Multiple access telecommunication network

• US 5,917,813 A
• Filed: 10/23/1996
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V., US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van Driel, Carel J. L., Van Grinsven, Petrus A. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US08/735,633
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 370/321, 370/322, 370/337, 370/347, 370/348, 370/449, 370/442, 370/443, 370/431, 370/461, 370/522, 370/346, 370/447, 370/445, 370/462, 340/825.07, 340/825.08, 340/825.5
• US Class Current: 370/348
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1694 Allocation of channels in TDM/TDMA networks, e.g. distributed multiplexers Passive Optical Networks H04Q11/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• 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 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5615 Network termination, e.g. NT1, NT2, PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5616 Terminal equipment, e.g. codecs, synch.
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5632 Bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5634 In-call negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5672 Multiplexing, e.g. coding, scrambling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5676 Code Division Multiple Access [CDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/00 Selecting arrangements for multiplex systems multiplex systems H04J
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A multiple access telecommunication network wherein a primary station is coupled to a plurality of secondary stations by a shared transmission medium. Depending on traffic volume it is advantageous to be able to change the type of access protocol employed by the secondary stations in order to prevent deterioration of transmission efficiency. Accordingly, the access protocol is set by the primary station by transmitting to the secondary stations a channel indicator indicating where in an uplink frame a secondary station can submit its access request. The primary station may also specify the message key which a secondary station must use when transmitting an access request. Applicable to multimedia networks using CATV systems.

Claims

1. A multiple access telecommunication network comprising at least one primary station coupled via an at least partially common transmission medium to a plurality of secondary stations;

characterized in that;

the primary station comprises transmission means for transmitting an access channel indication and an indication of a form of an access request message to at least one of the secondary stations; and

each of said at least one secondary station comprises receiving means for receiving the access channel indication and the indication of the form of the access request message transmitted by the primary station, and access request means for transmitting an access request to the primary station on a channel corresponding to the received access channel indication, the access request having a form in accordance with the received indication of the form of the access request message.

2. A telecommunication network according to claim 1, wherein the access request means of a secondary station is adapted to modulate a signal representing an access request on a carrier burst, and the access channel indication indicates a starting instant and a duration of the carrier burst.

3. A telecommunication network according to claim 1, wherein the indication of the form of the access request message is in the form of a string of symbols representing an access message.

4. A telecommunication network according to claim 1, wherein the accede channel indication comprises a memory address of a channel key previously stored in a memory of said secondary station specifying a starting instant and a duration of an access request message.

5. A telecommunication network according to claim 1, wherein the indication of the form of the access request message comprises a memory address of a channel key previously stored in a memory of said secondary station specyfying an access request message.

6. A telecommunication network according to claim 1, wherein the access channel indication and the indication of the form of the access request message are represented by a single protocol indicator.

7. A telecommunication network according to claim 1, wherein the access channel indication comprises a group indication of channels for access requests, and the access request means of a secondary station is adapted to transmit an access request only in a channel indicated by the group indication.

8. A primary station for use in a multiple access telecommunication network which also includes a plurality of secondary stations which are coupled to the primary station via an at least partially common transmission medium;

said primary station comprising;

transmission means for transmitting an access channel indication and an indication of a form of an access request message to at least one of the secondary stations; and

receiving means for receiving from each of said at least one secondary station an access request signal via a channel indicated by said channel indication, the access request having a form in accordance with the indication of the form of the access request message as received by said at least one secondary station from the primary station.

9. A secondary station for use as at least one of a plurality of secondary stations in telecommunication network which also includes a primary station which is coupled to the secondary stations via an at least partially common transmission medium;

said at least one secondary station comprising;

receiving means for receiving an access channel indication and an indication of a form of an access request message from the primary station; and

access request means for transmitting to the primary station an access request to access said transmission medium for message transmission, said access request being transmitted on a channel corresponding to the received access channel indication, the access request having a form in accordance with the received indication of the form of the access request message.

10. A method of multiple access communication in telecommunication network comprising a primary station which is coupled to a plurality of secondary stations via an at least partially common transmission medium;

said method comprising;

transmission of an access channel indication and an indication of a form of an access request message from the primary station to at least one of the secondary stations;

reception of the access channel indication and the indication of the form of the access request message by each of said at least one secondary station; and

transmission by each of said at least one secondary station to the primary station of an access request to the primary station on a channel corresponding to the received access channel indication, the access request having a form in accordance with the received indication of the form of the access request message.