초록 ▼

A multiloop communications system and a method of routing data between stations is disclosed. The communications system has a plurality of interconnected communications loops, each of the loops including a ring-connected set of nodes providing data flow unidirectionally from one node to the next, ea

A multiloop communications system and a method of routing data between stations is disclosed. The communications system has a plurality of interconnected communications loops, each of the loops including a ring-connected set of nodes providing data flow unidirectionally from one node to the next, each of the nodes being capable of passing data through itself along its loop, extracting data from its loop or injecting data into its loop. A first subset of each loop\s set of nodes are local nodes which interface a station to its respective loop. A second subset of each loop\s set of nodes are gateway nodes which interface to a gateway node of another of the loops. Each of the stations has a logical address unique within the system and each of the nodes has a functional address unique within each node\s respective loop. A first station transmits data to a second station via the first station\s local node, the local node forming a packet including the functional address of a node providing a route to the second station and further including the logical address of the second station. If the path to the second station includes a transfer to another loop, the gateway node on the transmitting loop transfers the logical address of the second station to the gateway node of the receiving loop. The gateway node of the receiving loop forms a new packet of data utilizing the logical address of the second station and a table which specifies the functional address of the route to be taken to second station. The system and method additionally provides for alternate routing in the case when the most direct path between the transmitting and receiving stations is inoperative.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of transmitting data from a first station of a communications system to a second station of said communications system, said communications system including a plurality of interconnected communications loops, each of said loops including a ring-connected set of nodes providing data flow uni

A method of transmitting data from a first station of a communications system to a second station of said communications system, said communications system including a plurality of interconnected communications loops, each of said loops including a ring-connected set of nodes providing data flow unidirectionally from one node to the next, each of said nodes being capable of passing data through itself along its loop, extracting data from its loop or injecting data into its loop, a first subset of each of said loop\s set of nodes being local nodes which interface a station to said loop, a second subset of each of said loop\s set of nodes being gateway nodes which interface to another of said gateway nodes, each of said stations having associated with it a logical address unique within said communications system, each of said nodes having associated with it a functional address unique within each of said node\s respective loop, said method of comprising the steps of: a. translating the logical address of said second station into a second station functional address, said second station functional address specifying the functional address of the local node j to which said second station interfaces if said local node j is on the same loop as the local node i to which said first station interfaces, otherwise said second station functional address specifying the functional address of a gateway node r on the loop node i is on; a (1). forming a packet of data at the local node i, said packet including an address field and at least one information field, said address field including said second station functional address, said information fields including the logical address of said second station; b. transmitting to the loop connected to the current packet forming node said formed packet; c. receiving said formed packet at the node on said loop downline from the current transmitting node; d. accepting said received packet at said receiving node if the received packet\s second station functional address matches the functional address associated with said receiving node and said receiving node is a local node; e. if the received packet\s second station functional address matches the functional address of the receiving node and the receiving node is one of said loops gateway nodes, transmitting the information fields of said received packet to the gateway node connected to said receiving node and h. receiving the information fields of said received packet at the gateway node connected to said receiving node, h (1). translating the received information field corresponding to the logical address of said second station into a corresponding functional address, said corresponding functional address specifying the functional address of the local node j to which said second station interfaces if said local node j is on the same loop as said connected gateway node, otherwise said corresponding functional address specifying the functional address of one of said gateway nodes on the loop connected to said connected gateway node, i. forming a second packet at the connected gateway node, said second packet including an address field and at least one information field, the address field of said second packet including as its second station functional address the corresponding functional address, the information fields of said second packet including the logical address of said second station, and j. repeating steps b through f; and f. repeating steps b through e if the received packet\s functional address does not match the functional address of the receiving node.