Abstract: Stations in a sequence accepting a vector from preceding stations in the sequence communicate data packets to other stations in the sequence. Each station receiving the vector is spliced out of the sequence by communicating such a desire or by failing to respond to the preceding station, which then provides for the passing of the vector to the station following the next station. Alternatively, an individual station (not in the sequence) between the communicating and next stations can be spliced into the sequence by communicating to all stations such a desire before any response from the next station. Some or all stations may be either in a performance mode higher than a set-up mode. And if in the performance mode may initiate the operation of the performance mode sequence when the other stations are in the set-up mode.

Abstract: The graphical control system of the present invention includes a computer (20), a device interface (35) for a non-computer system device (21) having at least one feature control (29a) (or display (29b)), a bus network (28) connecting the computer (20) to the device interface (35), and a visual network operating system (78) based on an object-oriented programming paradigm. The device interface (35) connects the non-computer system device (21) to the bus network (28) and provides the mechanism for converting computer-generated commands into signals for controlling the operation of the feature control (29a) of the non-computer system device (21). The visual network operating system (78) is a distributed operating system that is partially stored on the computer (20) and partially stored in the device interface (35).

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining and indicating the integrity of a network that interconnects a group of nodes. Each node includes an internal clock (42 or 58), an indicator (27) for emitting a signal at a synchronized signaling interval and a processing unit (36 or 60) electronically coupled to the indicator and the internal clock. The processing of the node causes the indicator to emit a signal at the synchronized signaling interval. When the integrity of the network is intact, the processing unit of each node causes the indicator of the node to emit a signal at the same synchronized signaling interval. As a result, all of the indicators are emitting signals in unison. When the integrity of the network has been lost due to a malfunctioning node or physical break, on a group-to-group basis, the indicators of those nodes improperly communicating with each other emit signals at different synchronized signaling intervals. As a result, the indicators emit signals in an asynchronous manner.