Patent ID: 7616619

Claim:
A communication system for the transmitting of information via a common transmission medium in a time division multiplex process, the system comprising: a node for monitoring a start up process of the system to determine whether a first signal from another node, which correctly utilizes at least one time slot of a time frame, wherein said time frame includes a static part and a dynamic part each having respective time slots, is present in the transmission medium, and for testing an integrity of the first signal when the first signal is present to determine whether the first signal transmitted during a static part of the time frame is incorrect, wherein when the first signal is determined to be incorrect, the node is configured to shift said at least one time slot utilized by the incorrect first signal to a programmable position of the dynamic part of the time frame, and to send a second signal utilizing at least one time slot in the static part of the time frame in a repeated periodic transmission of the static part and the dynnamic part of the time frame.