Multiplex communications – Network configuration determination – In a bus system
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-29
2001-10-16
Olms, Douglas (Department: 2661)
Multiplex communications
Network configuration determination
In a bus system
C370S254000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06304557
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of detecting the configuration of a communication network and, more particularly, a method of detecting the arrangement of nodes in the communication network and a method of automatically creating a communication line information table on which a source node and a destination node for each channel in the communication network are set.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, node arrangement information in a communication network is prepared as a topology table at each of the nodes which form the communication network. In addition, communication line information, which represents source and destination nodes set in a channel, is also prepared as a communication line information table at each of the nodes. Conventionally, however, the contents of the topology and communication line information tables are set and managed manually. When the contents of the topology table and communication line information table do not coincide with the real node arrangement and the real line configuration in the network, it is quite difficult to find or detect these inconsistencies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is therefore intended to eliminate the above-mentioned drawback.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a method of automatically detecting the arrangement of nodes which form a communication network, and a method of automatically creating the above-mentioned communication line information table.
A method according to the present invention is for detecting the network configuration of a communication network in which a plural of nodes are connected to one another in a ring form. According to this method, each of the plurality of nodes stores an identifier of its own in a specific position of a frame and transmits the frame along the network in the a same direction.
When a node receives a frame in which an identifier indicating the node is already stored from the adjacent node, each of the plurality of nodes sends the frame in the same direction without storing its own node identifier. When the identifier is not stored in the frame received from the adjacent node and the node number indicated by the identifier stored at the specific position of the frame is larger than that of the node, each of the plurality of nodes abandons the frame. When the node number, indicated by the identifier stored at the specific position of the frame, is smaller than that of the node, each of the plurality of nodes stores its own node identifier at the next position of the specific position of the frame, and again sends the frame in the same direction.
When the above-mentioned steps are repeated, identifiers of the nodes on the communication network are stored in proper order in the frame which has gone around the communication network at least once. Each of the plurality of nodes can confirm the arrangement of the nodes on the communication network on the basis of the arrangement of the identifiers stored in the frame.
When a node receives a frame, in which an identifier indicating the node is not stored, from the adjacent node and the node number indicated by the identifier stored at the specific position of the frame is smaller than that of the node, each of the plurality of nodes may abandon the frame. When the node number indicated by the identifier is larger than that of the node, each of the plurality of nodes may store its own node identifier at the next position of the specific position of the frame.
Another method according to the present invention is for creating a line information table representing a source node and a destination node of a line in the communication network which includes a plurality of nodes. The method includes steps of causing the source node to store a source address indicating the source node at a source address field of a frame; causing the source node to send the frame to a destination node of the line; causing the destination node to store a destination address indicating the destination node at a destination address field of the frame; and causing the destination node to send the frame to the source node. When the address stored at the source address field of the received frame is identical to that of the source node, the source node creates the line information table on the basis of addresses stored in the frame. Any other nodes on the line can receive the frame and create the line information table on the basis of the addresses stored in the frame.
The source node stores its own node address in a source address field of the frame received from the other node to form a frame to be transmitted, and when the address stored in the source address field of the received frame is different from the address stored in the source address field of the frame to be transmitted, the source node may send the frame to the other node. When the addresses are the same, the source node may create the line information table on the basis of the addresses in the frame.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5590117 (1996-12-01), Iida
Fujitsu Limited
Helfgott & Karas P C
Olms Douglas
Pizarro Ricardo M.
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