[54] NETWORK COMMUNICATION
[75] Inventor: Axel Hosemann, Rosstal, Germany
[73] Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich, Germany
[21] Appl. No.: 09/401,023 [22] Filed: Sep. 21, 1999
Related U.S. Application Data
[63] Continuation of application No. PCT/DE98/00840, Mar. 23, 1998.
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data
Mar. 21, 1997 [DE] Germany 197 11 958
[51] Int. CI.7 H04L 12/56; H04B 3/54
[52] U.S. CI 370/256; 370/401; 370/408
[58] Field of Search 370/254, 255,
370/256, 400, 401, 408
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
4,987,536 1/1991 Humblet 370/256
5,029,334 7/1991 Braun .
5,289,460 2/1994 Drake, Ir. et al 370/256
5,386,466 1/1995 Bales et al 370/256
5,428,636 6/1995 Meier 370/256
5,606,669 2/1997 Bertin et al 370/256
5,784,557 7/1998 Oprescu 370/256
Published International Application No.
(Farnsworth et al.), dated Jan. 5, 1995.
Primary Examiner—Ricky Ngo
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Herbert L. Lerner; Laurence A. Greenberg; Werner H. Sterner
[57] ABSTRACT
A method for communication in a network, in particular for communication in an electrical low voltage network, transmits a status check from a master to a plurality ol slaves in several network paths. A slave that cannot be directly accessed by the master, such as an additionally installed salve, is included in the network with the help of a neighboring slave. The neighboring slave is used as a router slave for the slave that cannot be directly accessed. For this purpose, a network management software for the master is provided with a software module for assigning at least one router slave to each slave. Each slave is assigned a corresponding software module to identify a neighboring slave as a potential router slave. A network for communication is also provided.
11 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets
