Patent ID: 7839868

Claim:
A communication method for the transmission of Ethernet messages in a distributed real-time system in which a plurality of network node computers, each of which comprises at least one communication controller, are connected via a communication system that comprises one or more communication channels, one or more intelligent star couplers being disposed in each communication channel, and a distinction being made between conventional Ethernet messages (ET messages) and time-triggered messages (TT messages), and the TT messages are transported with an a priori known constant delay time (Δ) between transmitter and receiver, wherein the constant delay time (Δ) is selected in such a manner that within this delay time (Δ) the output channels of the star coupler for the transport of the incoming TT message can be cleared, wherein when there is a time conflict between ET and TT messages, the transport of the ET message that is in conflict is aborted in order to be able to transport the TT message with the constant delay time (Δ).