Slotted arbitration without time jitter in a table driven protocol

• US 5,343,474 A
• Filed: 03/31/1993
• Issued: 08/30/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Driscoll, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safourek, Benedict V.
• Application Number:
  US08/039,873
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 370/79, 370/80, 370/85.2, 370/85.3, 370/85.6, 370/85.7, 370/95.1, 370/85.3, 340/825.51
• US Class Current: 370/461
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4015 by scheduling the transmission of messages at the communication node
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4035 in which slots of a TDMA packet structure are assigned based on a contention resolution carried out at a master unit TDM/TDMA multiplex systems per se H04J3/1694; hybrid switching systems H04L12/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/407 with decentralised control

Abstract

A media access protocol provides a fixed frame length and limited arbitration among certain predetermined users by providing limited arbitration during certain fixed time slots of a table driven proportional access system. For the remaining fixed time slots, only one user per fixed time slot is allowed.

Claims

1. A method for allocating access to a communications bus among a plurality of users for repeatable time frames comprising the steps of:

dividing each of said time frames into a predetermined number of time slots, each of said times slots having a fixed, predetermined duration,

for designated ones of said predetermined time slots, assigning at least two of said users to each of said designated time slots,

assigning a priority to each of said at least two users, thereby creating prioritized users; and

allowing each of said prioritized users, in the order of priority, access to said communications bus only if a predetermined time has elapsed, and none of said prioritized users having a higher priority is transmitting.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

for each of said users not assigned to one of said designated time slots, allowing access to said communications bus during an assigned one of said time slots other than said designated time slots.