Method and apparatus for multiple access in a communication system

• US 20050149649A1
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tachyon Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tachyon Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Zhu, Min, Becker, Donald W., Moerder, Karl E., Carneal, Bruce L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,203,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access

Abstract

A communication system comprising three communication resources: a contention-type access block, a non-contention access block and a second non-contention access block called a reserved block. Each time that a remote unit has a block of data to transfer to a hub station, it sends the block of data over the contention-type access block. It also sends a corresponding notification message over the reserved block. If the hub station receives the notification message but not the block of data, it sends a response message to the remote unit which designates a resource within the non-contention access block. The remote unit then sends the block of data to the hub station over the designated resource.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of contention-type access communication resources;

a plurality of non-contention access communication resources;

a plurality of remote units, each remote unit comprising

a process that transmits a block of data to a hub station over a contention-type access communication resource;

a process configured to transmit a notification message over a first non-contention access channel to notify the hub station of transmitting the block of data over said contention-type access communication resource; and

a process that re-transmits the block of data over a non-contention communication resource upon receipt of a message that the transmission of the block of data over the contention-type access communication channel was unsuccessful, while other remote units of the system remain configured to communicate with the hub station using a contention communication resource.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said contention-type access communication resources comprise random access resources.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said non-contention access communication resources comprise a set of resources that are temporarily dedicated to a chosen remote unit.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a hub station comprising a process to determine, in response to a notification message from a remote unit, whether the transmission of a block of data from one of remote units to the hub station over the contention-type communication access resource was successful, and to inform said transmitting remote unit if its transmission over the contention-type communication access resource was not successful.

5. The system of claim 4, said hub station further comprising a process to dynamically allocate additional resources to said non-contention resources based on a level of loading of said contention-type communication resource.

6. In a communication system in which a plurality of remote units transmit data to a hub station, a method of communicating comprising:

receiving a notification transmission in a hub station over a dedicated resource from a remote unit;

monitoring a contention-type access communication resource for receipt by said hub station of a block of data corresponding to the notification message; and

sending a response message to said remote unit designating a resource within a non-contention access communication resource for use by said remote unit to retransmit the block of data if monitoring the contention-type access communication resource fails to detect said block of data, whereby said remote unit becomes configured to communicate with said hub station using a non-contention communication resource while other remote units of the system remain configured to communicate with said hub station using a contention communication resource.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said notification transmission indicates a first amount of data which is larger than a second amount of data in said block of data received by said hub station.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of dynamically allocating additional resources to said dedicated resource based upon a level of loading of said contention-type communication resource.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said resource within said non-contention access communication resource is of sufficient size to support transmission of a difference between said first amount of data and a second amount of data received by said hub station.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said resource within said non-contention access communication resource is of sufficient size to support transmission of said first amount of data.

11. The method of multiple access communication of claim 6, further comprising the step of sending a predictive message to said remote unit which designates a predictive resource within said non-contention access block for temporary use by said remote unit to transmit additional blocks of data within a limited time duration.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of receiving comprises the step of receiving transmissions over a wireless satellite link.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein said block of data comprises a request for a web page.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of transmitting an indication of a current boundary between said contention-type access communication resource and said non-contention access communication resource.

15. In a system in which multiple remote units compete for limited communication resources, a remote unit comprising:

means for transmitting a block of data over a contention-type access communication resource;

means for transmitting a corresponding notification message over a reserved communication resource;

means for receiving a response message which commands transmission of said block of data over a resource within a non-contention access communication resource in response to successful reception of said corresponding notification message and failed reception of said block of data;

means for configuring the remote unit to transmit said block of data over a over a resource within a non-contention access communication resource while other remote units of the system remain configured to communicate with said hub station using a contention communication resource; and

means for transmitting said block of data over said non-contention access communication resource.