Patent EP0269423A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
EP0269423A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Local area network exchange

Assignee: Tytel Pty Ltd
•
Filing: 1987-11-25
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2007-11-25
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract The present invention discloses a local area network exchange (LANX) able to operate with a single pair of twisted wires (1) to transmit both data and/or voice information. A contention mechanism to enable the devices (7...16) (nodes) connected to the network to gain access to the network without disrupting existing users is disclosed. Finally, a system of group synchronisation of the various nodes is also disclosed which results in all active nodes operating at the rate of the fastest node internal clock or oscillator. If desired the single pair of wires can be branched by means of a splitter (6) or connected to like network(s) via a gateway device (2).

Inventors

  • 👤 Stephen Arthur Thomson

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 23:20
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L12/00; H04L12/64

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 155 words
A local area network exchange comprising a twisted pair of wires (1) extending between locations to be linked by said network, and a plurality of nodes located at spaced apart intervals around said twisted pair (1), each of said nodes comprising a connection to said twisted pair of a selected one of the members of the group consisting of telephone extensions (7), exchange private lines (9), single or multiple channel Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interfaces (16), exchange PABX lines (8), tie lines (10), data interfaces (11) and a gateway (2) to a like local area network exchange, data and/or voice information being transmitted around said twisted pair (1) by a sequence of frames each of substantially fixed duration and each comprising a predetermined number of channels, the information being sent or received via a particular node being carried by a given one of said channels during sequential frames for the duration of the information.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 155 words
A local area network exchange comprising a twisted pair of wires (1) extending between locations to be linked by said network, and a plurality of nodes located at spaced apart intervals around said twisted pair (1), each of said nodes comprising a connection to said twisted pair of a selected one of the members of the group consisting of telephone extensions (7), exchange private lines (9), single or multiple channel Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interfaces (16), exchange PABX lines (8), tie lines (10), data interfaces (11) and a gateway (2) to a like local area network exchange, data and/or voice information being transmitted around said twisted pair (1) by a sequence of frames each of substantially fixed duration and each comprising a predetermined number of channels, the information being sent or received via a particular node being carried by a given one of said channels during sequential frames for the duration of the information.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 35 words
A local area network exchange as claimed in claim 1 wherein said twisted pair of wires is terminated in an impedance (5) substantially equal to the characteristic impedance of said twisted pair of wires (1).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 32 words
A local area network exchange as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said twisted pair of wires (1) is formed into a number of branches each interconnected via a splitter (6).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 43 words
A local area network exchange as claimed in any one or claims 1 to 3 and connected to a like local area network exchange via a gateway (2), each end of said gateway forming a node in the respective local area network exchange.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 30 words
A local area network exchange as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said twisted pair of wires (1) carries both data and power to said nodes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 40 words
A local area network exchange as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein a second twisted pair of wires (101) is provided alongside said twisted pair of wires, said second twisted pair carrying power to said nodes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 177 words
A contention mechanism for a local area network comprising a plurality of inter-connected nodes each of which has a unique address and in which information is transmitted and/or received via any one of said nodes via a selected one of a plurality of channels which form a frame, said information being carried by said one selected channel during sequential frames, said contention mechanism comprising the initial transmission by said one node of a seize signal comprising the binary encoded unique address of said node and the testing by each seize signal transmitting node during the times (if any) when its address is in one logical state for simultaneous seize signal transmissions of other nodes which then comprises the other logical state, and in the event of said test being successful and testing node discontinuing its seize signal transmission thereby allowing access to said network for each node with nodes being given preferential access in the event of substantially simultaneous requests for access based upon a hierarchy determined by the arithmetical value of said binary coded node addresses.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 177 words
A contention mechanism for a local area network comprising a plurality of inter-connected nodes each of which has a unique address and in which information is transmitted and/or received via any one of said nodes via a selected one of a plurality of channels which form a frame, said information being carried by said one selected channel during sequential frames, said contention mechanism comprising the initial transmission by said one node of a seize signal comprising the binary encoded unique address of said node and the testing by each seize signal transmitting node during the times (if any) when its address is in one logical state for simultaneous seize signal transmissions of other nodes which then comprises the other logical state, and in the event of said test being successful and testing node discontinuing its seize signal transmission thereby allowing access to said network for each node with nodes being given preferential access in the event of substantially simultaneous requests for access based upon a hierarchy determined by the arithmetical value of said binary coded node addresses.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 28 words
A contention mechanism as claimed in claim 7 wherein said one logical state comprises the absence of energy and said other logical state comprises the presence of energy.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 23 words
A contention mechanism as claimed in claim 7 or 8 when used on a local area network exchange as claimed in claim 1.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 122 words
A system of group synchronisation for use in local area network exchanges in which a plurality of nodes communicate via substantially synchronous information transmission carried by a sequence of frames each of like duration wherein each node is provided with an accurate timing oscillator, each node transmitting information transmits frame synchronisation data at the commencement of each frame based upon the status of its timing oscillator and each receiving node has its timing oscillator re-set each frame by receipt of said frame synchronisation data, the re-setting tolerance of each node exceeding the expected propagation delay of said network, whereby all nodes transmitting or receiving are maintained substantially synchronised to the fastest one of the timing oscillators of said transmitting or receiving nodes.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 122 words
A system of group synchronisation for use in local area network exchanges in which a plurality of nodes communicate via substantially synchronous information transmission carried by a sequence of frames each of like duration wherein each node is provided with an accurate timing oscillator, each node transmitting information transmits frame synchronisation data at the commencement of each frame based upon the status of its timing oscillator and each receiving node has its timing oscillator re-set each frame by receipt of said frame synchronisation data, the re-setting tolerance of each node exceeding the expected propagation delay of said network, whereby all nodes transmitting or receiving are maintained substantially synchronised to the fastest one of the timing oscillators of said transmitting or receiving nodes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 20 words
A system as claimed in claim 10 when used in a local area network exchange as claimed in claim 1.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

No citation records indexed.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag