Based on a count value held by a transmission counter, an information multiplex apparatus forms multiplexed transmission data by selecting or dividing at least part of each of two or more information items, based on the respective sizes of the two or more information items, a counter period of the transmission counter, and a transmission margin degree.

A transmitting system includes a variable-length packet multiplexing apparatus and a transmission slotting apparatus. The variable-length packet multiplexing apparatus generates a variable-length packet. The transmission slotting apparatus stores the variable-length packet in slots forming transmission main signals. The transmission slotting apparatus includes a capacity calculator, an extractor, a remainder calculator, a selector, and a slot information multiplexer. The capacity calculator calculates a data capacity of the transmission main signals for one frame. The extractor extracts a byte number of the variable-length packet. The remainder calculator calculates a remaining capacity of the transmission main signals. The selector stores a predetermined data sequence in a region left in the slots, and outputs the slots storing the data sequence. The slot information multiplexer multiplexes slot information and the slots output by the selector.

A first relay node receives a first timeslot assignment message sent by an upper-level node, where the first timeslot assignment message includes forwarding information and first timeslot information, and the forwarding information includes a forwarding indication indicating that at least one relay node needs to forward the first timeslot assignment message. The first relay node updates the first timeslot information to obtain second timeslot information, where the updating includes deleting an expired timeslot indication from the first timeslot information. The first relay node sends a second timeslot assignment message including the forwarding information and the second timeslot information.

Various examples of the present disclosure relate to a transmitter apparatus, device, method, and computer program, to a receiver apparatus, device, method, and computer program, and to corresponding source and destination devices and communication devices. The transmitter apparatus comprises a plurality of ports for data to be transmitted to a destination device, with each port being associated with a transmission data rate. The transmitter apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to obtain data to be transmitted to the destination device via the plurality of ports. The processing circuitry is configured to multiplex the data to be transmitted to the destination device according to a weighted round-robin scheme to generate a multiplexed data stream. The weights of the weighted round-robin scheme are based on the transmission data rate of the respective port the data is obtained over. The processing circuitry is configured to transmit the multiplexed data stream to the destination device.

A master node (11) transmits a bandwidth extension instruction including an extension duration D.sub.EX, an extension time slot number N.sub.EX, and an extension time T.sub.EX to multiple slave nodes (12). The master node (11) and the multiple slave nodes (12) execute a bandwidth extension process of modifying a communication frame such that the start time of the following cycle following the cycle designated by the extension time T.sub.EX is advanced by the extension duration D.sub.EX, the time slot identified by the extension time slot number N.sub.EX is extended by the extension duration D.sub.EX, and the time slot identified by the shortening time slot number N.sub.SH is shortened by the extension duration D.sub.EX. The master node (11) and the slave nodes (12) communicate with each other using the assigned time slots.

A vehicular autonomous driving system includes a time division multiplexed (TDM) bus, an autonomous driving (AD) controller coupled to the TDM bus, and a plurality of AD sensors coupled to the TDM bus. The AD sensors are configured to collect AD data and transmit collected AD data to the AD controller on the TDM bus in an assigned time slot at a first power level. A first AD sensor of the plurality of AD sensors is configured to, based upon collected AD data, detect an AD emergency event. In response to the detection, the first AD sensor is configured to transmit an AD emergency message on the TDM bus in a non-assigned time slot and at a second power level that exceeds the first power level. The AD sensor may transmit the AD emergency message in a particular sub-slot of the non-assigned time slot.

There is provided a frame converter that writes input data included in an input frame to a buffer to accumulate the input data and outputs data read from the buffer as output data included in an output frame, the frame converter includes a setting unit configured to set a time interval from start of resizing of data rate of the input data to start of resizing of data rate of the output data when resizing of an accumulation amount in the buffer is performed in which data rates of the input data and the output data vary, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust to approximate the data rate of the output data to the data rate of the input data after the time interval has elapsed since the start of resizing of data rate of the input data.

A slotted message access protocol can be implemented for transmitting short packets. Each beacon period may be divided into multiple time slots. At least one time slot may be assigned to a network device per beacon period based, at least in part, on latency specifications of packets that the network device is configured to transmit. In one example, some of the unassigned time slots may be designated as contention-based time slots. Network devices may contend with each other to gain control of and transmit packets during a contention-based time slot based on the priority level of the packets to be transmitted. Network devices may also use an encryption key and an initialization vector for securely exchanging short packets. Furthermore, a repeater network device may be designated to retransmit a packet, received from an original transmitting network device, during a communication time slot assigned to the original transmitting network device.

Based on a count value held by a transmission counter, an information multiplex apparatus forms multiplexed transmission data by selecting or dividing at least part of each of two or more information items, based on the respective sizes of the two or more information items, a counter period of the transmission counter, and a transmission margin degree.

A method and an apparatus for transmitting service data are disclosed. In technical solutions of the present disclosure, when an exclusive service does not completely occupy a bandwidth resource allocated to the exclusive service, data transmission of at least two candidate services on an actually unused bandwidth is supported. In this way, a waste of bandwidth resources can be reduced and network utilization can be improved.