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Method and apparatus for exchanging different classes of data during different time intervals

  • US 5,553,095 A
  • Filed: 04/28/1993
  • Issued: 09/03/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A station for a communication network in which activity is divided into periodic time intervals of equal duration, comprising:

  • a receiver coupled to the communication network to receive data therefrom;

    a transmitter coupled to send data over the communication network;

    an interface circuit connected to said receiver and said transmitter to exchange data with an external device; and

    an access controller connected to said transmitter and to said receiver, and having a storage device to store network control information that is received from the communication network during a first segment of each periodic time interval, wherein when the network control information is revised from previous transmissions, the network control information further includes a countdown value designating a number of periodic intervals that must occur before the revised network control information is to be used in communicating over the communication network and said access controller further including means for temporarily storing the revised network control information, and for loading the revised information into said storage device for controlling network communications when a number of periodic intervals equal to the countdown value have occurred, the access controller performing a pair of functions comprising;

    (a) enabling the transmitter to send data of a first class over the communication network during a second segment in each periodic time interval when data received from the network indicates that a preceding station in a predefined transmission order has finished transmitting, and enabling the transmitter to send data of a second class over the communication network during a third segment in a periodic time interval when an amount of time remaining in that periodic interval is at least as great as an amount of time required to send the data of the second class, and when either (1) the network control information indicates that the station is to transmit first during the third segment or (2) data received from the communication network indicates that a preceding station in a predetermined transmission order has finished transmitting data of the second class.

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