Bus station with routing for survivable networks

• US 7,245,593 B1
• Filed: 10/21/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Karl, Matthias, Stelzig, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper; Kevin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/530,388
• Time in Patent Office: 3,191 Days
• Field of Search: 370/248, 370/403, 370/320, 370/238, 370/254, 370/419, 370/280, 370/315, 370/345, 370/458, 709/242
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/407 with decentralised control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A bus station or a communication system is described, where the bus stations receive communications containing transmission information from which the position of the transmitting bus station in a sequence of bus stations can. A time slot for the bus station in which the bus station repeats the received communication is calculated from the transmission information and position information stored in the bus station indicating the position of the bus station in the sequence. These bus stations are especially suitable for data exchange by radio.

Claims

1. A bus station for exchanging with other bus stations a communication including a data packet and transmission information, comprising:

an arrangement for storing position information of the bus station in relation to a sequence of bus stations;

an arrangement for determining, from the transmission information, position information of the one of the bus stations that is transmitting;

an arrangement for, on receiving the communication, determining a time slot belonging to the bus station on the basis of the position information of the one of the bus stations that is transmitting and the position information of the bus station;

an arrangement for sending the communication including the data packet after the data packet is received, the communication being sent in a next time slot belonging to the bus station;

an arrangement, in transmitting the communication, for using the direction vector of the received communication;

an arrangement, after the communication has been sent, depending on the direction vector, for checking on whether another bus station has repeated the data packet sent in the communication; and

an arrangement for sending the communication again if no other bus station has repeated the sent data packet;

wherein the communication includes a direction vector indicating that a sequence will be run through in one of a first direction and a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

2. The bus station according to claim 1, further comprising:

an arrangement capable of receiving another communication including another data packet of a data source; and

an arrangement for sending, on receiving a communication from the data source, a communication with the other data packet to the other bus stations.

3. The bus station according to claim 1, further comprising:

an arrangement by which, when a communication is received from one of another bus station and a data source having a data packet, a first communication having the same data packet and a direction vector in a first direction can be sent, and in a following time slot a second communication having the data packet of the received communication and the direction vector in a second direction can be sent.

4. The bus station according to claim 1, further comprising:

an arrangement by which, when a first communication including the data packet is received and a second communication is received after the first communication but before a sending of another communication containing the received data packet of the first communication, on the basis of the transmission information, a length of the data packet, and a direction vector, a remaining residual transit time of the first and second communications can be calculated, and only the one of the first and second communications having a shorter remaining transit time is processed further.

5. The bus station according to claim 1, wherein:

when the direction vector is in the first direction, a repetition of the data packet is monitored; and

when the direction vector is in the second direction, the repetition of the data packet is not monitored.

6. The bus station according to claim 5, further comprising:

an arrangement for sending a communication with the direction vector in the first direction when a communication is received from a data source.

7. The bus station according to claim 5, wherein if the sequence of bus stations in the first direction terminates in the bus station, then the bus station has a number of connections to other bus stations one of greater than and equal to any other bus station.

8. The bus station according to claim 7, wherein, after the bus station receives the communication with data packet and the direction vector, the bus station sends the communication with the data packet and an opposite direction vector.

9. The bus station according to claim 5, wherein if the sequence of bus stations in the second direction terminates in the bus station, then the bus station has a number of connections to other bus stations one of less than and equal to any other bus station.

10. The bus station according to claim 9, wherein, after the bus station receives the communication with data packet and the direction vector, the bus station does not send the communication with the data packet.