Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

Campus Create Co., Ltd.

Yukihiro Morita

Masaaki Date

Shigeru Fukunaga

Toshihiko Matsunaga

Taketsugu Yao

Hisaaki Tanaka

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

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.

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

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.

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Saitama, Japan

Yukihiro Morita