Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

Campus Create Co., Ltd.

Masaaki Date

Shigeru Fukunaga

Toshihiko Matsunaga

Kosuke Sekiyama

Yuki Kubo

Yukihiro Morita

Masaki Yamauchi

Taketsugu Yao

Hisaaki Tanaka

Katsuhiro Suzuki

A network node constituting a telecommunications system together with one or more neighboring nodes includes a telecommunications control device, which includes a timing control signal receiver for receiving timing control signals transmitted from the neighboring nodes, and a transmission timing calculator for determining data transmission timing of the network node, based on reception timing of the timing controls signal of the neighboring nodes. The device further includes a timing control signal transmitter for transmitting a timing control signal with a phase indicative of data transmission timing of the network node reflected, a data communicator for transmitting and receiving a data signal to and from the neighboring nodes, and a phase state manager for controlling transmission of the timing control signal and data signal in accordance with the phase state of the network node.

Telecommunications control device autonomously determining transmission timing and a method therefor

A transmission timing control apparatus included in a network node constituting a telecommunications system is configured to use the reception timing of a timing signal from another node to determine the transmission timing of a timing signal of the own node and determine a time slot for transmission of a data signal in accordance with the transmission timing and the reception timing of a timing signal from the other node. A response timing signal transmitter transmits a response timing signal when received the timing signal from the other node. A transmission timing control circuit uses the reception timing of the timing signal and that of the response timing signal to determine the timing at which the own node transmits the timing signal.

Communication timing control for allotting a time slot by a distributed coordination through interaction with neighboring nodes

A communication control apparatus, mounted on each node of a telecommunications system, receives node type information selected by a neighboring node, and transmits node type information selected by the own node and node type information of another node. The apparatus receives the state variable signal of the neighboring node reflecting a phase representing another node's data transmission timing, and transmits a state variable signal representing the own node's data transmission timing. Subsequently, the apparatus selects the own node's node type in accordance with another node's type information received. The apparatus then varies, based on the own node's node type information selected, another node's node type information and the neighboring node's state variable signal, the state of the own node's phase in accordance with a time evolution rule based on a phase response function and a synchronization alliance function for thereby determining the own node's data transmission timing.

Communication control apparatus for determining data transmission timing with a node type and a state variable

Each node in a communication system operates on a repetitive internal timing cycle, at certain phases in which the node transmits data and state variable signals. The state variable signals indicate the node's data transmission timing. Each node has a virtual node calculator that simulates the timing cycles of neighboring nodes according to the state variable signals received from those nodes, and a phase calculator that varies the phase state of the node according to the simulated phase states of the neighboring nodes. Neighboring nodes can therefore interact continuously, even though they transmit state variable signals only intermittently. Consequently, a group of neighboring nodes can autonomously establish and maintain transmission time slots of equal length.

Communication system with timing cycle simulation

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.

Communication timing control method and apparatus, node, and communication system

A communication control apparatus includes a signal receiver for receiving a state variable signal indicating a timing of data transmission from a neighboring node. The apparatus also includes a calculator for forming a communication timing, by varying plural phase signals different in oscillation period in response to the state variable signal, synchronizing respective states of the phase signals so that they interact with each other, and temporally multiplexing plural data transmission periods different in time slot width and representing a transmission time period between its own node and the neighboring node based on respective oscillation periods of the phase signals. The calculator includes a state manager for managing states of phase signals for the own node and the neighboring node different in oscillation period, and prescribing an order relationship of time-slot allocation.

Communication control apparatus and a method for freely controlling the transmission of time slots

Each node in a communication system receives state variable signals from other nodes indicating the internal operating states or internal timing of the other nodes, and transmits a state variable signal indicating its own internal operating state or timing. Each node also determines whether each received state variable signal is valid. Transitions in the internal operating state or timing of a node take place at a basic transition rate but at times adjusted according to the valid state variable signals received from other nodes. A group of neighboring nodes transmitting data signals can thereby autonomously reach a steady state in which their data signals do not collide, without having their timing control disrupted by reflected state variable signals or other invalid state variable signals.

Communication timing control apparatus, communication timing control method, node, and communication system

A communication timing control apparatus for use in the nodes of a communication system includes a signal communication unit that transmits a state variable signal to neighboring nodes and receives state variable signals from those nodes. An external control signal, such as a beacon signal transmitted by a control node, is also received. The state variable signals indicate internal operating states or timings of the nodes; the control signal indicates a basic transition rate. A timing decision unit causes internal state or timing transitions to occur at timings responsive to the basic transition rate and the received state variable signals, adjusting the transition timings so as to avoid signal collisions and to adapt to changing system conditions, Use of the control signal enables a steady timing state to be reached quickly.

Each node on a communication path receives state variable signals from other nodes indicating the internal operating states or internal timing of the other nodes, and transmits a state variable signal indicating its own internal operating state or timing. Transitions in the internal operating state or timing of a node take place at a basic transition rate but at times adjusted according to the state variable signals received from other nodes. The basic transition rate varies according to position on the communication path. The nodes can thereby establish transmitting time slots that follow each other in progression on the communication path, enabling data signals to be relayed from the starting node to the destination node with minimal delay at each intermediate node.

Each node in a communication system transmits and receives state variable signals indicating internal node states or timings. A single node may transmit two or more differently phased series of state variable signals. Neighboring nodes interact by adjusting the timing phase at which they transmit each series of state variable signals according to the timing of state variable signals transmitted in other series, and state variable signals received from other nodes. The nodes can thereby establish time slots in which they can transmit data without collisions, and different nodes can receive different total amounts of time slot width by transmitting different numbers of series of state variable signals.

Communicating nodes in a network exchange state variable signals indicating the timing of periodic operations performed at the nodes. Each node autonomously controls the timing of its periodic operation so as to distance the timing from the timing of the periodic operations performed at other nodes. If the periodic operations include data transmission, this arrangement enables the nodes to avoid data collisions. The nodes can also adapt autonomously to changing conditions such as changing priority levels and the addition and removal of nodes.

Method of avoiding synchronization between communicating nodes

Communication control apparatus provided in nodes forming a telecommunications network includes a transmission timing calculator responsive to the state of the phase of the own node to determine a timing at which the node transmits data. The calculator is responsive to a state variable signal transmitted by a neighboring node and reflecting the phase of the neighboring node to change the state of the phase of the own node in accordance with a time development rule. The calculator monitors a phase difference of the own node against the neighboring node to calculate, based on the difference, the ratio of collision on data transmission timing between the own and neighboring nodes. The stress value corresponding to the collision ratio is stored time-serially. A stress response function value is generated such that the stored stress value causes the time development rule to shift the phase with its value made at random.

Apparatus for controlling data transmission timing responsively to a calculated collision ratio

In a communication system including nodes laid out in a grid, each node operates on a repetitive internal timing cycle, at certain phases in which the node transmits data and state variable signals. The state variable signals transmitted by a node indicate its internal phase and its position in the grid. The advance of the phase at each node is governed by a phase response function, which drives neighboring nodes whose data transmissions could collide out of phase with each other, and a synchronization alliance function, which brings certain nodes having positional relationships that preclude data collisions into phase with each other. A highly efficient data transmission timing pattern can thereby be established autonomously.

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Osaka, Japan

Masaaki Date