Apparatus for and method of communicating data among devices interconnected on a bus by using a signalling channel to set up communications
First Claim
1. An information communication system comprising:
- an information transmission bus;
a signaling channel;
a plurality of nodes communicatively linked by said information transmission bus and said signaling channel, predetermined valid communications among selected ones of said nodes being set up by said nodes in accordance with preselected transmission characteristics compatible among said nodes, said nodes setting up for communications on said information transmission bus using said preselected transmission characteristics in response to a signal transmitted from one of said selected ones on said signalling channel,wherein each one of said nodes comprises a device having;
a memory, said memory storing information transmission bus characteristics to be used for transmitting information from said one to another node in said system;
means for reading a particular set of said information bus transmission characteristics from said memory responsive to a need to transmit information between said one and said another node; and
means for configuring said one to transmit a message on said information transmission bus according to said information transmission bus characteristics retrieved from said memory.
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Abstract
An information communication system has a plurality of nodes connected by both an information transmission bus and a signalling channel. The information transmission bus is used to carry messages between devices attached to the nodes of the network. The signalling channel is used to signal nodes that a message transmission is about to occur. Based on the devices connected to the nodes, the appropriate communication protocol can be set up and resources allocated on the information transmission bus to efficiently transfer information. The invention allows a device acting as a message source to communicate with another device at a first node using a first protocol and to communicate with a different device at a second node using a second protocol. The protocols can be stored in the devices attached to the nodes or a control node can be used.
50 Citations
9 Claims
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1. An information communication system comprising:
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an information transmission bus; a signaling channel; a plurality of nodes communicatively linked by said information transmission bus and said signaling channel, predetermined valid communications among selected ones of said nodes being set up by said nodes in accordance with preselected transmission characteristics compatible among said nodes, said nodes setting up for communications on said information transmission bus using said preselected transmission characteristics in response to a signal transmitted from one of said selected ones on said signalling channel, wherein each one of said nodes comprises a device having; a memory, said memory storing information transmission bus characteristics to be used for transmitting information from said one to another node in said system; means for reading a particular set of said information bus transmission characteristics from said memory responsive to a need to transmit information between said one and said another node; and means for configuring said one to transmit a message on said information transmission bus according to said information transmission bus characteristics retrieved from said memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An information communication system comprising:
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an information transmission bus; a signaling channel; a plurality of nodes communicatively linked by said information transmission bus and said signaling channel, predetermined valid communications among selected ones of said nodes being set up by said nodes in accordance with preselected transmission characteristics compatible among said nodes, said nodes setting up for communications on said information transmission bus using said preselected transmission characteristics in response to a signal transmitted from one of said selected ones on said signalling channel, wherein, when a new node is connected to said information transmission bus and said signalling channel, said new node transmits one of a net address and a node number over said signalling channel to thereby provide an identification for said new node, wherein each of said plurality of nodes reads the identification for said new node over said signalling channel in a predetermined sequence based on one of net addresses and node numbers of said each of said plurality of nodes with respect to said one of said net address and said node number of said new node, and wherein, when all of said plurality of nodes have confirmed that they can establish communications with said new node, said new node is added to said information communication system.
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6. An information communication system comprising:
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an information transmission bus; a signaling channel; a plurality of nodes communicatively linked by said information transmission bus and said signaling channel; and a control node communicatively linked to said plurality of nodes by only said signalling channel, said control node including a memory for storing at least communication protocol information, wherein predetermined valid communications among selected ones of said nodes are set up by said control node in accordance with communication protocol information compatible among said nodes as determined by said control node, said control node setting up for communications between said selected ones of said nodes on said information transmission bus using said preselected transmission characteristics in response to a signal transmitted from of one of said selected ones on said signalling channel, wherein said control node notifies said selected ones of said nodes to begin communications therebetween using said information transmission bus, by sending at least one signal to said selected ones of said nodes over said signalling channel.
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7. An information communication system comprising:
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an information transmission bus; a signaling channel; a plurality of nodes communicatively linked by said information transmission bus and said signaling channel; and a control node communicatively linked to said plurality of nodes by only said signalling channel, said control node including a memory for storing at least communication protocol information, wherein predetermined valid communications among selected ones of said nodes are set up by said control node in accordance with communication protocol information compatible among said nodes as determined by said control node, said control node setting up for communications between said selected ones of said nodes on said information transmission bus using said preselected transmission characteristics in response to a signal transmitted from of one of said selected ones on said signalling channel, wherein said control node, at system setup, polls each of said plurality of nodes to determine capabilities of said each of said plurality of nodes and said capabilities in said memory at said control node, wherein said control node monitors said signalling channel for any signals sent thereon, wherein, when said one node desires to transmit information to said another node over said information transmission bus, said one node outputs to the signal on said signalling channel, which is detected by said control node, and wherein said control node determines, based on detection of the signal and other signals on said signalling channel within a predetermined time period, whether current resources allocated to particular ones of said plurality of nodes are adequate based on communication requests between said particular ones of said plurality of nodes that are sent over said signalling channel. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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Specification