Patent ID: 7372859

Claim:
A network comprising: a plurality of nodes that are communicatively coupled to one another over first and second channels that form first and second rings, respectively; and at least one self checking pair comprising at least two of the plurality of nodes; wherein each node is communicatively coupled via the first channel to a first neighbor node in a first direction and to a second neighbor node in a second direction; wherein each node is communicatively coupled via the second channel to the first neighbor node in the first direction and to the second neighbor node in the second direction; wherein the two nodes of the self checking pair are neighbor nodes of one another; wherein, when each node relays a first relayed unit of data along the first channel in the first direction, that node relays information indicative of the integrity of the first relayed unit of data along with the first relayed unit of data; wherein, when each node relays a second relayed unit of data along the second channel in the second direction, that node relays information indicative of the integrity of the second relayed unit of data along with the second relayed unit of data; wherein, each of the two nodes of the self checking pair, for a particular unit of data communicated on the first channel in the first direction and on the second channel in the second direction: sends, to the other of the two nodes included in the self checking pair, information about first and second instances of the particular unit of data received by that node from the first and second channels, respectively; receives, from the other of the two nodes included in the self checking pair, information about first and second instances of the particular unit of data received by that other node from the first and second channels, respectively; and selects, for use in processing performed by that node for the self checking pair, at least one of the first and second instances of the particular unit of data received by that node based on at least one of: information about the first and second instances received by that node from the first and second channels, respectively; and information about the first and second instances received by the other of the two nodes of the self checking pair from the first and second channels, respectively.