Apparatus and method for communication switching including providing information overflow indications
First Claim
1. Communication switching apparatus for providing LAN communication among a multiplicity of digital information processors, each said processor conventionally including an activity detector operative to cause the processor to refrain from transmitting information onto a medium when the activity detector encounters a symptom of activity on said medium,the switching apparatus including:
- a plurality of ports each communicating with at least one of the digital information processors via said medium;
a LAN port interconnector interconnecting at least two of said plurality of ports; and
an overflow indicator, sensing overflow at at least one of;
the LAN port interconnector; and
at least one of the plurality of ports;
the switching apparatus being characterized in that the overflow indicator, upon sensing said overflow, provides an artificially generated symptom of activity to at least one said activity detector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Communication switching apparatus for providing communication between a multiplicity of digital information processors, the apparatus including a plurality of ports each communicating with at least one of the multiplicity of digital information processors, and a port interconnector operative to provide communication between more than one pair of ports from among the plurality of ports, characterized in that, when an overflow of information is caused at the port interconnector or at one of the plurality of ports, an overflow indication is provided to the digital information processors which communicate with the port interconnector or with the overflowed one of the plurality of ports.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. Communication switching apparatus for providing LAN communication among a multiplicity of digital information processors, each said processor conventionally including an activity detector operative to cause the processor to refrain from transmitting information onto a medium when the activity detector encounters a symptom of activity on said medium,
the switching apparatus including: -
a plurality of ports each communicating with at least one of the digital information processors via said medium; a LAN port interconnector interconnecting at least two of said plurality of ports; and an overflow indicator, sensing overflow at at least one of; the LAN port interconnector; and at least one of the plurality of ports; the switching apparatus being characterized in that the overflow indicator, upon sensing said overflow, provides an artificially generated symptom of activity to at least one said activity detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for providing LAN communication among a multiplicity of digital information processors, each said processor conventionally including an activity detector operative to cause the processor to refrain from transmitting information onto a medium when the activity detector encounters a symptom of activity on said medium,
the method including: -
providing a plurality of ports each communicating with at least one of the digital information processors via said medium; providing a LAN port interconnector interconnecting at least two of said plurality of ports; and sensing overflow at at least one of; the LAN port interconnector; and at least one of the plurality of ports; and upon sensing said overflow, providing an artificially generated symptom of activity to at least one said activity detector. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. Communication switching apparatus for providing LAN communication among a multiplicity of digital information processors for which a token is defined, each said processor conventionally including a token possession detector operative to cause the processor to refrain from transmitting information onto a medium when the token possession detector detects that the processor does not possess a token,
the switching apparatus including: -
a plurality of ports each communicating with at least one of the digital information processors via said medium; a LAN port interconnector interconnecting at least two of said plurality of ports; and an overflow indicator, sensing overflow at at least one of; the LAN port interconnector; and at least one of the plurality of ports; the switching apparatus being characterized in that the overflow indicator includes a priority indicator which, upon sensing said overflow, elevates the token'"'"'s priority such that the token possession detector of at least one of said processors detects that its processor does not possess the token.
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Specification