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:
Feb. 04, 1997
Filed:
May. 20, 1994
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A communication network is comprised of several stations that constitute a logical ring to transmit and receive information. The logical ring is established and maintained by a token passing process and a solicit process. The token represents the right to transmit information between the stations in the logical ring. The solicit process solicits stations that are not in the logical ring. The stations in the network include at least one particular station. Each of the stations as well as the particular station include soliciting capability for carrying out the solicit process when holding a token. In addition, each station except for the particular station also includes first solicit repeat capability for repeating the solicit process at most a predetermined number of times when no frame arrives from other stations in the network, and the function of moving to an idle state when no frames arrives from other stations after the solicit process is repeated. The particular station further includes second solicit repeat capability for repeating the solicit process when no frame arrives from any station in the network in response to the solicit process executed by the particular station, and token producing capability for producing the token when no other station joins in the logical ring.