# US 2017/0286351 A1 · High speed communications network in dental equipment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0286351 A1 - Document ID: US20170286351A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/090,363 - Filed: 2016-04-04 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-04 - Assignees: A-dec, Inc. - Applicants: A-dec, Inc. - Inventors: Ryan M. Williams; Paul Scott Bontrager - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170286351A1 ## CPC - G06F 13/4265: {on a point to point bus (G06F13/4247, G06F13/4282 take precedence)} - G06F 13/4068: {Electrical coupling} - H04L 12/40: Bus networks - H04L 12/40006: {Architecture of a communication node (current supply arrangements H04L12/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90)} - H04L 12/40013: {Details regarding a bus controller} - H04L 12/40091: {Bus bridging (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; single bridge functionality H04L12/462)} - H04L 67/104: Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks - H04L 25/0298: {Arrangement for terminating transmission lines} - H04L 2012/40215: {Controller Area Network CAN} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A system comprises a plurality of nodes connected in a peer-to-peer network via a communication interface. At least one node of the plurality of nodes comprises a transceiver, at least two connectors, at least one termination resistance module coupled to the transceiver, the at least one termination resistance module providing termination resistance within the node, a first detection circuit coupled to a first connector of the at least two connectors, and a second detection circuit coupled to a second connector of the at least two connectors. The first and second detection circuits are configured to detect that the node is coupled to one or more other nodes in the peer-to-peer network, and automatically adjust the termination resistance based on the detecting. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a plurality of nodes connected in a peer-to-peer network via a communication interface wherein at least one node of the plurality of nodes comprises: a transceiver; at least two connectors; at least one termination resistance module coupled to the transceiver, the at least one termination resistance module providing termination resistance within the node; a first detection circuit coupled to a first connector of the at least two connectors; and a second detection circuit coupled to a second connector of the at least two connectors, wherein the first and second detection circuits are configured to detect that the node is coupled to one or more other nodes in the peer-to-peer network, and automatically adjust the termination resistance based on the detecting. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the communication bus is a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system according to claim 2, wherein the at least two connectors are R.150 connectors, and the transceiver is a CAN transceiver. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the node further comprises a termination circuit coupled to the at least one termination resistance module, the termination circuit is configured to add or remove the termination resistance based on the detecting. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system according to claim 4, wherein the detection circuit is configured to: determine the node is a non-endpoint by detecting that the at least two connectors are coupled to at least two of the other nodes; and upon determining the node is a non-endpoint, remove or otherwise not activate the termination resistance within the node. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The system according to claim 4, wherein the detection circuit is configured to: determine the node is an endpoint by detecting that only one of the at least two connectors is coupled to at least one of the other nodes; and upon determining the node is an endpoint, add the termination resistance within the node. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the termination resistance is a high-speed termination resistance substantially equal to 99.8Ω. ### Claim 8 The system according to claim I, wherein the termination resistance is present within the node by default, when the node is unconnected to one or more of the other nodes or the node is an endpoint. ### Claim 9 The system according to claim I, wherein: the first detection circuit is configured to generate a first logic HIGH signal when the first connector is unconnected; and the second detection circuit is configured to generate a second logic HIGH signal when the second connector is unconnected. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein: the first detection circuits is configured to generate a first logic LOW signal when the first connector is connected to the communication bus via a first connector cable plugged into the first connector; and the second detection circuits is configured to generate a second logic LOW signal when the second connector is connected to the communication bus via a second connector cable plugged into the second connector. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein: the first detection circuit is configured to generate the first logic LOW signal upon detecting a shorted connection between at least two connector pins within the first connector cable; and the second detection circuit is configured to generate the second logic LOW signal upon detecting a shorted connection between at least two connector pins within the first connector cable. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the communication bus is a high-speed CAN bus, the node is a high-speed CAN node, and the first detection circuit is further configured to: detect the node is coupled to at least a second node via a first connection cable based on a first pair of shorted pins within the first connection cable. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12, wherein the first detection circuit is further configured to: detect the at least second node is a low-speed CAN node based on a second pair of shorted pins within the first connection cable, the second pair different from the first pair. