VARIABLE DOWNLINK-UPLINK BOUNDARY
First Claim
1. A method of operating an end node to communicate with a central node, the method comprising:
- wirelessly receiving, a beacon signal periodically-transmitted from the central node;
each beacon signal denoting the start of a single frame;
each frame being organized to include a downlink (DL) phase which precedes an uplink (UL) phase; and
a payload of the beacon signal including an offset which represents a starting time of the UL phase; and
generating a message;
selecting, unbeknownst to the central node, at least one UL logical-channel, respectively; and
wirelessly transmitting, during the UL phase, at least a portion of the message from the end node over the selected at least one UL logical-channel according to a slotted ALOHA technique.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of operating an end node to communicate with a central node, the method comprising: wirelessly receiving, a beacon signal periodically-transmitted from the central node; each beacon signal denoting the start of a single frame; each frame being organized to include a downlink (DL) phase which precedes an uplink (UL) phase; and a payload of the beacon signal including an offset which represents a starting time of the UL phase. The method further comprises: generating a message; selecting, unbeknownst to the central node, at least one UL logical-channel, respectively; and wirelessly transmitting, during the UL phase, at least a portion of the message from the end node over the selected at least one UL logical-channel according to a slotted ALOHA technique.
16 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of operating an end node to communicate with a central node, the method comprising:
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wirelessly receiving, a beacon signal periodically-transmitted from the central node; each beacon signal denoting the start of a single frame; each frame being organized to include a downlink (DL) phase which precedes an uplink (UL) phase; and a payload of the beacon signal including an offset which represents a starting time of the UL phase; and generating a message; selecting, unbeknownst to the central node, at least one UL logical-channel, respectively; and wirelessly transmitting, during the UL phase, at least a portion of the message from the end node over the selected at least one UL logical-channel according to a slotted ALOHA technique. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An end node configured to communicate with a central node, the end node comprising:
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a wireless unit configured to receive and transmit messages, respectively; a wireless interface configured to receive, via the wireless unit, a beacon signal periodically-transmitted from the central node; each beacon signal denoting the start of a single frame; each frame being organized to include a downlink (DL) phase which precedes an uplink (UL) phase; a payload of the beacon signal including an offset which represents a starting time of the UL phase; and a message generator configured to generate a message; an LC selector configured to select, unbeknownst to the central node, at least one UL logical-channel, respectively; the wireless interface being further configured to transmit, during the UL phase, at least a portion of the message over the selected at least one UL logical channel according to a slotted ALOHA technique. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of operating a central node to wirelessly communicate with an end node, the method comprising:
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generating periodically a beacon signal; each beacon signal denoting the start of a single frame; and each frame being organized to include a downlink (DL) phase which precedes an uplink (UL) phase; adaptively determining a duration of the DL phase and a start of the UL phase; configuring the beacon signal with a payload which includes; an offset indicating when the UL phase will begin; wirelessly transmitting periodically the beacon signal; awaiting a start of the UL phase based on the offset; and wirelessly listening, beginning at the UL phase-start, as follows; on each of M*N UL logical-channels resulting from a predefined first group of M physical-channels, respectively, and a predefined second group of N orthogonal spreading factors usable on each physical-channel, respectively; and for one or more messages transmitted from the end node, respectively, according to a slotted ALOHA technique; wherein M and N are non-zero, positive integers, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A central node configured to wirelessly communicate with an end node, the central node comprising:
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a wireless unit configured to at least receive and transmit messages, respectively; a beacon-signal generator configured to generate periodically a non-hopping beacon signal; each beacon signal denoting the start of a single frame; each frame being organized to include a downlink (DL) phase which precedes an uplink (UL) phase; a time-boundary unit configured to adaptively determine a duration of the DL phase and a start of the UL phase; the beacon-signal generator being further configured to include, in a payload of the beacon signal, an offset indicating when the UL phase will begin; a wireless interface configured to transmit periodically, via the wireless unit, the beacon signal; a timer configured to elapse a delay time based on the offset and thereby then indicate a start of the UL phase; the wireless interface being further configured to listen, via the wireless unit and beginning at the UL phase-start, as follows; on each of M*N UL logical-channels resulting from a predefined first group of M physical-channels, respectively, and a predefined second group of N orthogonal spreading factors usable on each physical-channel, respectively; and for one or more messages transmitted from the end node, respectively, according to a slotted ALOHA technique; wherein M and N are non-zero, positive integers, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification