Granted Patent B2

US 7,257,126 · App. 10/275,432 · Granted Aug 14, 2007

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. A communication terminal accommodation device comprising:

first communication control means for performing communication in a masterslave network;

second communication control means for performing communication in a direct connection network; and

identification signal inserting means for inserting an identification signal into a transmission signal to monitor each control mode period, wherein:

the identification signal is commonly used to identify both centralized control and distributed control modes in the direct connection network.

2. A communication terminal accommodation device comprising:

first communication control means for performing communication in a master-slave network;

second communication control means for performing communication in a direct connection network; and

identification signal inserting means for inserting an identification signal into a transmission signal to monitor each control mode period, wherein:

an upper limit to the period of a distributed control mode is provided within a range not exceeding the length of a transmission unit for communication in the direct connection network.

3. A communication terminal accommodation device comprising:

first communication control means for performing communication in a master-slave network;

second communication control means for performing communication in a direct connection network; and

identification signal inserting means for inserting an identification signal into a transmission signal to monitor each control mode period, wherein:

said identification signal inserting means inserts the identification signal just after completion of the period of a distributed control mode, and

communication in a centralized control mode is initiated immediately following the identification signal just after completion of the period of the distributed control mode, and the transmission of a frame of the master-slave network is initiated at the frame timing in the master-slave network.

4. A communication terminal accommodation device comprising:

first communication control means for performing communication in a masterslave network;

second communication control means for performing communication in a direct connection network; and

identification signal inserting means for inserting an identification signal into a transmission signal to monitor each control mode period, wherein:

said identification signal inserting means inserts the identification signal just after completion of the period of a distributed control mode, and

the communication period of a variable-length packet in the master-slave network is provided immediately following the identification signal just after completion of the period of the distributed control mode so that frame transmission of the master-slave network will be initiated at the frame timing in the masterslave network.

5. The communication terminal accommodation device according to claim 4 wherein priority is given to a connection request in a connection request period immediately following the identification signal just after completion of the period of the distributed control mode.

6. A communication terminal accommodation device comprising:

first communication control means for performing communication in a master-slave network;

second communication control means for performing communication in a direct connection network;

identification signal inserting means for inserting an identification signal into a transmission signal to monitor each control mode period; and

monitoring means for monitoring traffic conditions in the communication, and communication period calculating means for calculating communication periods in the master-slave network and the direct connection network based on the traffic conditions.

7. The communication terminal accommodation device according to claim 6 wherein said communication period calculating means further includes first required-band calculating means for calculating a required band from a communication request in the master-slave network monitored by said monitoring means, second required-band calculating means for calculating a required band from a communication request in a centralized control mode of the direct connection network monitored by said monitoring means, and third required-band calculating means for calculating a required band from a usage or collision rate in the distributed control mode of the direct connection network monitored by said monitoring means, whereby the communication periods are calculated, based on the required bands calculated from said first to third required-band calculating means, so that communication in the master-slave network and communication in the direct connection network will be distributed impartially.

8. The communication terminal accommodation device according to claim 6 wherein said communication period calculating means calculates the communication period of a variable-length packet in the master-slave network immediately following the identification signal just after completion of the period of the distributed control mode, and calculates a mixed period based on the communication period, such that the transmission of a frame of the master-slave network is performed during the communication period at the frame timing in the master-slave network, while communication is performed during the mixed period in such a communication state that it is mixed with communication in the distributed control mode.

Assignments (14)