Patents by Inventor Michael Spratt

Michael Spratt has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Two priority fair distributed round robin protocol for a network having cascaded hubs
    Patent number: 5469439
    Abstract: A network system includes end nodes which are connected to a plurality of cascaded hubs. A two priority protocol is provided for selecting end nodes to send network packets over the network. When at least one end node in the network system has a high priority network packet to send, each end node with a high priority network packet is acknowledged in turn. Each end node, when acknowledged, sends its high priority network packet through the network. When no end nodes have a high priority network packet, and at least one end node in the network system has a normal priority network packet to send, each end node with a normal priority network packet is acknowledged in turn. This includes a root hub acknowledging in turn each second level hub which is connected to an end node which has a normal priority network packet to send. Each second level hub, when acknowledged, proceeds to acknowledge in turn each end node which is connected to the second level hub and which has a normal priority network packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Company
    Inventors: Patricia A. Thaler, Jayant Kadambi, Michael Spratt, Alan R. Albrecht, Steven H. Goody