Broadcasting of packets in an RF system
First Claim
1. A radio frequency (RF) system wherein information is communicated by packets between a control module (22), connected to a packet network (28), and a plurality of user modules (20) connected to user devices (24), the control module comprising:
- multiple directional antennae each oriented to cover a different segment of a 360°
horizontal pattern, wherein only one of said antennae is active at a time;
control means (10), coupled to said multiple directional antennae, for determining whether to communicate a packet received from said packet network (28) as a broadcast packet to said user modules (20) and further for determining whether to communicate a packet received from a user module (20) as a broadcast packet to said user modules (20) and to said packet network (28) and further,for labeling each broadcast packet to be transmitted to said user modules with a predetermined code (M) in a header portion (50) of said broadcast packet, said header portion (50) generated by said control means (10); and
means (16) connected to said control means (10) for transmitting each broadcast packet on each one of said antennae, wherein only one of said antennae is active at a time.
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Abstract
An RF communication system contains a control module which communicates with a plurality of user modules that are each connected to at least one user device. The system provides a method for packet communications in which traditional destination addressed packets are communicated to the specified destination point or user module while also permitting information intended for a plurality of user modules to be broadcast simultaneously to all user modules using a broadcast protocol. The probability of each UM receiving the broadcast packet is enhanced by the transmission by the control module of each broadcast packet over at least several of its directional antennas and preferably repeated over each antenna a number of times. Packets of data which are longer than a predetermined number of bytes are broken into packet fragments.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A radio frequency (RF) system wherein information is communicated by packets between a control module (22), connected to a packet network (28), and a plurality of user modules (20) connected to user devices (24), the control module comprising:
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multiple directional antennae each oriented to cover a different segment of a 360°
horizontal pattern, wherein only one of said antennae is active at a time;control means (10), coupled to said multiple directional antennae, for determining whether to communicate a packet received from said packet network (28) as a broadcast packet to said user modules (20) and further for determining whether to communicate a packet received from a user module (20) as a broadcast packet to said user modules (20) and to said packet network (28) and further, for labeling each broadcast packet to be transmitted to said user modules with a predetermined code (M) in a header portion (50) of said broadcast packet, said header portion (50) generated by said control means (10); and means (16) connected to said control means (10) for transmitting each broadcast packet on each one of said antennae, wherein only one of said antennae is active at a time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 7, 8, 11)
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4. A method for selectively broadcasting packets (34) in a radio frequency (RF) system in which information is communicated by packets between a control module (22), connected to a packet network (28), and a plurality of user modules (20) connected to user devices (24), the control module (22) and the user modules (20) each including multiple directional antennae oriented to cover different segments of a 360°
- horizontal pattern, the method comprising the steps of;
the control moduledetermining whether to transmit a packet received from the packet network (28) as a broadcast packet to said user modules (20); and determining whether to transmit a packet received from a user module (20) as a broadcast packet to said user modules (20) and to the packet network (28). - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13)
- horizontal pattern, the method comprising the steps of;
Specification