Interconnection of local communication bus system
First Claim
1. A local communication system comprising:
- a plurality of stations interconnected for communicating messages via a first data bus and in accordance with a first set of communication protocols;
at least one further station not supporting said protocols; and
a gateway device linking the first data bus and the further station and operable to enable communications therebetween;
whereinthe first set of communications protocols specifies a maximum time for reply by a first station to a message sent by a second station, andwhen a message requiring a response is originated by a station of the first bus system and passed to said further station via the gateway device, the gateway device is configured to (i) generate and send a temporary response to the originating station within a predetermined period less than the specified maximum response time, pending arrival of a response from said further station, (ii) during said pendency provide for passage of a message to or from another station of the first bus system, and (iii) upon arrival of said response from said further station, pass said response to the originating station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a local communication system comprising a number of devices (14,16) interconnected by a first data bus (20) supporting a first set of communication protocols, and at least one further device (10) connected to a second bus (12) not supporting those protocols, a gateway device (18) is provided linking the first and second data buses enabling communications therebetween. The first set of protocols specifies a maximum time for response by a first device to a request sent by a second device. When a request is sent from a device (14) on the first bus to the further device (10), the gateway (18) times the request and, if no response is received from the further device within the specified maximum response time, the gateway (18) generates and sends a temporary response to the requesting device (14). The system may comprise two or more clusters of devices, each being linked to the further bus (12) by respective gateway devices (18,22).
116 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A local communication system comprising:
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a plurality of stations interconnected for communicating messages via a first data bus and in accordance with a first set of communication protocols; at least one further station not supporting said protocols; and a gateway device linking the first data bus and the further station and operable to enable communications therebetween; wherein the first set of communications protocols specifies a maximum time for reply by a first station to a message sent by a second station, and when a message requiring a response is originated by a station of the first bus system and passed to said further station via the gateway device, the gateway device is configured to (i) generate and send a temporary response to the originating station within a predetermined period less than the specified maximum response time, pending arrival of a response from said further station, (ii) during said pendency provide for passage of a message to or from another station of the first bus system, and (iii) upon arrival of said response from said further station, pass said response to the originating station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A local communication system comprising:
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a. two or more clusters of stations each cluster comprising a plurality of stations interconnected for communicating messages via a respective data bus and in accordance with a respective set of communication protocols, at least one of the respective sets of communication protocols being a first set of communications protocols; b. a further data bus for interconnecting the clusters, the further data bus not supporting the first set of communication protocols; c. a plurality of respective gateway devices, one for each cluster, the gateway devices linking the clusters and the further data bus and being operable to enable communications therebetween; wherein the first set of communications protocols specifies a maximum time for reply by a first station to a message sent by a second station; and each respective gateway device that is coupled to a cluster using the first set of communications protocols is configured (I) in response to a message originating station within that cluster, to generate and send a temporary response to the message originating station within a predetermined period less than the specified maximum response time, pending arrival of a response from a message destination station outside that cluster, (ii) during said pendency provide for passage of a message to or from another station of that cluster, and (iii) upon arrival of said response from said message destination station, pass said response to the message originating station in which a nominated station (the "AV Center") has knowledge of signal paths in the cluster containing the message originating station; uses control messages to establish a signal path between the message originating station and the respective gateway device for the cluster containing the message originating station; and provides information to cause establishment of signal paths between the message destination station and the respective gateway device for the cluster containing the message destination station; and between the cluster containing the message originating station and the cluster containing the message destination station via the further bus. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A gateway device for use in a local communication system, the system including
a plurality of stations interconnected for communicating messages via a first data bus and in accordance with a first set of communication protocols, and at least one further station not supporting said first set of communication protocols; - and wherein
said first set of communication protocols specifies a maximum time for reply by a first station to a message sent by a second station; said gateway device comprising means for linking said first data bus and said further station to enable communication therebetween, and means whereby when a message requiring a response is originated by a station of said plurality of stations and passed to said further station via said gateway, said gateway device (i) generates and sends a temporary response to the originating station within a predetermined period less than the specified maximum response time, pending arrival of a response from said further station, (ii) during said pendency, provides for passage of a message to or from another station of the plurality of stations, and (iii) upon arrival of said response from said further station, passes said response to said originating station.
- and wherein
Specification