Patent ID: 7142504

Claim:
A network including one or more nodes connected by first and second rings formed by two or more transmission media, each transmission media including one or more signal channels, the network comprising: a first node; a second node connected to the first node by a first transmission media adapted to transmit transit data from the first node to the second node and a second transmission media adapted to transmit transit data from the second node to the first node; a third node connected to the second node by a third transmission media adapted to transmit transit data from the second node to the third node and a fourth transmission media adapted to transmit transit data from the third node to the second node; a fourth node connected to the first node by a fifth transmission media adapted to transmit transit data from the fourth node to the first node and a sixth transmission media adapted to transmit transit data from the first node to the fourth node; the second node operable to receive transit data from the fourth transmission media; detect a first fault in the second transmission media, and forward the transit data from the third node received on the fourth transmission media to the third node on the third transmission media; the first node operable to receive transit data on the fifth transmission media; and, irrespective of the existence of the first fault, forward the transit data from the fourth node to the second node on the fifth and first transmission media; wherein the first ring includes the first transmission media, the third transmission media, and the fifth transmission media; and wherein the second ring includes the second transmission media, the fourth transmission media, and the sixth transmission media; and wherein the second node is operable to multiplex first host data received into the second node on the second ring with the transit data received on the second ring from the third node creating first multiplexed data; forward the first multiplexed data to the first ring; receive second host data onto the first ring; multiplex the second host data with the first multiplexed data creating second multiplexed data; and forward the second multiplexed data to the third node on the third transmission media.