Calculator network in which a master calculator can restrict communication between client calculators in the network

• US 6,519,641 B1
• Filed: 08/30/1996
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Stafford, Ronald E., Siep, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LUU, LE HIEN
• Application Number:
  US08/697,808
• Time in Patent Office: 2,356 Days
• Field of Search: 370/422, 348/14, 348/12, 395/200.34, 395/828, 434/322, 375/206, 379/202, 709/225, 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake

Abstract

A group of client calculators (18) communicates by determining whether a aster calculator (14) is a member of the group. If the master calculator (14) is present, the client calculators (18) determine whether the master calculator (14) has allowed communication between the client calculators (14). The client calculators may communicate if the master calculator (14) is not present or if the master calculator (14) is present and has allowed communications between other of the client calculators (18).

Claims

1. A network comprising:

a master or teacher processing device including circuitry for transmitting data to and receiving data from a plurality of student or client processing devices and for generating signals indicating whether said plurality of client or student processing devices are allowed to communicate between each other; and

a plurality of client or student processing devices, each client processing device have circuitry to communicate with said master device and to select and communicate with any of the other client processing devices if said master processing device has generated a signal indicating that said client processing devices are allowed to communicate between one another or if said master processing device is not present or otherwise not in communication with said plurality of client processing devices.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein said master and client processing devices are calculators.

3. The network of claim 1 wherein said master and client processing devices can communicate by wireless transmission of signals.

4. The network of claim 1 wherein said master processing device also includes circuitry for transmitting a signal to said client processing device indicating that data may be uploaded from said client processing devices to said master processing device.

5. The network of claim 1 and further comprising a printer in communication with said master processing device, wherein said master processing device also transmits a signal to said client processing devices indicating that print data may be uploaded from said client processing device for printing.

6. The network of claim 1 wherein said master processing device further transmits data to said client processing devices.

7. A network comprising:

a master or teacher calculator including circuitry for transmitting data to and receiving data from a plurality of student or client calculators and for generating control signals indicating whether said plurality of client or student calculators are allowed to communicate between each other; and

a plurality of client or student calculators, each of said plurality having circuitry to communicate with said master calculator and to select and communicate with any of the other client calculators responsive to said control signals from said master calculator or if said master calculator is not present or otherwise is not in communication with said client calculators.

8. The network of claim 7 wherein said client calculators and said master calculator are in wireless communication with one another.

9. The network of claim 7 wherein said master calculator can send data to said client calculators.

10. The network of claim 7 wherein said client calculators may upload data to said master calculator.

11. The network of claim 10 wherein client calculators upload data to said master calculator responsive to a signal from said master calculator.

12. The network of claim 10 wherein client calculators upload said print data to said printer responsive to a signal from said master calculator.

13. The network of claim 7 wherein said client calculators may upload print data to a printer.

14. A method of communicating between a group of processing devices at least including a plurality of client processing devices comprising the steps of:

determining whether said group of processing devices also includes a processing device designated as a member device;

determining whether the master device, if present, has allowed communications between said client processing devices; and

selecting and initiating communication by any one of said client processing devices with any other one or more client processing device if a master device is not a member of the group or if a master device is a member of the group and has allowed communications between said client processing devices.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of determining whether the master device has allowed communication comprises the step of receiving signals from said master device which indicate whether communication is allowed.

16. The method of claim 15 and further comprising the step of uploading data to the master device responsive to a signal from said master device.

17. The method of claim 15 and further comprising the step of uploading data to a printer responsive to a signal from said master device.

18. The method of claim 15 and further comprising the step of receiving data from said master device responsive to a signal from said master device.