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system according to claim 13, wherein the first detection circuit is further configured to: adjust the termination resistance from a high-speed termination resistance to a low-speed termination resistance based on detecting the at least second node is a low-speed CAN node. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system according to claim 14, wherein: the high-speed termination resistance is approximately 99.85; and the low-speed termination resistance is approximately 330Q. ### Claim 16 A method for dynamically switching termination resistance in a network node, the node connected in a peer-to-peer network via at least one of a plurality of available connectors, the method comprising: upon detecting that the node is coupled to the network via a single connecting cable coupled to a first connector of the plurality of connectors, adding a termination resistance within the node, wherein the detecting is based on a shorted pair of connector pins for the single connecting cable; and upon detecting the node is coupled to the network via at least one other connecting cable plugged into at least a second connector of the plurality of connectors, removing the termination resistance within the node. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, comprising: detecting at least two connector pins for each of the connecting cables at the first and second connectors are shorted. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, comprising: upon detecting the at least two connector pins for each of the connecting cables are shorted, generating at least two logical signals corresponding to the at least two connecting cables; and deactivating the termination resistance within the node based on the logical signals. ### Claim 19 A dental device, comprising: a processing unit; at least a first transceiver configured to operate in a first network associated with a first communications protocol; at least a second transceiver configured to operate in a second network associated with a second communications protocol, the first and second transceivers coupled to the processing unit; a high-speed termination resistance module associated with the first transceiver; and a low-speed termination resistance module associated with the second transceiver; wherein the processing unit is configured to perform operations for exchanging information between the first and the second networks, the operations comprising: receiving via the first transceiver, a first message compliant with the first communication protocol; determining an intended action associated with the first message; generate a second message associated with performing the intended action, the second message compliant with the second communications protocol; and transmit the message via the second transceiver to one or more devices on the second network. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The dental device of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise: detecting a first pair of shorted connector pins, the first pair of shorted pins at a connector associated with the second transceiver; and upon detecting the first pair of shorted pins, activating the low-speed termination resistance module to provide low-speed termination resistance at the connector associated with the second transceiver. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The dental device of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise: upon detecting that the first transceiver is not connected to the first network while the second transceiver is connected to the second network, removing termination resistance associated with the first transceiver. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The dental device of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise: detecting a second pair of shorted connector pins, the second pair of shorted pins at a connector associated with the first transceiver; and upon detecting the second pair and the first pair of pins are shorted, de-activating the high-speed termination resistance module. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The dental device of claim 19, wherein: the first network is a high-speed CAN network; and the second network is a low-speed CAN network. ### Claim 24 A method for communicating information in a peer-to-peer network of a plurality of nodes, the method comprising: receiving at a first node of the plurality of nodes, a subscription request from a second node of the plurality of nodes, the subscription request specifying one or more signals to be sent by the first node to the second node whenever said one or more signals are generated, modified or updated; and generating by the first node, mapping data based on the subscription request, the mapping data identifying signal subscriptions of one or more of the plurality of nodes. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method according to claim 24, further comprising: storing the mapping data in a memory of the first node; and updating the mapping data upon receipt of at least another subscription request from at least a third node of the plurality of nodes. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising: prior to receiving the subscription request from the second node, receiving at the first node, a heartbeat message from the second node of the plurality of nodes, the heartbeat message identifying the second node as a device connected on the peer-to-peer network. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, further comprising: sending by the first node, a second subscription request to the second node, the second subscription request identifying one or more signals which may be generated by the second node and to which the first node is requesting to subscribe. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, further comprising: sending by the first node, a supplemental subscription command to the second node, the supplemental subscription command identifying one or more other signals generated by the first node or one or more other nodes of the plurality of nodes that the second node can subscribe to and commanding the second node to initiate a subscription request for the identified signal(s).