초록 ▼

The invention relates to a network comprising a plurality of network nodes. At least part of the network nodes are directly coupled to each other via at least one star node. The star node comprises a plurality of star interfaces which are assigned to at least one network node. In dependence on a res

The invention relates to a network comprising a plurality of network nodes. At least part of the network nodes are directly coupled to each other via at least one star node. The star node comprises a plurality of star interfaces which are assigned to at least one network node. In dependence on a respective pilot signal, a star interface conveys a message from the assigned network node to the other star interfaces, or from another star interface to at least one of the assigned network nodes. Also, in the event of simultaneous arrival of at least two pilot signals at the respective star interfaces, a decision circuit releases one star interface for the transmission of data.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An electronic communications network arrangement comprising: a plurality of network nodes to communicate data and a new pilot signal with a data communication, the new pilot signal being different than a previous pilot signal sent with a previous data communication; and a sta

What is claimed is: 1. An electronic communications network arrangement comprising: a plurality of network nodes to communicate data and a new pilot signal with a data communication, the new pilot signal being different than a previous pilot signal sent with a previous data communication; and a star node having a plurality of star interfaces for communicating with each of the plurality of network nodes, each star interface being assigned to at least one respective network node, the star node being responsive to receiving data communications including the new pilot signal from a particular network node by generating a send control signal for a particular star interface receiving the new pilot signal from the particular network node, and for the new pilot signal received at the particular star interface when no other star interface having a higher priority has concurrently received a further pilot signal, using the send control signal for the particular star interface to control the particular star interface for sending said data communications received with the new pilot signal to a destination network node via another star interface. 2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the star node uses the send control signal for the particular star interface to control the particular star interface by releasing the send control signal for communication to the particular star interface. 3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the star node controls the star interfaces in two states including an inactive state during which the star interface does not send received data to another star interface, and an active state during which the star interface sends received data to another star interface, the active state being responsive to receiving the send control signal that is generated for the particular star interface in response to no other star interface having a higher priority having concurrently received the further pilot signal. 4. The arrangement of claim 1, further including a decision circuit that evaluates the concurrent receipt of the new pilot signals at the particular star interface and the further pilot signal at least one of the other star interfaces, and facilitates said controlling of the particular star interface in response to the evaluation. 5. The arrangement of claim 1, further including a decision circuit that evaluates send control signals of the star interfaces, and in response to a concurrent occurrence of send control signals for two or more of the star interfaces, carries out said controlling of the particular star interface by releasing the particular star interface, via the send control signal for the particular star interface, for sending said data communications received with the new pilot signal to the destination network node, via another star interface, in response to no other star interface with a higher priority concurrently having a further send control signal, and not releasing the particular star interface for sending said data communications received with the new pilot signal to the destination network node, via another star interface, in response to another star interface with a higher priority concurrently having the further send control signal. 6. The arrangement of claim 5, the decision circuit including a chain of in-line decision circuits, each circuit assigned to one of the star interfaces and having an OR gate that combines a previous output signal of a previous decision element with the send control signal indicating the presence of a pilot signal at the assigned star interface, and an output signal of each of the OR gates being a decision control signal for a star interface assigned to the next decision element in the chain, the decision control signal being implemented to facilitate said releasing of the particular star interface. 7. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein each star interface includes a first switching circuit that, in an activated state, passes data from the assigned network node to the other star interfaces, and a second switching circuit that, in an activated state, passes data from the other star interfaces to the assigned network node, wherein the star node responds to the particular star interface receiving said data communications including the new pilot signal by controlling, via the send control signal for the particular star interface, the first switching circuit in an active state and the second switching circuit in an inactive state when no other star interface having a higher priority has concurrently received the further pilot signal. 8. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein each network node in the network arrangement is assigned a certain periodically repetitive time slot for the transmission of data, and each network node includes a pilot signal generator that generates a pilot signal that indicates the whole assigned time slot. 9. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein each network node in the network arrangement is assigned a certain periodically repetitive time slot for the transmission of data, and each network node includes a pilot signal generator that generates a pilot signal that indicates the beginning and the end of the time slot. 10. