COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WITH A REQUEST BY A NODE MADE IN AN ASSIGNED TIMESLOT IN A SERIES OF REPEATING TIMESLOTS OCCURRING WITHOUT BEING DISABLED

• US 20070229223A1
• Filed: 06/04/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GPNE Corp.
• Original Assignee: GPNE Corp.
• Inventors: Wong, Gabriel, Tsui, Po
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/7.210
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/025 with acknowledge back capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/185 Selective call encoders for paging networks, e.g. paging centre devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication system is provided for communication between network nodes and a communication controller. In the network, a reservation request is transmitted from a node to the communication controller in an assigned timeslot. In response the controller provides a grant of permission to the requesting node to transmit packet data containing a message. The timeslot assigned to the requesting node is one of a series of timeslots occurring repeatedly on a separate frequency. The timeslots will be continuously available to receive requests from nodes irrespective of transmission of data from one node to the controller, or transmission of a grant from the controller to a node.

Claims

1. A method of operating a data communication system comprising:

transmitting a request-enabling signal from a communication controller to at least one node in a plurality of network nodes including a first node, the request-enabling signal assigning at least one timeslot in which the first node may transmit a request;

(maybe remove this element)

transmitting the request signal from the first node to the communication controller in the at least one timeslot when the first node has data to transmit, wherein the request signal is transmitted from the first node in response to receiving the request-enabling signal;

transmitting a grant signal from the communication controller to the first node in response to the communication controller receiving the request signal from the first node; and

transmitting the data from the first node to the communication controller in response to receiving the grant signal from the communication controller,

wherein the at least one timeslot in which the first node may transmit the request signal is one of a series of timeslots where the first node can transmit the request, the series of timeslots occurring repeatedly after transmission of the request signal to the communication controller and continuing without being disabled during operation of the communication controller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a frequency of the series of timeslots where the first node may transmit the request signal is different that the frequency of the grant signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request signal is a random access request signal, and wherein the grant signal is provided in the same one of the series timeslots as the request signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the request signal includes a randomly generated number and wherein the grant signal includes a repeat of the randomly generated number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one timeslot in which the first node may transmit the request signal is exclusively assigned to the first node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the request signal, the grant signal, and the data are transmitted over at least one communication channel comprising at least one frequency, wherein the numbers of the frequencies may be varied.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the request-enabling signal, the request signal, and the grant signal are transmitted over at least one communication channel comprising at least one frequencies, wherein the numbers of the frequencies may be varied.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted on at least one communication channel comprised of at least one frequency, wherein the number of frequencies where the data can be transmitted is not fixed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first timeslot repeats periodically in the series of timeslots.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node comprises a paging computer capable of transmitting and receiving packet data containing alphanumeric characters.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first node includes multiple antennas.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node includes a pressure sensitive writing pad.

13. A method of operating a data communication system comprising:

transmitting a request-enabling signal from a communication controller to at least one node in a plurality of network nodes including a first node, the request-enabling signal assigning at least one timeslot in which the first node may transmit a request;

transmitting the request signal from the first node to the communication controller in the at least one timeslot when the first node has a data to transmit, wherein the request signal is transmitted from the first node in response to receiving the request-enabling signal;

transmitting a grant signal from the communication controller to the first node in response to the communication controller receiving the request signal from the first node; and

transmitting the data from the first node to the communication controller in response to receiving the grant signal from the communication controller, wherein the at least one timeslot in which the first node may transmit the request signal is one of a series of timeslots where the first node can transmit the request, the series of timeslots occurring repeatedly after transmission of the request signal to the communication controller and continuing during transmission of at least a portion of the data from the first node.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a frequency of the series of timeslots where the first node may transmit the request signal is different that the frequency of the grant signal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the request signal, the grant signal, and the data are transmitted over at least one communication channel comprising at least one frequency, wherein the numbers of the frequencies may be varied.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first node comprises a paging computer capable of transmitting and receiving packet data containing alphanumeric characters.

17. A method of operating a data communication system comprising:

transmitting a request-enabling signal from a communication controller to at least one node in a plurality of network nodes including a first node, the request-enabling signal assigning at least one timeslot in which the first node may transmit a request;

transmitting the request signal from the first node to the communication controller in the at least one timeslot when the first node has a data to transmit, wherein the request signal is transmitted from the first node in response to receiving the request-enabling signal;

transmitting a grant signal from the communication controller to the first node in response to the communication controller receiving the request signal from the first node; and

transmitting the data from the first node to the communication controller in response to receiving the grant signal from the communication controller,

wherein the at least one timeslot in which the first node may transmit the request signal is one of a series of timeslots where the first node can transmit the request, the series of timeslots occurring repeatedly after transmission of the request signal to the communication controller and continuing after the grant signal is transmitted from the communication controller.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a frequency of the series of timeslots where the first node may transmit the request signal is different that the frequency of the grant signal.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the request signal, the grant signal, and the data are transmitted over at least one communication channel comprising at least one frequency, wherein the numbers of the frequencies may be varied.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first node comprises a paging computer capable of transmitting and receiving packet data containing alphanumeric characters.