US 5,349,582 A · Scheme for source assisted partial destination release of slots in slotted networks

Abstract

A slotted communications network by using a source node to indicate in every slot whether that slot is going to the same destination node as the immediately preceding slot. This is done by setting a flag, referred to as the continuation flag, in the header of each slot that is going to the same destination node as the immediately preceding slot; and preferably, this continuation flag is the first symbol in the header. Each node needs only to examine the continuation flag of the slot that immediately follows a slot that node has received. If the continuation flag is set in that following slot, then the destination node resets the busy indicator of that following slot to allow its reuse by other nodes, including the destination node itself if the access protocol allows that.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method of releasing time slots in a slotted communications network of the type having a multitude of nodes and a communications medium connecting the nodes together, in which data are transmitted in time slots between the nodes, wherein for each of the time slots, one of the nodes is a source node and at least one of the nodes is a destination node, and wherein the time slots follow one another in sequence and each of the time slots includes a continuation flag and a busy flag, the method comprising:

for each time slot, the source node of the time slot setting the continuation flag and the busy flag of said each time slot each time said each time slot is destined for the same destination node as was an immediately preceding time slot;
and
for each time slot the destination node of said each time slot resetting the continuation flag of said each time slot, and releasing said each time slot to receive new data, each time
(i) the continuation flag of said each time slot is set, and
(ii) a time slot immediately preceding said each time slot was destined for said same destination node.

2 more elements

In a slotted communications network of the type having a multitude of nodes and a communication medium connecting the nodes together, in which data are transmitted in time slots between the nodes wherein for each of the time slots, one of the nodes is a source node and at least one of the nodes is a destination node, and wherein the time slots follow one another in sequence and each of the time slots includes a continuation flag and a busy flag, the method comprising:

using the source node of each time slot to set a continuation flag in said each time slot to indicate that said each time slot is bound for the same destination node as an immediately preceding time slot,
each node, after receiving a time slot destined for said each node, only examining the continuation flag of the next arriving time slot to determine whether said next arriving time slot is also bound for said each node.

A slotted communication network, comprising:

a multitude of nodes;
a communication medium connecting the nodes together;
each of the nodes including means to transmit data into and to receive data from the communication medium;
wherein data is transmitted in time slots between the nodes, wherein for each of the time slots, one of the nodes is a source node and at least one of the nodes is a destination node, and wherein the time slots follow one another in sequence and each of the time slots includes a continuation subfield;
and
each node being adapted to set the continuation subfield of each time slot to a first value each time said each node transmits data into said each time slot and said each time slot is destined for the same node as was the immediately preceding time slot.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Scheme for source assisted partial destination release of slots in slotted networks

Life of this patent

Scheme for source assisted partial destination release of slots in slotted networks

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13