Communication timing control method and apparatus, node, and communication system
First Claim
1. A communication timing control apparatus provided in each of a plurality of nodes in a communication system, the communication timing control apparatus comprising:
- a state variable signal communication unit for intermittently transmitting, to at least two other nodes in the communication system, an output state variable signal indicating an operating state or operating timing of its own node, and receiving, from the at least two other nodes in the communication system, input state variable signals indicating an operating state or operating timing of the at least two other nodes;
a timing decision unit for generating transitions in the operating state or operating timing of its own node, the transitions occurring at a basic transition rate, but at timings adjusted according to the input state variable signals;
a data signal communication unit for transmitting data from its own node in time slots responsive to timing of the transmission of the output state variable signal, and receiving data signals from the at least two other nodes;
a collision detector for detecting collisions between the data signals received from the at least two other nodes; and
a dummy communication timing decision unit for generating dummy transitions in the operating state or operating timing of its own node, the dummy transitions occurring at a basic transition rate, but at timings adjusted according to the input state variable signals and the output state variable signal, thereby causing the state variable signal communication unit to transmit a dummy output state variable signal between the input state variable signals received from a pair of nodes among the at least two other nodes when the collision detector detects a collision between data signals received from the pair of nodes, so that when the collision detector detects the collision, the state variable signal communication unit and data signal communication unit change transmission timings of the output state variable signal and the data, thereby changing the time slots.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Each node in a communication system transmits and receives state variable signals indicating internal node states or timings, generates transitions in its internal state or timing at a basic rate but at timings adjusted according to the received state variable signals, transmits data in time slots synchronized to the output state variable signals, receives data signals from the other nodes, detects collisions between the received data signals, and changes the timing of its time slots when a collision is detected, by shifting the phase of the transitions, or by inserting additional dummy transitions and transmitting corresponding dummy output state variable signals. The nodes can thereby assign their own time slots and avoid collisions autonomously.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A communication timing control apparatus provided in each of a plurality of nodes in a communication system, the communication timing control apparatus comprising:
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a state variable signal communication unit for intermittently transmitting, to at least two other nodes in the communication system, an output state variable signal indicating an operating state or operating timing of its own node, and receiving, from the at least two other nodes in the communication system, input state variable signals indicating an operating state or operating timing of the at least two other nodes; a timing decision unit for generating transitions in the operating state or operating timing of its own node, the transitions occurring at a basic transition rate, but at timings adjusted according to the input state variable signals; a data signal communication unit for transmitting data from its own node in time slots responsive to timing of the transmission of the output state variable signal, and receiving data signals from the at least two other nodes; a collision detector for detecting collisions between the data signals received from the at least two other nodes; and a dummy communication timing decision unit for generating dummy transitions in the operating state or operating timing of its own node, the dummy transitions occurring at a basic transition rate, but at timings adjusted according to the input state variable signals and the output state variable signal, thereby causing the state variable signal communication unit to transmit a dummy output state variable signal between the input state variable signals received from a pair of nodes among the at least two other nodes when the collision detector detects a collision between data signals received from the pair of nodes, so that when the collision detector detects the collision, the state variable signal communication unit and data signal communication unit change transmission timings of the output state variable signal and the data, thereby changing the time slots. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of controlling communication timing in a communication system having a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:
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receiving, at an arbitrary node in the communication system, input state variable signals transmitted by at least two other nodes in the communication system, indicating an operating state or operating timing of the at least two other nodes; generating transitions in the operating state or operating timing at the arbitrary node, the transitions occurring at a basic transition rate, but at timings adjusted according to the input state variable signals; transmitting, from the arbitrary node, output state variable signals indicating the operating state or operating timing of the arbitrary node; transmitting data signals from the arbitrary node in time slots responsive to timing of the transmission of the output state variable signals; receiving data signals from the at least two other nodes; detecting collisions between the data signals received from the at least two other nodes; generating dummy transitions in the operating state or operating timing of the arbitrary node, the dummy transitions occurring at a basic transition rate, but at timings adjusted according to the input state variable signals and the output state variable signals, when a collision is detected between data signals received from a pair of nodes among the at least two other nodes; and transmitting dummy output state variable signals responsive to the dummy transitions, thereby inserting a dummy time slot between the time slots in which the pair of nodes transmitted the colliding data signals, and changing timings of the transmission of the output state variable signals and the data and positions of the time slots, when the collision between the received data signals is detected. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification