Hybrid Contention-Based and Schedule-Based Access to a Communication Link
First Claim
1. A method of managing multiple user access to a communication link comprising:
- receiving user transmissions on a contention-based channel of the communication link that supports a maximum number of simultaneous user transmissions, wherein each user transmission includes a unique signature sequence;
detecting contention overloads where more than the maximum number of users simultaneously transmit on the contention-based channel;
identifying the users involved in a contention overload based on the unique signature sequences received from those users; and
scheduling retransmissions for one or more of the identified users on a scheduled channel of the communication link.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
One or more embodiments taught herein provide a hybrid access arrangement using a contention-based channel and a scheduled channel on a communication link. As a point of significant efficiency, given users transmit autonomously on the contention-based channel, without need for scheduling overhead. However, if a contention overload occurs on the contention-based channel, the involved users are identified from unique signature sequences included in their user transmissions. The identified users are temporarily managed as scheduled users on the scheduled channel, which supplements the contention-based channel and therefore may use limited communication link resources in comparison to the contention-based channel. Users not involved in the contention overload generally continue operating on the contention-based channel.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method of managing multiple user access to a communication link comprising:
-
receiving user transmissions on a contention-based channel of the communication link that supports a maximum number of simultaneous user transmissions, wherein each user transmission includes a unique signature sequence; detecting contention overloads where more than the maximum number of users simultaneously transmit on the contention-based channel; identifying the users involved in a contention overload based on the unique signature sequences received from those users; and scheduling retransmissions for one or more of the identified users on a scheduled channel of the communication link. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A base station for use in a wireless communication network and configured to manage multiple user access to a communication link supported by the base station, said base station comprising:
-
receiver circuits to receive user transmissions on a contention-based channel of the communication link that supports a maximum number of simultaneous user transmissions, wherein each user transmission includes a unique signature sequence; and one or more processing circuits operatively associated with the receiver circuits and configured to detect contention overloads where more than the maximum number of users simultaneously transmit on the contention-based channel, identify the users involved in a contention overload based on the unique signature sequences received from those users, and schedule retransmissions for one or more of the identified users on a scheduled channel of the communication link. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method of managing multiple users sharing access to a communication link comprising:
-
defining a contention-based channel on the communication link; defining a scheduled channel on the communication link; receiving user transmissions on the contention-based channel from individual users transmitting autonomously on the contention-based channel, wherein each user transmission on the contention-based channel includes a unique signature sequence; detecting a contention overload on the contention-based channel where too many users simultaneously transmit on the contention-based channel; identifying the users involved in the contention overload based on successfully decoding the unique signature sequences received during the contention overload; and sending retransmission schedule information to the identified users to control scheduled retransmissions by the identified users on the scheduled channel.
-
Specification