Patent ID: 7602803

Claim:
A communication time slot selecting apparatus provided in each of a plurality of nodes on a communication path from a starting node to an end node, the communication time slot selecting apparatus comprising: a state variable signal communication unit for intermittently transmitting, to at least one other node on the communication path, an output state variable signal indicating a rhythmic operating state or operating timing of its own node, and receiving, from the at least one other node on the communication path, an input state variable signal indicating a rhythmic operating state or operating timing of the at least one other node; a time slot decision unit for causing transitions in the rhythmic operating state or operating timing of its own node to occur according to a basic transition rate and the state variable signals received from the at least one other node so that the rhythmic operating state or operating timing of its own node has a rhythm that is out of phase with a rhythm of the rhythmic operating state or operating timing of the at least one other node, generating the output state variable signal by taking said transitions into account, and sending the output state variable signal to the state variable signal communication unit; a path setter for storing path information including at least a hopcount giving the position of its own node relative to the starting node; and a natural frequency setter for determining the basic transition rate according to said hopcount; wherein the operating state or operating timing of each node among the plurality of nodes determines time slots for collision-free data transmission.