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein each network node is directly connected to a star interface assigned to the network node. 11. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the star node terminates the provision of the send control signal for the particular star interface in response to the completion of said data communication, thereby facilitating subsequent data communications from one of the network nodes. 12. For use in a system having a plurality of network nodes that are communicatively coupled directly to star interfaces of a star node for passing data sets between the network nodes, each star interface assigned to a particular network node and each network node communicating a pilot signal to the assigned star interface for each data set to be sent from the network node, a star interface control circuit comprising: an evaluation circuit to evaluate pilot signals received at each star interface and to generate a send control signal for a particular interface in response to the particular interface receiving a new pilot signal; and a decision circuit to release the send control signal for the particular star interface for controlling the particular star interface for passing the data set received from the assigned network node to another network node via another star interface, in response to no other star interface with a higher priority having a further send control signal for a concurrently-received pilot signal. 13. The circuit of claim 12, wherein the decision circuit releases said send control signal in response to no other star interface currently sending a further data set for a further pilot signal received prior to said new pilot signal received at said particular interface. 14. The circuit of claim 12, wherein the decision circuit releases said send control signal during a time period during which said data set is being passed to the other network node, and terminates the release of the send control signal in response to the end of transfer of data for the data set, thereby facilitating the communication of another data set from one of the network nodes. 15. The circuit of claim 12, wherein the evaluation circuit evaluates the pilot signals by comparing each pilot signal received from a network node with a pilot signal previously received from the network node, and generates the send control signal in response to the new pilot signal being different than the previously-received pilot signal. 16. An electronic communications network arrangement comprising: a plurality of network nodes to communicate a pilot signal with each data communication, each network node adapted to send a pilot signal having a frequency that is different than a frequency of a preceding pilot signal sent by the network node with a preceding data communication; and a star node including a plurality of star interfaces, each star interface communicatively coupled directly to an assigned one of the plurality of network nodes, a send control circuit to generate a send control signal for each star interface in response to the star interface receiving a new pilot signal of a frequency that is different than the frequency of the preceding pilot signal received by the star interface via the preceding data communication, and a pilot signal evaluation circuit to activate said generated send control signal for a particular one of the star interfaces in response to no other higher-priority star interface receiving a further pilot signal concurrently with the receipt of the new pilot signal at the particular one of the star interfaces, thereby controlling the particular star interface for sending data communications received from a network node assigned to the particular star interface to a destination network node via another star interface. 17. The arrangement of claim 16, wherein the pilot signal evaluation circuit activates the send control signal when no other higher-priority star interface has a further send control signal generated therefor. 18. The arrangement of claim 16, wherein the star node further includes, for each star interface, a first switch that is responsive to receiving the send control signal from the send control circuit by operating in an active state in which data from the network node assigned to said particular star interface is passed to another star interface, and otherwise operates in an inactive state in which the first switch does not pass said data, and a second switch that is responsive to receiving the send control signal by operating in an inactive state in which the second switch does not pass said data, and otherwise operates in an active state in which data from the other star interfaces is passed to the network node assigned to said particular star interface. 19. The arrangement of claim 16, wherein the star node further includes, for each star interface, a first switchable amplifier that is responsive to receiving a send control signal from the send control circuit by operating in an active state in which data from the network node assigned to said particular star interface is passed to another star interface, and otherwise operates in an inactive state in which the first switchable amplifier does not pass data, and a second switchable amplifier that is responsive to receiving a send control signal by operating in an inactive state in which the second switchable amplifier does not pass data, and otherwise operates in an active state in which data from the other star interfaces is passed to the network node assigned to said particular star interface. 20. The arrangement of claim 16, wherein the pilot signal evaluation circuit includes a decision circuit that evaluates the send control signals of all the star interfaces, and with a simultaneous occurrence of send control signals, facilitates said activation of a particular send control signal for the particular one of the star interfaces by providing a decision control signal, the decision circuit including a chain of in-line decision circuits, each circuit assigned to one of the star interfaces and having an OR gate that combines the output signal of a previous decision circuit in the chain with a local send request signal and indicating the presence of the pilot signal, the output signal of each OR gate being a decision control signal for the star interface assigned to the next decision element in the chain.