Patent ID: 9350626
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: H04L,Y04S

Claim Text:
1. A communication management apparatus that manages transmission of data in a network in which a plurality of communication nodes are connected in a star shape or a line shape by an Ethernet, the communication management apparatus comprising: a network-presence-check processing unit that performs a network presence check processing of acquiring, from the plurality of communication nodes, information concerning connection between the communication nodes, wherein the network-presence-check processing unit is configured to: a token-circulation-order determining unit that determines token circulation order indicating an order of circulating a token frame for acquiring a transmission right of data between the communication nodes using information acquired by the network presence check processing, wherein the token-circulation-order determining unit is configured to establish a logical ring such that the number of communication nodes that a token as a transmission right passes while circulating once is minimized; a setup processing unit that notifies, based on the token circulation order, each of the communication nodes in the network of token circulation destination information indicating a communication node that acquires the transmission right next, wherein the setup processing unit is configured to: a data-frame-communication processing unit that receives a data frame from other communication nodes and, when the transmission right is acquired, transmits the data frame, wherein the data-frame-communication processing unit is configured to calculate, at a predetermined period, data set in the communication nodes; and a token-frame processing unit that determines whether the transmission right is obtained by analyzing the received token frame and, when the transmission right is obtained, after transmission of a data frame by the data-frame-communication processing unit, transmits another token frame in which, based on the token circulation order, information on a communication node that acquires the transmission right next is set, wherein the setup processing unit is configured to determine whether setup response frames, which are responses to the setup frame, are received from all the communication nodes, and when the setup response frames are received from all the communication nodes, the setup processing unit is configured to notify the token-frame processing unit to that effect, and wherein the setup frame comprises address information of a next communication node that acquires the token frame next with respect to a respective communication node without including the token circulation order, and wherein individual setup frames are transmitted from the setup processing unit to the plurality of communication nodes that form the logical ring.