Abstract: A method for compensating for propagation time delays in a communication network includes connecting each of a plurality of subscribers to a ring feeder for a common transmission of digital source data and control data in a data stream synchronous with a clock signal. The source and control data are transmitted in a format prescribing a pulsed sequence of individual bit groups of identical length containing component bit groups each forming a data channel for source data or control data. At least two subscribers, which are connected at different locations to the ring feeder, receive source data that are transmitted by one of the subscribers on different data channels and are correlated with one another. Specific bit positions are reserved in each bit group for a numerical value relayed from subscriber to subscriber. The numerical value is always set by one of the subscribers to a fixed initial value and incremented by each following subscriber along the ring feeder.

Abstract: A method for the common transmission of digital source data and control data between data sources and data sinks. The data sources and data sinks are subscribers in a communication network with a ring structure. The source data and control data are transmitted in a format which prescribes a pulsed sequence of individual bit groups of identical length. Specific bit positions in each of the bit groups are reserved for source data and control data. The transmission is in a continuous data stream synchronous with a clock signal. An arbitrarily large contiguous region of the bit positions can be reserved for the source data within a bit group for data which are transmitted in data packets. Each of the data packets has a start with a subscriber address and a defined length.

Abstract: A local communication system includes a number of stations interconnected for the communication of messages via a serial data channel. A first station transmits a directed type of message to individual ones of the other stations, or transmits a broadcast type of message to all or a subset of the other stations. For a broadcast message, any receiving station unable to accept the message transmits a common negative acknowledgment signal and the first station re-transmits the message up to five times. Each receiving station may be unable to accept a message because its receive buffer is still occupied by a previous message. In such a case generation of the negative acknowledgment signal is suppressed if the message which cannot be accepted is judged identical to the message occupying the receive buffer of the receiving station. In this way, unnecessary communication is avoided, and certainty of communication is increased.

Abstract: A method for transmitting digital data over data lines between subscribers forming data sources and data sinks and being disposed in a network having a ring structure and connecting a plurality of subscribers to one another with network segments each being formed between two adjacent subscribers, includes transmitting the data in the network in a format specifying a clocked sequence of individual bit groups of equal length, each including at least one partial bit group forming a data channel to be assigned temporarily to two subscribers in the network for a data transmission. A temporary allocation of the data channels for a data transmission between two subscribers takes place segmentally in the network, for optimal utilization of the data transmission capacity of the network only those network segments that are located between the applicable data source and the associated data sink are occupied for the particular data transmission.

Abstract: A method for common transmission of digital source and control data between data sources and sinks being connected by data lines, includes transmitting the source and control data in a format prescribing a clocked sequence of individual bit groups of equal length. In each bit group, there are one or more and in particular two control bits, which are used for the transmission of control signals. One control signal is assigned bitwise to the control bits of successive bit groups. A starting identification code which is identical for all of the control signals is provided at the beginning of each control signal.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of a network subscriber is used in a network having a ring structure with a plurality of network subscribers being connected to one another, including one network subscriber being used as a master. At the onset of network operation, the master generates a number that represents a subscriber's positional designation and stores it internally in memory. Beginning with the master, each network subscriber causes the network subscriber immediately following it in the ring structure to store a number in memory that likewise each represents its positional designation and that is raised by a number over its predecessor's own positional designation. This continues until an individual positional designation has been assigned to each network subscriber. The method may be used for individual and targeted communication with physically identical network subscribers, such as speaker boxes, as well as in stationary or mobile communications systems.

Abstract: A method for initializing a network having a plurality of network subscribers being capable of acting as masters, includes assigning the master function to the network subscriber being capable of acting as a master that is turned on first. In the event of a collision when the master function is assigned substantially simultaneously to a plurality of substantially simultaneously turned-on network subscribers, a random value that differs in magnitude is generated in all of these network subscribers. Finally, the network subscriber that has generated the highest or the lowest value is assigned the master function.