JPS60259037A - Polling method of communication network - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain polling in high speed by grouping a terminal device, transmitting a number in a group after the group number and the number in the group are given and the group number is transmitted so as to attain polling. CONSTITUTION:A terminal number table requiring polling at the data at start point of time is read to a main memory 1 from an auxiliary memory 5, the group number for polling and the number in the group are set to a terminal number table 4 and the group number and the number in the group are informed to each terminal device. In making polling, the group number is informed at first and the terminal device in the group is applied with polling by using the number in the group.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Field of Application The present invention is applicable to, for example, transmitting video signals and data to each home or each room of a building through a cable, and transmitting and receiving data at these terminals. This relates to a polling method in which data is communicated with each terminal in a center used in 0ATV that reproduces ``TV'' by polling each terminal in turn, requesting and receiving data.

Conventional Structures and Their Problems In recent years, as CATV polling devices ATV have become widespread, many different devices have been manufactured. FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a conventional CATV polling device, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing flow thereof. A CATV polling device memory 1 holds a table of all terminals whose data must be collected by polling as a terminal number table 4. While looking at this table, computer 2 sequentially sends a command representing the number of the terminal it is about to poll and a formula that means to send data via modem 3, and the command with the sent number responds and sends the data. It waits for the sent data to arrive, and if it is sent and delivered, it stores and processes this data as the latest data for the terminal that has just sent it. An example of the data format used in polling at this time is shown in FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, the number of the terminal to be polled and to request response data is number 876543, and the code 3 indicates a command to send data.

All of FIG. 3 is expressed in binary notation. Further, 5 is an auxiliary memory.

However, in the above configuration, the terminal number generally has a large number of digits to avoid duplication; for example, in the example shown in Figure 3, it has 6 digits, which means that it can handle up to 1 million digits. Even if there are terminals, polling can be done without duplication. However, in this way, the number of digits for the terminal number is taken considering the maximum case and with sufficient margin, but in reality, there are terminals with as many digits as the number of digits in the terminal number. Even if there were, it would take a lot of time to connect so many terminals to one CATV polling device, so if there are that many terminals, The terminals are divided into CATV polling device units, and each terminal is responsible for one CATV polling device ring, which is usually a fraction of the total number of terminals. Nevertheless, it is always a decimal value, 6 digits, as in the example in Figure 3.

Sending a 24-bit 1 terminal number to each terminal every time it is polled means that the number of bits is larger than the minimum required number, and each poll takes extra time, which lengthens the overall polling time. This has the problem that it becomes

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is capable of extremely high-speed polling regardless of the number of digits in a terminal number, and also allows each polling device to truly identify the terminal to be polled. The present invention provides a polling method for communication nesotofuk, which can perform polling in the minimum necessary time by sending only the minimum necessary number of bits.

Structure of the Invention The present invention is to group all these terminals that must be currently polled by adding them to the terminal number table held by the center device, and to remember this group number and the number within the group. This is a polling method that has a function that allows the user to poll each group using this group number and the number within the group instead of the unique terminal number that each terminal originally has. By preparing it, you can poll very quickly.

Explanation of the Embodiment Figure 4 shows the processing contents of a polling device for CATV to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. This is a flowchart showing the process of assigning a group number and an in-group pot number to each terminal in the case where all the terminals are newly regrouped so that they can be used in the following. Figure 5 shows this CAT for the terminal used in this process.
An example of the format of data output from the V polling device is shown. In this example, the terminal 876543 is originally given a group number 10 and an intra-group number 20, and is notified to use these numbers for polling.

In this way, the command that indicates the meaning of ``recognize the group number you just sent and the number within the group as your own number during subsequent polling and send response data'' is called number 6. It is indicated by a code number. Furthermore, all of FIG. 5 is written in binary notation.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing contents when first setting the group to be polled from now on when telepoling is performed using the group number used in polling and the intra-group number set in this way. FIG. 7 shows the format of the command part that informs the CATV polling device terminal used in this process that polling will be performed for this group from now on, and the group number part used in the current process. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the contents of processing when polling is performed by transmitting only the numbers within the group to terminals belonging to each group set in this manner. Figure 9 shows a take format that includes an intra-group number section sent to indicate a data request to the CATV polling device used in this process and a command section indicating the processing content. . FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a polling path for CATV according to the present invention. Parts common to those in FIG. 1 are given the same numbers, and some explanations are omitted.

