Patent ID: 6011781
Filing Date: 2000-01-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A communication system comprising:a plurality of nodes coupled to each other in a multipoint configuration,wherein each of said plurality of nodes is configured to concurrently communicate with others of said plurality of nodes on a point-to-point basis,wherein each of said plurality of nodes is configured to determine whether said point-to-point communication has been established with said others of said plurality of nodes,wherein each of said plurality of nodes is configured, if said point-to-point communication has not been established, to transmit a pre-determined initialization signal,wherein each of said plurality of nodes is configured to monitor for said pre-determined initialization signal and, in response to receiving said pre-determined initialization signal, to perform an initialization sequence wherein said point-to-point communication is established between each of said plurality of nodes,wherein each of said plurality of nodes is configured, during said initialization sequence, to determine the presence of said others of said plurality of nodes and thereafter to establish said point-to-point communication between each of said plurality of nodes and said others of said plurality of nodes, respectively,wherein each of said plurality of nodes is configured to transmit a presence signal, to receive and record other presence signals from said others of said plurality of nodes, and to determine when all of said plurality of nodes have transmitted their respective presence signals, andwherein each of said plurality of nodes is configured, when all of said plurality of nodes have transmitted their respective presence signals:to determine a first node of said plurality of nodes to establish said point-to-point communication with said others of said plurality of nodes,to determine a last node of said plurality of nodes to establish said point-to-point communication with said others of said plurality of nodes,to transmit a hand-off signal corresponding to one of said others of said plurality of nodes when said point-to-point communication has been established between each of said plurality of nodes and said others of said plurality of nodes, respectively,to receive a hand-off signal corresponding to each of said plurality of nodes and, in response to receiving said corresponding hand-off signal, to establish said point-to-point communication with said others of said plurality of nodes,wherein said first node establishes said point-to-point communication with said others of said plurality of nodes without receiving said corresponding hand-off signal, andwherein said last node transmits an initialization complete signal instead of said hand-off signal.