Efficient and reliable large-amount data transmission method and system

Claim 2

A data transmission method for transferring a large amount of data among a plurality of computer terminals through a network serving as a data transmission line to which said plurality of computer terminals are connected, comprising the steps of: sending from a particular one of said plural terminals to the other terminals a plurality of information frames successively in accordance with a transmission protocol requiring no acknowledgement of reception; and receiving from said other terminals by said particular terminal a reception acknowledging information frame or alternatively a retransmission request information frame in accordance with a transmission protocol which requires acknowledgement of the reception, and sending from said particular terminal to said other terminal or terminals which issued said retransmission request information frame a retransmission data frame in accordance with said transmission protocol requiring the acknowledgement of reception.

Claim 3

A data transmission method according to claim 1, wherein sending of said plurality of information frames is performed in the form of a one-to-N broadcast transmission in which said information frames are transmitted from one sender terminal (A) to N receiver terminals (B, C, D), wherein N represents an integer greater than two.

Claim 4

A data transmission method according to claim 3, wherein the reception of said reception acknowledging information frame or alternatively said retransmission request information frame is realized by activating said N destination receiver terminals (B, C, D) from the sender terminal side.

Claim 5

A data transmission method according to claim 3, wherein said sender terminal affixes an identification code for identifying the content of said data to said information frame; further comprising the steps of: affixing to said information frame an identification code for identifying the content of said information frame; and receiving selectively said information frames by said receiver terminals by discriminatively identifying the codes affixed to said transmission information frames.

Claim 6

A data transmission method according to claim 1, wherein in precedence to transmission of said plurality of information frames, said sender terminal (A) sends reception ready inquiry data to said receiver terminal (B, C, D) and receives acknowledgement data from said receiver terminal.

Claim 7

A data transmission method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: sending from said sender terminal to said receiver terminal through a broadcast transmission reception ready inquiry data affixed with an identification code identifying the content of said information frame in precedence to transmission of said plurality of information frames; identifying discriminatively said code at the receiver terminal; and sending acknowledgement data to said sender terminal from the receiver terminal received selectively said reception ready inquiry data in accordance with the connection-oriented protocol ensuring high reliability.

Claim 8

A data transmission method according to claim 1, wherein said connectionless transmission protocol is a user datagram protocol/internet protocol (UDP/IP), and said connection-oriented transmission protocol ensuring high reliability is a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP).

Claim 9

A data transmission method for transferring a large amount of data among a plurality of computer-equipped stations (201, 203, 204, 205) through a network (202) serving as a data transmission line to which said plurality of computer-equipped stations are connected, comprising the step of: dividing each of said information frames into blocks and interposing a delay time between said blocks upon transmission thereof for controlling data flow, said delay time being so determined that increase in a CPU load in each of said stations is suppressed or no conflict takes place between said transmission of a large amount of data and other communication performed between said stations.

Claim 10

A data transmission method according to claim 9, wherein said delay time is set on the basis of a permissible load increase rate of the CPU and overhead of the CPU per unit transmission rate in said receiver station or said sender station and the number of blocks resulting from division of one information frame.

Claim 11

A data transmission method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of: detecting a rate of increase in the load of the CPU of said receiver station brought about by the transmission of a large amount of data; messaging said sender station of excess in the CPU load in response to an indication that the detected CPU load increase rate is higher than a preset permissible CPU load increase rate in said receiver station; and increasing said delay time in response to reception of said message.

Claim 12

A data transmission method according to claim 9, wherein said delay time is so set in said receiver station or sender station that no overflow takes place in sending/receiving buffer which partakes in the connectionless communication.

Claim 13

A data transmission method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of: detecting reception deficiency of data transmitted through other connectionless communication than that for transmitting a large amount of data, said reception deficiency being brought about due to a buffer overflow in the receiver station; messaging said data reception deficiency to said sender station; and increasing said delay time in response to said message of data reception deficiency.

Claim 14

A data transmission system for transferring a large amount of data among a plurality of computer terminals (201, 203, 204, 205) through a network (202) serving as a data transmission line to which said plurality of computer terminals are connected, comprising: first transmission means for sending from a sender terminal to a receiver terminal a plurality of information frames successively in accordance with a connectionless transmission protocol; reception means for receiving from said receiver terminal a reception acknowledging information frame or alternatively a retransmission request information frame in accordance with a connection-oriented transmission protocol which ensures high reliability; and second transmission means for sending to said receiver terminal a frame of data to be retransmitted in response to said retransmission request information frame, if issued, in accordance with said connection-oriented transmission protocol of high reliability.

Claim 15

A data transmission system for transferring a large amount of data among a plurality of computer terminals (201, 203, 204, 205) through a network (202) serving as a data transmission line to which said plurality of computer terminals are connected, comprising: first transmission means for sending from a particular one of said plural terminals to the other terminal or terminals a plurality of information frames successively in accordance with a transmission protocol requiring no acknowledgement of reception; reception means for receiving from said other terminals a reception acknowledging information frame or alternatively a retransmission request information frame in accordance with a transmission protocol which requires acknowledgement of the reception; and second transmission means for sending from said particular terminal to said other terminal or terminals which issued said retransmission request information frame a frame of retransmission data in accordance with said transmission protocol requiring the acknowledgement of reception.

Claim 16

A data transmission system according to claim 14, wherein sending of said plurality of information frames is performed in the form of a one-to-N broadcast transmission in which said information frames are transmitted from one sender terminal to N receiver terminals, wherein N represents an integer greater than two inclusive thereof.

