Patent · US Expired

Data packet transmission using shared channel

US4641307A · kind A · utility

125Cited by
3References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 21, 1984
Grant dateFeb 3, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 21, 2004

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L12/413
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a data communication system an interface unit connects a device to a common communications channel shared with other devices using e.g. a carrier-sense multiple-access protocol. Individual bytes for a predetermined destination device are supplied by the device to communications controller 6 without any grouping into packets. They are then stored in a RAM 8 under control of a microcomputer 5. As soon as a byte is received, the interface unit attempts to transmit a packet; when the right to transmit is won the interface unit transmits a packet containing that and any subsequent bytes. The length of the packet therefore depends on the delay before a packet can be transmitted, and hence on the loading on the channel.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.