Patent ID: 6944165

Claim:
A method for transmitting data in a linear-type or ring-type network structured by a plurality of nodes and two-way transmission lines each connecting between adjacent nodes; wherein each node operates as a left terminal equipment, a right terminal equipment, or an intermediate equipment; the left and right terminal equipments prepare token packets each including a transmission right and packet trailers including data packet storage area; the left terminal equipment transmits the packet trailers on a right direction line of the two-way transmission line; and the right terminal equipment transmits the packet trailers on a left direction line of the two-way transmission line; wherein, when a request for transmission for transmitting data packets to the right direction is generated by the right terminal equipment, each intermediate equipment writes a request for transmission in a token packet of a packet trailer on the left direction line; and when a request for transmission for transmitting data packets to the left direction is generated by the left equipment, each intermediate equipment writes a request for transmission in a token packet of a packet trailer on the right direction line; and each intermediate equipment performs the request for transmission; wherein, when the request for transmission for transmitting data packets to the right direction is generated, the right terminal equipment prepares a packet trailer having data packet storage area to ensure a reservation area for each intermediate equipment, based on the request for transmission of the intermediate equipment, which is written in the token packet of the packet trailer prepared by the right terminal equipment, and when the request for transmission for transmitting data packets to the left direction is generated, the left terminal equipment prepares a packet trailer having data packet storage area to ensure a reservation area for each intermediate equipment, based on the request for transmission of the intermediate equipment, which is written in the token packet of the packet trailer prepared by the left terminal equipment; and wherein each intermediate equipment which performed the request for transmission temporarily stores the data packet in the reservation area of the packet trailer, and transmits the data packet to a destination node.