Patent ID: 8335177

Claim:
A communication system comprising: a plurality of nodes that form a network and that transmit and receive data, wherein: each node of plural nodes which are part of the plurality of nodes, comprises: a virtual node ID control unit configured to control a virtual node ID that specifies the plural nodes as a single group; a status control unit configured to control node statuses that include information indicating operating statuses of each node belonging to the single group, and to select an operating mode that is either a priority mode wherein the each node of plural nodes operates as an active node, or a standby mode wherein the each node of the plural nodes operates as a standby node; a transmission/reception control unit configured to control an operation of the each node of the plural nodes in accordance with the operating mode selected by the status control unit; and a communication mode control unit configured to select, based on content of data sent or received by the each node of the plural nodes, a communication mode that is either data communication through a virtual node ID, or data communication through a unique unicast address, the virtual node ID control unit stores a virtual node ID table that defines and stores a relationship of nodes having unique unicast addresses and the virtual node ID, the relationship indicating whether or not each node is treated as the single group, and the relationship in the table is different among the plural nodes.