Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
233 words
A communication system for use with a network for communicating between a terminal on a first side and a terminal on a second side, comprising: a local network, connected to a plurality of terminals on said first side, to transmit fixed length cells from one of said plurality of terminals on said first side to said terminal on said second side via a virtual connection in said local network; buffer capacity monitoring means in said terminal on said second side for monitoring a capacity of a buffer receiving said fixed-length cells and for outputting an alarm signal at the time of detecting a congestion state of said capacity of said buffer; congestion state alerting means in said terminal on said second side, responsive to said alarm signal from said buffer capacity monitoring means, for setting a congestion bit on said fixed-length cells to be transmitted to said one terminal on said first side and for outputting said fixed-length cells with said set congestion bit to said one terminal on said first side; and traffic transmission control means in said one terminal on said first side, responsive to said fixed-length cells from said congestion state alerting means in said terminal on said second side, for controlling a transmission of said fixed-length cells to be transmitted to said terminal on said second side in the other of said plurality of terminals on said first side.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
233 words
A communication system for use with a network for communicating between a terminal on a first side and a terminal on a second side, comprising: a local network, connected to a plurality of terminals on said first side, to transmit fixed length cells from one of said plurality of terminals on said first side to said terminal on said second side via a virtual connection in said local network; buffer capacity monitoring means in said terminal on said second side for monitoring a capacity of a buffer receiving said fixed-length cells and for outputting an alarm signal at the time of detecting a congestion state of said capacity of said buffer; congestion state alerting means in said terminal on said second side, responsive to said alarm signal from said buffer capacity monitoring means, for setting a congestion bit on said fixed-length cells to be transmitted to said one terminal on said first side and for outputting said fixed-length cells with said set congestion bit to said one terminal on said first side; and traffic transmission control means in said one terminal on said first side, responsive to said fixed-length cells from said congestion state alerting means in said terminal on said second side, for controlling a transmission of said fixed-length cells to be transmitted to said terminal on said second side in the other of said plurality of terminals on said first side.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
118 words
A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said congestion state alerting means includes: periodic cell generating means for periodically generating state alerting cells to alert said one terminal on said first side of said congestion state at said terminal on said second side, and state alerting marking means for marking said fixed-length cells with congestion alert information, and, in order to alert said one terminal on said first side of said congestion state at said terminal on said second side, when there exists said fixed-length cells to be transmitted to said one terminal on said first side, said fixed-length cells are used, while, when there does not exist said fixed-length cells, said state alerting cells are used.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
A communication system according to claim 2, wherein a reserve portion of a header of said state alerting cells or said fixed-length cells is used for alerting said one terminal on said first side of said congestion state at said terminal on said second side.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
79 words
A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said traffic transmission control means includes transmission control signal generating means responsive to said fixed-length cells from said terminal on said second side for generating a collision signal serving as a transmission control signal on an outgoing bus, and carrier sense multiple access processing means using a collision detection (CSMA/CD) protocol for scanning information on said bus and controlling the transmission of said fixed-length cells when said collision signal is detected.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
A communication system according to claim 4, wherein said collision signal generated by said transmission control signal generating means is a header in said CSMA/CD protocol.