Multidirection multiplex communication systems

Abstract

In a multidirection multiplex communication system of the demand assign type including a central station and a plurality of subscriber stations cooperating therewith, a maintenance poling signal assigned to a maintenance time slot of a frame is sent from the central station to a subscriber station not requested to send an information signal, the subscriber station inserts a maintenance burst signal in a time slot of a frame corresponding to the maintenance poling signal and sends back the maintenance burst signal. The central station extracts the timing signal transmitted from the subscriber station out or the maintenance burst signal and compares the extracted timing signal with the reference timing signal in the central station to form a time difference signal. After inserting the time difference signal in the maintenance frame the central station sends back the time difference signal to the subscriber station. Based on the time difference signal, the subscriber station controls the transmission timing to be commensurate with the reference timing of the central station.