Claim 17

A data transmission system according to claim 16, wherein said reception means for receiving said reception acknowledging information frame or alternatively said retransmission request information frame includes means for activating said N destination receiver terminals from the sender terminal side.

Claim 18

A data transmission system according to claim 16, wherein said sender terminal affixes an identification code for identifying the content of said data to said information frame; further comprising: means for affixing to said information frame an identification code for identifying the content of siad information frame; and broadcast reception means for receiving selectively said information frames by discriminatively identifying the codes affixed to said transmission information frames in said receiver terminals.

Claim 19

A data transmission system according to claim 14, wherein said sender terminal includes means for sending reception ready inquiry data to said receiver terminal in precedence to transmission of said plurality of information frames and receiving acknowledging data from said receiver terminal.

Claim 20

A data transmission system according to claim 14, further comprising: first transmission means for sending through a broadcast transmission to said receiver terminal from said sender terminal reception ready inquiry data affixed with identification codes identifying the contents of said information frames in precedence to transmission of said plurality of information frames; identifying means for identifying discriminatively said codes at the receiver terminals; and second transmission means for sending reception ready acknowledging data to said sender terminal from the receiver terminal received selectively said reception ready inquiry data in accordance with the connection-oriented protocol ensuring high reliability.

Claim 21

A data transmission system according to claim 14, wherein said connectionless transmission protocol is a user datagram protocol/internet protocol (UDP/IP), and said connection-oriented transmission protocol ensuring high reliability is a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP).

Claim 22

A data transmission system for transferring a large amount of data among a plurality of computer-equipped stations (201, 203, 204, 205) through a network (202) serving as a data transmission line to which said plurality of computer-equipped stations are connected, wherein each of said information frames is divided into blocks and a delay time is interposed between said blocks upon transmission thereof for controlling data flow, comprising: first means for detecting rate of increase in a CPU load in each of said stations; second means for detecting conflict possibly occurring between said large amount data of transmission and other communications in each of said stations; and means for setting said delay time in dependence on at least one of outputs from said first and second means.

Claim 23

A data transmission system according to claim 22, comprising means for setting said delay time on the basis of a permissible load increase rate of the CPU and overhead of the CPU per unit transmission rate in said receiver station or said sender station and the number of blocks resulting from the division of one information frame.

Claim 24

A data transmission system according to claim 22, further comprising: means for detecting a rate of increase in the load of the CPU of said receiver station brought about by the large amount of data transmission; means for messaging said sender station of an excess in the CPU load in response to an indication that the detected CPU load increase rate is higher than a preset permissible CPU load increase rate in said receiver station; and means for increasing said delay time in response to reception of said message.

Claim 25

A data transmission system according to claim 22, wherein said delay time is so set in said receiver station or sender station that no overflow takes place in sending/ receiving buffer which partakes in the connectionless communication.

Claim 26

A data transmission system according to claim 22, further comprising: means for detecting reception deficiency of data transmitted through other connectionless communication than that for transmitting a large amount of data, said reception deficiency being brought about due to a buffer overflow in the receiver station; means for messaging said data reception deficiency to said sender station; and means for increasing said delay time in response to said message of data reception deficiency.

Claim 27

An object processing control system, comprising a plurality of stations (203, 204, 205) each including a programmed object controller equipped with a computer, a data communication network (202) to which said plurality of stations are connected, and a broadcasting station (201) equipped with a computer for broadcasting a processing data file to said plurality of controllers through said network, each of said stations including: detecting means for detecting actual processing status of the object undergoing a processing and transmitting periodically the detected data to the controller of the associated station; and means for processing said object based on data and/or commands from said controller; said broadcasting station including: means for dividing said processing data file into a plurality of successive information blocks; and means for setting a delay time between said successive information blocks, said delay time being determined on the basis of a load increase rate of the computer of each station and/or an interval at which said detection data is periodically transmitted to said controller; wherein said information blocks and said detection data are transmitted on a connectionless transmission service basis, while reception of a reception acknowledging information frame for acknowledging the reception of said information blocks and transmission of a retransmission information frame are performed on an connection-oriented transmission service basis.

Claim 28

A traffic control system, comprising a plurality of control nodes (B, C, D) located in transportation paths each including a programmed route controller equipped with a computer, a data communication network (202) to which said plurality of control nodes are connected, and a broadcasting node (A) equipped with a computer for broadcasting a vehicle operation data file to said plurality of controllers through said network, each of said control nodes including: a plurality of sensor means for detecting actual vehicle operation status between the control nodes to generate data indicative of the status and transmitting periodically the generated data to the controller of the associated nodes; and control means for controlling the vehicle operation in accordance with data and/or commands from said controller; said broadcasting node including: means for dividing said vehicle operation data file into a plurality of successive information blocks; and means for setting a delay time between said successive information blocks, said delay time being determined on the basis of a load increase rate of the computer of each control node and/or an interval at which said detection data is periodically transmitted to said controller; wherein said information blocks and said detection data are transmitted on a connectionless transmission service basis, while reception of a reception acknowledging information frame for acknowledging the reception of said information blocks and transmission of a retransmission information frame are performed on a connection-oriented transmission service basis.

Claim 29

A traffic control system according to claim 28, wherein said braodcasting node is constituted by a particular one of said plurality of control nodes.