Remote interconnection of local area networks
US4901312A · kind A · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 8, 1988 |
| Grant date | Feb 13, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 8, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2212/00
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A Local Area Network (LAN) is a digital communications network interconnecting serial local computer workstations. The invention provides a technique for interconnecting two or more remote LAN's. In a specific embodiment the LAN's are IBM Token Rings in which case the notion of a virtual or pseudo ring is conceived to represent the network between the remote Token Rings. Each Token Ring is connected to the network by a respective half-bridge. Each half-bridge enters a number representing the pseudo ring in the Routing Information field of the frames it forwards over the network to a remote half-bridge. The frames are preferably multiplexed by encapsulating them in a LAPD-compatible frame having a header containing an identifier which identifies the half-bridge for which the frame is destined.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.