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:
May. 21, 2002
Filed:
Jul. 07, 1998
Takahisa Yamamoto, Kawasaki, JP;
Toru Nakata, Kawasaki, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
In a communication network, a ring network is formed with switches connected to a number of parallel channels. Terminal devices are also connected to the parallel channels and supply an input signal. The switches receive the input signal from each of the channels and output it to other channels. The network is configured so that the input signal passes through the switches not less than twice before the signal reaches a destination terminal device. A signal passed through a switch once will reach its destination if that switch designates a channel. Instead, that signal is output using an arbitrary channel in place of being output using the designated channel. Once the signal has made its journey around the ring once, it is output by designating a channel. Since the last switch receives the signal from an arbitrary channel, a broad communication band can be assured.