Patent ID: 7761634

Claim:
A method for exchanging messages containing data between at least two stations over a bus system, comprising: repeatedly transmitting over the bus system, by a first station, a reference message containing time information of the first station at least one specifiable time interval, the time interval being subdivided as a basic cycle into time windows, a pause period of variable duration being provided at an end of at least one basic cycle; transmitting messages containing data in at least some of the time windows; adapting the duration of the pause period; determining a correction value based on a local time of a station and a cycle time, the correction value being used in adapting the duration of the pause period; and compensating for a time deviation by correcting a time of a start of the basic cycle, and correcting the time by adapting the duration of the pause period; wherein the time of the start of the basic cycle is corrected by one of lengthening and shortening the duration of at least one pause period, and wherein the correction value is determined from a comparison value formed by a sum of the time interval of the basic cycle and a second difference between two cycle times of two successive basic cycles, and wherein at least two pause periods are provided in at least two basic cycles for exchanging data, and the correction value is evenly distributed over the at least two pause periods.