Methods of adaptive channel access attempts

• US 5,636,223 A
• Filed: 06/27/1995
• Issued: 06/03/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reardon, Karl A., Fraser, Bud
• Primary Examiner(s): Safourek, Benedict V.
• Application Number:
  US08/495,276
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 370/85.3, 370/85.6, 370/85.7, 370/85.8, 370/95.1, 370/95.2, 370/431, 370/433, 370/442, 370/443, 370/444, 370/445, 370/447, 370/448, 370/458, 370/459, 370/461 , 370/462, 340/825.51, 340/455, 455/34.2, 455/58.1
• US Class Current: 370/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4015 by scheduling the transmission of messages at the communication node
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0875 with assigned priorities based access

Abstract

In a data communication system (100) including infrastructure (101) arranged to communicate with a plurality of terminals (103) over a channel (109), a method of adaptable channel access practiced at a terminal (103) including determining an access priority value (303), responsive thereto ascertaining when the channel is available (305), and then executing a channel access attempt (307). The access priority value is determined with information received by the terminal or information available to the terminal.

Claims

1. In a data communication system including infrastructure arranged to communicate with a plurality of terminals over a channel, a method of adaptable channel access practiced at a terminal comprising the steps of:

determining an access priority value;

ascertaining a random time, responsive to said access priority value;

testing whether said channel is available;

if said channel is not available, waiting for said random time to expire and repeating said step of testing; and

executing, responsive to said step of testing, a channel access attempt when said channel is available.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining an access priority value further includes the steps of:

receiving a message to provide access information, and

deriving, responsive to said access information, said access priority value.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of receiving a message further provides said access information corresponding to a number of terminals registered for service.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of receiving a message further provides said access information corresponding to a channel loading factor.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of receiving a message further provides said access information corresponding to a system management parameter.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of receiving a message further provides said system management parameter corresponding to a channel priority threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining an access priority value further includes a step of deriving said access priority value in accordance with a number of channel access attempts.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining an access priority value further includes a step of deriving said access priority value in accordance with a terminal priority.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining an access priority value further includes a step of deriving said access priority value in accordance with a change in channel priority threshold.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining an access priority value further includes a step of deriving said access priority value in accordance with a user selected priority access level.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of ascertaining further includes a step of receiving an indicator corresponding to the channel availability.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of ascertaining when said channel is available further includes;

a step of checking to see if said channel is busy;

if so waiting a random time that corresponds to said access priority value; and

then rechecking whether said channel is busy.