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.

Date of Patent:
Dec. 17, 2002

Filed:

Nov. 05, 1998
Applicant:
Inventors:

Michael John Leonard Franz, Westland, MI (US);

Kevin Mark Tiedje, Farmington Hills, MI (US);

Assignee:
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H04L 1/228 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H04L 1/228 ;
Abstract

A method is provided for transferring message data between stations of a communications network where the network has plurality of interconnected stations with each station having a microprocessor, data storage means for storing message data and a peripheral device providing an interface for the station to facilitate transmission and reception of messages along the network with a predetermined network protocol. The method includes initiating a transaction between the microprocessor and the peripheral device, transferring a command code from the microprocessor to the peripheral device, sending a status signal from the peripheral device to the microprocessor in response to receiving the command code, sending transmission data from the microprocessor to the peripheral device for output to the network, and sending any data stored in the data storage means from the peripheral devices to the microprocessor. The first byte of the microprocessor message contains a command signal and the remaining bytes contain transmission data or dummy data. The message protocol associated with the method supplants any existing serial peripheral interface protocol.


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