Apparatus and method for enabling a network interface to dynamically assign an address to a connected computer and to establish a virtual circuit with another network interface

A computer network interface device for connecting a node with a computer network and providing distributed control of said computer network, said computer network interface device comprising:

• a. means for communicating with another computer network interface device using network signals and network commands, said means for communicating including,
• i. a network daisy chain interface for use during initialization and self identification of said computer network interface device, and
• ii. a network bus interface for performing information transfers over said computer network;
• b. a controller for interpreting and responding to said network signals and network commands, said controller coupled to said network daisy chain interface and said network bus interface, said controller further including,
• iii. dynamic self-identification means including means for determining a unique address of said computer network interface device in relation to another computer network interface device in said computer network, said means for determining including means for determining if said computer network interface device is a first computer network interface device in said computer network and mean for determining if said computer interface device is a last computer interface device, said first computer network interface device having no other computer network interface device connected to a self-identification input of said network daisy chain interface, said means for determining a unique address referencing said unique address from a dynamically generated address of said first computer network interface device, said dynamic self-identification means further including means for receiving an address of said computer network interface device via said network bus interface as dynamically generated by said another computer network interface device, said computer network interface device further including means for responding only to said network commands having said address dynamically generated by said another computer network interface device,
• iv. means for generating a transmit authority command in the form of a token with which said computer network interface obtains the right to transmit data on said computer network via said network bus interface after said address of said computer network interface device has been received by said means for receiving,
• v. means for issuing said transmit authority command to any other computer network interface device of said computer network, and
• vi. means for interpreting a transmit authority command generated by said any other computer network interface device of said computer network, and
• vii. means for granting permission to transmit information on said computer network in response to interpreting said transmit authority command;
• viii. means for associating a default destination with the computer network interface device;
• ix. means for establishing a virtual circuit between the computer network interface device and a destination when the computer network interface device has the transmit authority
• x. means for maintaining the virtual circuit after issuing the transmit authority to another computer network interface device;
• and
• c. a node interface for transferring information between said computer network and said node.