The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 30, 1996
Filed:
Jun. 24, 1992
Warren B Houck, Fair Haven, NJ (US);
Vincent A Illuzzi, Toms River, NJ (US);
Mary E Ricker, Hazlet, NJ (US);
Richard S Vidil, Eatontown, NJ (US);
AT&T Corp., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
A protocol controls communications between a master unit and a plurality (M) of slave units connected thereto. The master unit sends a downlink message over a first communication path to the M slave units, the downlink message including a number N of information bytes, where N.gtoreq.M, each byte except a last byte comprising a data portion followed by a first predetermined control bit and the last byte comprising a status portion followed by a second predetermined control bit. The master unit receives uplink messages over a second communication path from the M slave units, the uplink messages having the same format as downlink messages. A third communication path connects between the master unit and the M slave units enabling a first slave unit to signal other slave units of the first slave unit's desire to send information to the master unit.