A CATV polling device according to an embodiment of the present invention constructed as described above will be explained.

At the start of each morning, this polling device reads out from the auxiliary memory 5 and from the main memory 1 the terminal number table that must be polled that day. At this point, the group number and group number for each terminal are blank. Afterwards, this polling device
Continuous numbers are set in the polling group number and intra-group number columns of this terminal number table 4/. When this is completed for all terminals, next, as shown in this diagram of the CATV polling device, a message is sent to each terminal in the format shown in Figure 5, ``Using this group number and the number within the group. , since polling is performed, from now on, when a group number that is polled without being changed is sent, it is checked whether it matches a group number that has already been given to you, and if it is, it is checked whether it matches the group number that has already been given to you, and if it is, it will be checked if it matches the group number that will be given to you soon. The in-group number being sent will be sent along with a command requesting a data response, so if that is sent, return the response data.'' is set for all terminals. This can be done, for example, by singing once in the morning. Then start normal polling.

Normal polling is done in the format shown in Figure 7, as shown in Figure 6, and the processing content is shown in Figure 6.From now on, we will be polling for the group with this number, so please enter your group number in advance. The terminal to which the lever number is given informs the terminal that the next in-group number to be sent matches the in-group number to which it has been given, so that it should respond with data. Next, this polling device moves to holing for the terminal belonging to the group number that has just been sent, and sends out data in the format shown in Figure 9 with the processing content shown in Figure 8. A command is issued to the terminal of the group number that has been set to respond with the data of the terminal of the number within this group.

The response data is collected in this way, and when the collection for all terminals belonging to this group number is completed, the next group number is sent out and the polling of the terminals belonging to the next group number is started.

As described above, according to this embodiment, in the morning, in addition to the terminal number originally held by each terminal, there is another terminal number for each terminal.
By grouping all the terminals that this polling device handles on that day and giving each terminal its group number and group number, it will use this group number and group number one by one from now on. In addition, in the case of general polling, the number of terminals belonging to each group can be Even if it is necessary to send the group number of the new group to be polled once when polling is finished, all the data can be polled by just transmitting a very small number of bits of data. The speed can be greatly reduced.

Although the above embodiment has been described as a polling device for CATV, the present invention can also have similar effects on communication networks in general.

Effects of the Invention The polling method of the communication network of the present invention further provides a group number and an in-group number for use in polling in the terminal number table held, and at the time of forming a group number and a number within the group for use in this polling for each terminal. By providing a mechanism that can send a group number and a number within a group and then perform polling using this group number and number within a group, the terminal number held by each terminal can be maximized. Considering that it has enough margin, if this is used for polling, the bit length of the data used for polling will be very long and it will take a lot of time. The group number and intra-group number used in this polling need only the minimum number of bits required to identify the number of terminals actually polled. Because it is possible to do this, it is very fast, and all terminals can be polled in the theoretical minimum amount of time, which has great practical effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional polling device for CATV, Fig. 2 is a flow chart showing the contents of its processing, and Fig. 3 is a message sent when this conventional polling device polls each terminal. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the process of giving each terminal a group number and an intra-group number to be used for polling among the processing contents performed in the polling method in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the format of data that this device sends to each terminal during this process, and Figure 6 shows that this group number is first sent, and the group number of this number is then given. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing content for notifying terminals that processing will be performed; Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the format of data sent by the polling device to each terminal during this processing; Figure 8; Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing when sending the in-group number to each terminal belonging to the group with the previously given group number, polling them sequentially, and collecting response data. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a polling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1...Main memory, 2...Computer, 3--Modem, 4'...Terminal number table, 5...Auxiliary memory. Figure 1? Fig. 2 Fig. 4 Fig. 6 Fig. 7 Fig. 8 Fig. 9 Fig.) b-2° 1 1 point available■ Core seat notification β Fig. 10

Claims (1)

[Claims] To poll, for each terminal requesting a response, first,
It has a function that sends a command requesting a terminal number and response, and in response, the terminal assigned its own number sends a response, and each terminal itself has the function of transmitting a command requesting a terminal number and response. In addition to the number, prepare the group number to which each terminal belongs and the intra-group number of each terminal within this group. A polling method for a communication network, characterized in that the polling method is carried out by notifying a user that holing will be carried out, and then polling by sending only the numbers within this group along with a response request command.