Patent ID: 7016303

Claim:
A data transmitting method for transmitting data at a variable transmission rate between apparatuses connected to a bus line, comprising the steps of: receiving a transmission rate control command at a transmitting apparatus, said transmitting apparatus comprising one of said apparatuses connected to said bus line; determining if the transmission rate control command is being sent only from a particular predetermined receiving apparatus to which has been given transmission rate control, said particular predetermined receiving apparatus being among said apparatuses connected to said bus; detecting if there is at least another receiving apparatus among the apparatuses connected to the bus line that is to receive transmitted data; and transmitting data on the bus line at a rate based upon the transmitting rate specified in the transmitted transmission rate control command if the transmitting rate control command data is determined to have been sent from the particular predetermined receiving apparatus to which has been given transmission rate control; wherein the data is transmitted at a predetermined rate regardless of any rate control command data received by the transmitting apparatus if it is detected that there is at least another receiving apparatus among the apparatuses connected to the bus line that is to receive the transmitted data.