High capacity communication system utilizing or-type channels

Abstract

A methodology is disclosed for effecting contention-free communication over a plurality of OR-type lines interconnecting numerous synchronized stations. In broad terms, each station having a message to transmit executes a prescribed encoding/decoding algorithm. Each station also monitors the states of all the lines, collectively rather than individually, and prepares a station response each bit interval in correspondence to the collective states. During each bit interval, message candidates corresponding to the set of messages are identified and then assigned to selected ones of the lines. Based on the assignment, logic signals are propagated from each station over one of the assigned lines. By monitoring, each station senses the composite line signal on each of the lines and then generates new message candidates for the next bit interval. The processing algorithm repeats these steps through all bit intervals and the candidates remaining at the completion of the process yield successfully transmitted messages.