Patent ID: 7602764

Claim:
A communication system including a plurality of nodes that transmit data to each other, wherein each one of the nodes includes a communication timing control apparatus comprising: a first transmitter for periodically transmitting, to at least another one of the nodes, an output state variable signal, separate from said data, indicating a rhythmic operating state or operating timing of the node including the timing control apparatus; a first receiving unit for receiving, from the at least another one of the nodes, an input state variable signal, separate from said data, indicating a rhythmic operating state or operating timing of the at least another one of the nodes; a timing decision unit for causing transitions in the rhythmic operating state or operating timing of the node including the timing control apparatus to occur according to a basic transition rate and the input state variable signals received by the first receiving unit, generating the output state variable signal by taking said transitions into account, sending the output state variable signal to the first transmitter, and using said transitions to schedule data transmissions to the at least another one of the nodes; a second receiving unit for receiving a control signal from an external source, the control signal being separate from the input state variable signal, the control signal determining the basic transition rate; and a steady-state decision unit for deciding whether timing relationships among the input state variable signals and the output state variable signal are in a steady state or a transitional state.