Apparatus and method for managing variable-sized data slots with timestamp counters within a TDMA frame
First Claim
1. In a network having a master device and a plurality of slave devices in network communication with said master device, a Medium Access Control layer protocol for transmission and reception of network packets, comprising:
- a Time Division Multiple Access frame definition having, a start-of-frame section, a command section, a data slot section containing a plurality of variable length slots, a synchronization slot, and a timestamp slot.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A reliable Medium Access Control layer protocol and method employing centralized management of communication in a Time Division Multiple Access network architecture. The Medium Access Control layer protocol implements Quality of Service guaranties to the layers of the Open Systems Interconnection reference model above the Medium Access Control layer by providing guaranteed bandwidth links within the bandwidth range specified by those layers. The Medium Access Control layer protocol further provides variable data slot requisition, variable data slot allocation, dynamic data slot reallocation, and data slot reallocation. Additionally, the protocol provides a schedule for variable-length data slot transmission in which timestamp counters are used by the master device and slave devices to schedule the transmission and reception of modified data slot parameters.
48 Citations
16 Claims
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1. In a network having a master device and a plurality of slave devices in network communication with said master device, a Medium Access Control layer protocol for transmission and reception of network packets, comprising:
a Time Division Multiple Access frame definition having, a start-of-frame section, a command section, a data slot section containing a plurality of variable length slots, a synchronization slot, and a timestamp slot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A networking system, comprising:
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a master device;
a plurality of slave devices in network communication with said master device;
a Medium Access Control layer protocol capable of transmission and reception of a plurality of network packets communicated between said master device and said slave devices; and
a Time Division Multiple Access frame definition having, a data slot section containing a plurality of variable-length data slots, a synchronization slot, and a timestamp slot. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for scheduling the assignment of variable length data slots in a network system having a master device and a plurality of slave devices in network communication with said master device, comprising;
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providing a Time Division Multiple Access frame definition comprising a synchronization slot and a timestamp slot, and a data slot section having a plurality of variable-length data slots; and
determining a schedule time to communicate the assignment and reallocation of said variable-length data slots to each of said slave devices. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification