Self-diagnosing, self-correcting communications network

Claim 1

A self-diagnosing, self-reconfiguring communication network, which includes: a transmission line; a plurality of inter-communicating stations each adapted for coupling to said transmission line, each such station including transmitting means for transmitting information signals, receiving means for receiving said information signals, fault detecting means, terminating means, switching means, and timing means for controlling said transmitting and receiving means; said transmitting means including a check signal generator responsive to signals from said timing means for generating check signals which are transmitted by said transmitting means in connection with the transmission of said information signals; said fault detecting means being coupled to said receiving means in each station and being responsive to a garbled, received check signal to produce a fault signal; said switching means being coupled to said transmission line, to said transmitting means, to said receiving means, to said fault detecting means and to said terminating means and being responsive to a fault signal from said fault detecting means to terminate said transmission line, sequentially in a first direction for a first period and in a second direction for a second period; said transmitting means including test signal generating means and being responsive to a fault signal from said fault detecting means for transmitting a test signal in said first direction during said first period and in said second direction during said second period to produce first and second response signals, respectively, at said receiving means; said fault detecting means being coupled to said receiving means and being responsive to a difference between said test signal and said response signals received from said transmission line in response to said test signal transmitted in said first and second periods, respectively, to produce a switching signal;