Access method for broadband and narrowband networks
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for an end-user device to request access to a communications network, said method comprising the steps of:
- receiving at an empty buffer of said end-user device at least one information packet;
transmitting from said end-user device to a scheduler of said communication network a stand-alone data symbol to request permission to transmit said at least one information packet; and
in response to said end-user device receiving permission from said scheduler to transmit said at least one information packet, including a piggybacked data symbol in said at least one information packet being transmitted, said piggybacked data symbol communicating to said scheduler a request to transmit one or more information packets remaining in said buffer of said end-user device.
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Abstract
An access method allows an end-user device (mobile or stationary) a) to place stand-alone requests for access to a communications network for transmission thereto of one or more information packets arriving at an empty buffer of the end user-device, and b) to piggyback the requests with packet transmissions for subsequent information packets arriving at a non-empty buffer of the end-user device.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method for an end-user device to request access to a communications network, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving at an empty buffer of said end-user device at least one information packet; transmitting from said end-user device to a scheduler of said communication network a stand-alone data symbol to request permission to transmit said at least one information packet; and in response to said end-user device receiving permission from said scheduler to transmit said at least one information packet, including a piggybacked data symbol in said at least one information packet being transmitted, said piggybacked data symbol communicating to said scheduler a request to transmit one or more information packets remaining in said buffer of said end-user device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for a communications device to request access to a communications network to which a plurality of communications devices are connected, said method comprising the steps of:
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including in a data packet that is being transmitted by one of said communications devices to a processor controlling access to said communications network, a piggybacked data signal indicative of a request to transmit to said communications network one or more additional data packets that are stored in a storage area of said one of said communications devices; and when one or more data packets arrive at an empty storage area of said one of said communications devices, transmitting from said one of said communications devices to said communications network a stand-alone data signal in contention with similar data signals from one or more other communications devices similarly situated, said stand-alone data signal being transmitted to indicate a request to access said communications network for transmission of at least one of said one or more data packets. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A communications system comprising:
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a plurality of end-user devices that are connected to a communications network wherein at least one of said end-user devices a) avoids contending for access to a communications network by including a piggybacked data symbol in at least one information packet being transmitted to said communications network by said at least one of said end-user devices in order to signal a request to transmit one or more additional information packets that previously arrived at a non-empty storage area of said at least one of said end-user devices, and b) contends for access to said communications network by transmitting a stand-alone data symbol in order to request access to said communications network for one or more information packets that newly arrive at an empty buffer of said at least one of said end-user devices; and a scheduler that receives said requests for access, and allocates access to said communications network based on priority codes associated with said end-user devices. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An apparatus for granting access to a shared communications network of a data transmission system, said apparatus comprising:
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a scheduler that allocates during a transmission period a communications path bandwidth to a selected one of a plurality of end-user devices, selection of said one of a plurality of end-user devices being based on factors which include access priority codes associated with each one of said end-user devices contending for access to said communications path; a controller that is included in said scheduler that receives from at least one of said end-user devices requests for access to said communications path, said requests being in the form of at least one of a) a stand-alone data symbol that is transmitted by said at least one of said end-user devices when one or more information packets arrive at empty buffers of said at least one of said end-user devices, and b) a piggybacked data symbol that is included in one or more information packets being transmitted by at least one of said end-user devices, said piggybacked data symbol being indicative of additional data streams buffered in said at least one of said end-user devices and waiting to be transmitted via said communications path. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A method for an end-user device to request access to a communications network, said method comprising:
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receiving from a scheduler of said communications network a signal indicative of permission for said end-user device to transmit to said communications network one or more information packets; and including a data symbol in said one or more information packets before transmitting said one or more information packets, said data symbol being included in said one or more information packets to indicate to said scheduler that said end-user device needs to transmit one or more additional information packets. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. A system to grant access to resources of a communications network, said system comprising:
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a scheduler that grants permission to a selected one of a plurality of end-user devices to transmit one or more information packets to said communications network; and a processor of said selected one of said end-user devices that includes a data symbol in said one or more information packets before transmitting said one or more information packets, said data symbol being included in said one or more information packets to indicate to said scheduler that said end-user device needs to transmit one or more additional information packets. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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Specification