US 2004/0177206 A1 · System, methods, and bus controllers for creating and event trigger on a network bus

Abstract

The present invention provides systems, methods, and bus controllers (12)for monitoring an event of interest via a network bus (14)and creating an asynchronous event trigger on the network bus indicating that the event occurred. Importantly, the systems, methods, and bus controllers (12) of the present invention use either one or several network devices (16, 18) that are connected to the network bus (14) and monitor the occurrence of an event of interest. These network devices (16, 18) are configure through commands from the bus controller (12) to indicate on the network bus (14) typically by a pulse signal, when the event of interest has occurred. The indication from the network device (16, 18) that the event has occurred is used by the bus controller (12) and other network devices (16, 18, 20) on the network bus (14) to configure timing for commands or to perform desired actions in synchronization with the occurrence of the event of interest.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A system for monitoring an event of interest via a network bus, wherein said system comprises:

a bus controller in electrical communication with the network bus for controlling communications on the network bus;
and
at least one first network device in electrical communication with the network bus for indicating that the event of interest has occurred,
wherein said bus controller transmits an event command via the network bus commanding said first network device to indicate when the event of interest has occurred, and wherein said first network device, upon determining that the event has occurred, transmits an indication on the network bus.

1 more element

A bus controller for monitoring an event of interest via a network bus, wherein said bus controller is in electrical communication with the network bus and controls communications on the network bus, wherein said bus controller is capable of transmitting event commands via the network bus to at least one first network device connected to the network bus commanding that the network device indicate on the network bus when the event of interest has occurred, and wherein said bus controller is capable of receiving the indication from the first network device that event of interest occurred.

A system for monitoring an event of interest in a network system, wherein said system comprises:

a network bus for transporting all communications in the network system;
a bus controller in electrical communication with the network bus for controlling communications on the network bus;
at least one first network device in electrical communication with the network bus for indicating that the event of interest has occurred;
and
at least one second network device for performing an associated action based on when the event of interest has occurred,
wherein said bus controller transmits an event command via the network bus commanding said first network device to indicate when the event of interest has occurred, wherein said first network device, upon determining that the event has occurred, transmits an indication on the network bus, and wherein said second network device performs the associated action based on when the event of interest occurred.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System, methods, and bus controllers for creating and event trigger on a network bus

Life of this patent

System, methods, and bus controllers for creating and event trigger on a network bus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24