Patent ID: 7769056

Claim:
A communication system, comprising: a plurality of communication modules, each including: a message memory; a two-way communication connection with an associated processing module; a two-way communication connection with a shared communication bus, wherein the two-way communication connections and at least part of the message memory together form a first data communication path between the associated processing module and a device on the shared communication bus; at least one separate input connected to an output of another communication module; at least one separate output connected to an output of another communication module, wherein the at least one separate input and output, and at least part of the message memory, together form a second data communication path between the plurality of communication modules; at least one switching arrangement to select between the first data communication path and the second data communication path; at least one control unit to control the at least one switching arrangement so that at least one of predefined data and predefined messages are transmitted via the second data communication path, while remaining communications are transmitted via the first data communication path.