System and method for multipoint to multipoint data communication
First Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- a shared communications medium;
a server connected to said shared communications medium and capable of sending a forward channel signal on said shared communications medium during a predetermined forward channel interval of a communication cycle; and
a plurality of nodes, each of said nodes connected to said shared communications medium and capable of monitoring said forward channel signal, monitoring said shared communications medium for usage during a clear channel assessment slot within a clear channel assessment interval of said communication cycle, and providing a reverse channel signal when said node determines as a result of monitoring said shared communications medium for usage during said clear channel assessment slot that said shared communications medium is clear, wherein said clear channel assessment interval is partitioned into a number of clear channel assessment slots, each clear channel assessment slot exclusively assigned to one of said nodes.
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Abstract
A system and method is provide for multipoint to multipoint data communication. In an embodiment of the invention, a system comprises a communications medium interconnecting at least one central server and a plurality of communication nodes. The central server transmits information to the nodes via a Forward Channel and the nodes transmit information via a Reverse Channel. Before transmitting, each of the nodes listens (monitors) during an assigned slot of a Clear Channel Assessment interval of the communications cycle to ascertain whether any other node is transmitting. A given node transmits data only when that node determines that the network is clear. The nodes listen in sequential order, eliminating the probability of collisions caused by simultaneous transmissions from nodes. A query channel interval is provided for nodes not assigned a slot within clear channel assessment interval to request a slot. Assigned slots not used by nodes are allocated to other nodes. The data traffic is accordingly aggregated, thus providing efficient utilization.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a shared communications medium;
a server connected to said shared communications medium and capable of sending a forward channel signal on said shared communications medium during a predetermined forward channel interval of a communication cycle; and
a plurality of nodes, each of said nodes connected to said shared communications medium and capable of monitoring said forward channel signal, monitoring said shared communications medium for usage during a clear channel assessment slot within a clear channel assessment interval of said communication cycle, and providing a reverse channel signal when said node determines as a result of monitoring said shared communications medium for usage during said clear channel assessment slot that said shared communications medium is clear, wherein said clear channel assessment interval is partitioned into a number of clear channel assessment slots, each clear channel assessment slot exclusively assigned to one of said nodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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19. A method for a multipoint to multipoint communication in a system having a shared communication medium, a server, and a plurality of nodes, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting from the server a forward channel signal on said shared communication medium;
monitoring said shared communication medium for said forward channel signal at each of the plurality of nodes; and
monitoring said shared communication medium for a reverse channel signal at each of the plurality of nodes, wherein each of the plurality of nodes monitors during a clear channel assessment slot within a clear channel assessment interval, if said reverse channel is clear during said clear channel assessment slot associated with one of the plurality of nodes and said one of the plurality of nodes has information to send as a reverse channel signal to the server, transmitting a reverse channel signal from said one of the plurality nodes, wherein said clear channel assessment interval is partitioned into a number of clear channel assessment slots, each clear channel assessment slot exclusively assigned to one of said nodes.
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31. A communications cycle format for providing data communications within a multipoint to multipoint communications system comprising a communications medium interconnecting at least one server and a plurality of nodes, the communications cycle format comprising:
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a forward channel interval, wherein said forward channel interval designates a time period for sending a forward channel signal from said server;
a clear channel assessment interval, wherein said clear channel assessment interval is partitioned into a number of clear channel assessment slots, each clear channel assessment slot exclusively assigned to one of said nodes, said clear channel assessment slots designating a time period for a node to listen to said communications medium;
a query channel interval, wherein said query channel interval designates a time period for a node not assigned a clear channel assessment slot to request an assignment of a clear channel assessment slot from said server; and
a reverse channel interval, wherein said reverse channel interval designates a time period for sending a reverse channel signal by one of said nodes. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification