Patent · US Expired

Uneven token distribution technique for token based local area network

US5001472A · kind A · utility

46Cited by
18References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 11, 1988
Grant dateMar 19, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 11, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L12/417
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a token-based local area network, the token may be selectively redirected out of its normal even rotational sequence among all of the active nodes of the network to pass the token more frequently through a priority group of nodes than through a non-priority group of nodes. The priority group is more likely to have messages to initiate from either a numerical or immediacy standpoint, compared to the non-priority group which is less likely to have messages to initiate. When token redirection is not desired, the token is passed in this normal even rotational sequence. Despite redirection, the token is still passed through all of the active nodes on the network in a periodic manner so as to assure normal network activity. Multiple messages can be initiated from a single node before the token is passed to any other node. Token redirection can be controlled in a predetermined pattern to accommodate either the actual or anticipated message traffic from the priority group of nodes, and can be controlled in response to a queue of messsages waiting to be initiated from a priority node.

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