Patent ID: 6411218
Filing Date: 2002-06-25
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A device selector for selecting at a given time one device of a set of at least two devices, said selector comprising:input means for receiving device-specific data units, each of said device-specific data units being associated with exactly one of said devices; priority assignment means for assigning priority values respectively to said devices, said priority values including relatively more-significant device-specific values and relatively less-significant arbitrary-ranking values, each of said priority values including a respective one of said device-specific values and a respective one of said arbitrary-ranking values, said priority assignment means assigning each device-specific value as a function of device-specific data units associated with the respective device, said priority assignment means assigning said arbitrary-ranking values so that no two of said devices have the same arbitrary-ranking value at the same time, the arbitrary-ranking values associated with said devices at any given time determining an arbitrary ranking among said devices; selection means for selecting at any given time one of said devices as a function of said priority values; and rank varying means for changing said arbitrary-ranking values so as to change the arbitrary ranking of said devices.