Method and system for providing access by secondary stations to a shared transmission medium

• US 5,596,577 A
• Filed: 05/02/1995
• Issued: 01/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Perreault, John A., Joshi, Abhay, Schroeder, Stephen, Lloyd, Lawrence W., Kabatepe, Mete
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US08/433,905
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 370/85.8, 370/95.2, 370/95.1, 370/95.3, 370/84, 370/85.7, 370/85.6, 340/825.08, 340/825.51, 340/825.06, 340/825.07, 455/53.1, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/34.1, 455/34.2
• US Class Current: 370/449
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40013 Details regarding a bus controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40163 by assigning priority to messages according to a message field
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling

Abstract

A method for providing access by secondary stations (12, 14, 16) to a shared transmission medium, maintains a list of secondary stations (12, 14, 16). A poll is transmitted poll by a primary station (10) to one of the secondary stations (12, 14, 16). The secondary station (12, 14, 16) waits for a poll, examines the transmission allocation, determines if there is congestion and transmits, along with the data in response to the poll, information regarding congestion. A system for providing such access includes a primary station (10) and a plurality of secondary stations (12, 14, 16). The primary station includes a polling controller (30), a receiver (32), a transmitter (34), a summer (36), a secondary station poll list database (38) and a data traffic controller (40).

Claims

1. A method for providing access by a secondary station, the secondary station being one of a plurality of secondary stations, to a shared transmission medium, the secondary station transmitting a quantity of data on the shared transmission medium, the access to the shared transmission medium being governed by a primary station, comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a list of the plurality of secondary stations, each of the plurality of secondary stations having a transmission allocation and a polling priority;

(b) transmitting a poll to the secondary station;

(c) waiting for a response from the secondary station;

(d) determining from the response if the secondary station is congested;

(e) if the secondary station is congested

(e)(1) increasing the transmission allocation for the secondary station;

(e)(2) changing the polling priority of the secondary station;

(f) if the secondary station is not congested

(f)(1) optimizing a future transmission by the secondary station based upon the quantity of data sent by the secondary station;

(g) waiting for said poll;

(h) examining the transmission allocation;

(i) determining if there is congestion at the secondary station;

(j) if there is congestion at the secondary station, transmitting to the primary station said response indicating that there is congestion; and

(k) transmitting data in response to the poll.

2. A method for providing access by a secondary station, the secondary station being one of a plurality of secondary stations, to a shared transmission medium comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a list of the plurality of secondary stations, the secondary station having a transmission allocation and a polling priority;

(b) transmitting a poll to the secondary station;

(c) waiting for a response from the secondary station;

(d) determining from the response if the secondary station is congested; and

(e) if the secondary station is congested

(e)(1) increasing the transmission allocation for the secondary station.

3. The method of claim 2 including the step after (e)(1), if the secondary station is congested, of

(e)(2) changing the polling priority of the secondary station.

4. The method of claim 3 including the step after (e)(2):

(f) if the secondary station is not congested (1) optimizing a transmission of the secondary station.

5. A method for providing access by a secondary station, the secondary station being one of a plurality of secondary stations, to a shared transmission medium, the access to the shared transmission medium being governed by a primary station, comprising the steps of:

(a) at the primary station, maintaining a list of the plurality of secondary stations, each of plurality of secondary stations having a transmission allocation and a polling priority;

(b) at the primary station, transmitting a poll to the secondary station;

(c) at the primary station, waiting for a response from the secondary station;

(d) at the primary station, determining from the response if the secondary station is congested; and

(e) at the primary station, if the secondary station is congested;

(e)(1) increasing the transmission allocation for the secondary station.

6. The method of claim 5 including the steps:

(g) at the secondary station waiting for said poll;

(h) at the secondary station, examining the transmission allocation;

(i) at the secondary station, determining if there is congestion at the secondary station;

(j) at the secondary station, if there is congestion at the secondary station, transmitting to the primary station said response indicating that there is congestion; and

(k) at the secondary station, transmitting data in response to the poll.

7. The method of claim 6, including the step of:

(e)(2) if the secondary station is congested, changing the polling priority of the secondary station.

8. The method of claim 7 including the step of:

(f) if the secondary station is not congested optimizing a transmission of data from the secondary station.