traffic mode noticing section, a time slot noticing section and a high traffic mode releasing section, wherein said each terminal includes a high traffic mode receiving section, a transmission control section, a time slot requesting section and an end noticing section, wherein said load monitoring section monitors a traffic state of said LAN, detecting the number of terminals requesting data transmission as operating terminals of said plurality of terminals connected to said LAN, counting a data amount on said LAN per unit time, and calculating a LAN load factor based on a transmission rate of said LAN and the counted data amount, and noticing a traffic state to said high traffic mode noticing section and to said high traffic mode releasing section, wherein said high traffic mode noticing section, in response to notice from said load monitoring section that the LAN load has become heavy, issues to all said plurality of terminals connected to said LAN a notice indicating that a time slot allocating request should be issued only for the first data transmission after a high traffic mode has set, wherein said time slot noticing section, having a time slot management table in which time slot managing information is stored, receives a time slot allocating request from one terminal and notices allocation of a time slot to said one terminal based on an operating state of other terminals, wherein said high traffic mode releasing section, in response to notice from said load monitoring section that the LAN load has become light, releases the high traffic mode to discard the time slot management table, sets a normal mode, and notices the setting of the normal mode to said plurality of terminals, wherein said high traffic mode receiving section receives from said high traffic mode noticing section a notice that the high traffic mode is set, and from said high traffic mode releasing section the notice that the high traffic mode is released to set the normal mode, wherein said time slot requesting section issues a time slot allocating request to said time slot noticing section of said traffic control unit via said transmission control section only when data transmission is first to be performed after the high traffic mode has been set, after calculating transmission timing, wherein said transmission control section has a same time slot management table in which time slot managing information is stored as that of said time slot noticing section, performs data transmission when the normal mode is set, determines whether or not the time slot allocating request is already issued when the high traffic mode is set, calculates the transmission timing of the time slot allocating request from the time slot management table when the time slot allocating request is not yet issued, to cause said time slot requesting section to issue the time slot allocating request, calculates the transmission timing based on time slot managing information and a time slot allocated by said traffic control unit stored in the time slot management table, and performs data transmission in synchronism with the calculated transmission timing after suspension of the data transmission, and wherein said end noticing section issues a notice indicating that the transmission is ended at a requesting terminal, to said load monitoring section at the time when the data transmission is completed in said transmission control section and excludes the requesting terminal from the operating terminal on said LAN.
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7. A traffic control system for a local area network (LAN), comprising:
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a traffic control unit, connected to said LAN, comprising a time slot noticing section, a high traffic mode noticing section, a high traffic mode releasing section, and a load monitoring section; and a plurality of terminals connected to said LAN, each of which comprises a respective high traffic mode receiving section, a respective time slot requesting section, a respective transmission control section, and a respective end noticing section; said load monitoring section determining a LAN load based on an amount of data transmitted through said LAN per a unit of time, and determining a traffic state based on said LAN load; said traffic state indicating one of a plurality of LAN load levels, including a heavy LAN load and a normal LAN load; said load monitoring section providing said traffic state to said high traffic mode noticing section and to said high traffic mode releasing section; said high traffic mode noticing section issuing a high traffic mode notice to said plurality of terminals when said traffic state indicates said heavy LAN load; said high traffic mode releasing section issuing a normal traffic mode notice to said plurality of terminals when said traffic state does not indicate said heavy LAN load; said time slot noticing section (1) having a time slot management table for storing time slot managing information, and (2) sending a respective time slot allocation notice to a respective one of said plurality of terminals in response to a respective time slot allocation request; said high traffic mode receiving section receiving said high traffic mode notice and said normal traffic mode notice, and indicating said traffic state to said transmission control section; said transmission control section having a respective time slot management table the same as said time slot management table of said time slot noticing section; said time slot requesting section generating a respective time slot allocation request, in response to a requirement to transmit a respective data message, only (1) if said traffic state indicates said heavy LAN load, and (2) if said respective time slot allocation request for said data message has not already been generated; said transmission control section sending said time slot allocation request to said traffic control unit; said transmission control section sending said respective data message in synchronization with a transmission timing of said respective data message when said traffic state indicates said heavy LAN load; said transmission timing of said respective data message being based on said respective time slot managing information and on a time slot indicated by said time slot allocation message; and said end noticing section issuing a data transmission end notice to said traffic control unit when transmission of said respective data message is complete, if said traffic state indicates said heavy LAN load. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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Specification