Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

Tis method provides high utilization collision free access to a digital pulse communications medium with priority provided by message class and/or terminal type, regardless of network topology. This is accomplished by utilizing a controller which broadcasts a series of polling frames to all terminals, the response to each of which is a single bit (pulse) from any terminal remaining eligible to respond. All responses to a poll are logically OR'ed by the network to provide a combined response frame at the controller, thus making the process ambivalent to collisions. A polling frame and associated response frame, called a polling cycle, determines one digit of a selected address. A terminal not selected in a given cycle is blocked from responding further, until its high order digit(s) are again selected. Each polling cycle is therefore context sensitive, thus maximizing the information flow per poll and minimizing data flow and network travel time per terminal selection. Each polling frame specifies the value of the address digit being tested, thereby giving the controller complete control of priority of network addresses to receive service. To provide priority by message class, the additional message class bits are prefixed to each terminal address, providing a unique address for each terminal/message class combination. Each terminal is then free to modify the prefix of its own address to specify message priority.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim