Patent ID: 6032185
Filing Date: 2000-02-29
Classification: H04J,H04L

Abstract:
A bus network comprising:a control station and a plurality of stations connected to each other through a transmission line, said plurality of stations including a source station and a destination station, wherein said source station transmits transmission information to said destination station on the basis of tokens periodically sent out by said control station;said transmission line includingan outbound transmission line connected to said source station for transmitting an information transmission request or a transmission information from said source station in response to a token inputted to said source station, andan inbound transmission line connected to said destination station for transmitting the information transmission request or the transmission information to said destination station;whereinsaid transmission line is assigned a control channel for the token and the information transmission request, and a data channel for the transmission information,said source station generates the information transmission request and sends out the information transmission request to said destination station via said outbound transmission line using said control channel after a first predetermined time since a first token was received by said source station,said source station sends out, after the information transmission request is generated, the transmission information to said destination station via said outbound transmission line using said data channel after a second predetermined time since a second token was received by said source station,said destination station inputs the first token from said control channel of said inbound transmission line, and detects the information transmission request from said source station which is inputted to said destination station after the first token, andsaid destination station inputs the second token from said control channel of said inbound transmission line, and inputs the transmission information from said source station, via the data channel, after the second predetermined time since the second token was inputted;wherein a node of said outbound transmission line and said inbound transmission line comprises branching means for causing a signal on the transmission line to branch into two signals and outputting one of the two signals to said control station;wherein said control station is for detecting, when the first token is inputted from said branching means, a maximum value of a packet length included in a transmission request packet subsequent to the first token; andwherein said control station is for setting sending intervals between the second token and the token sent out subsequently to the second token in response to the detected maximum value of the packet length.