Patent ID: 8015324

Claim:
A method for transmitting data in a serial bus system, comprising: providing a network comprising a serial data bus, and further comprising a controller and a plurality of users connected to the bus, each user comprising a processor, a memory, a receive unit, and a transmit unit, and each user connected to an automation device for data input therefrom; transmitting a first telegram from the controller onto the bus, wherein the first telegram comprises a plurality of data fields, each said data field identified within the telegram for one of the users; each of the users sequentially becoming a receiving user of the first telegram via the bus, and each receiving user sequentially performing the steps of receiving the first telegram; forwarding the first telegram onto the bus toward a subsequent receiving user; determining if one of the data fields is identified in the first telegram for the receiving user, and, if so, reading said one of the data fields identified for the receiving user; preparing a receiving user response; and if the automation device attached to the receiving user provides input data needed for the receiving user response within a predetermined time limit, and if a response telegram of a subsequent receiving user is received by the receiving user within the predetermined time limit, then appending the receiving user response to the response telegram of the subsequent receiving user; and forwarding the response telegram of the subsequent receiving user toward the controller; else forwarding the response telegram received from the subsequent receiving user unchanged toward the controller; forming a new response telegram containing the receiving user response; and transmitting the new response telegram toward the controller; wherein a designated last one of the receiving users jumps from the preparing step to the forming step.