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Method and system for compensating signal propagation delay

  • US 6,741,614 B1
  • Filed: 03/29/2000
  • Issued: 05/25/2004
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of compensating for signal propagation delay in a data communications network comprising a central control node and one or more remote subscriber nodes, the method comprising the steps of:

  • a) designating a registration time slot per frame in which the remote subscriber nodes may each first transmit a first transmission;

    b) transmitting said first transmission from the remote subscriber nodes at the start of the registration time slot;

    c) measuring one or more respective time periods from the start of the registration time slot to the receipt at the central control node of each first transmission from each remote subscriber node, each time period corresponding to a respective propagation delay for transmission of signal from one of the remote subscriber nodes to the central control node, by setting a value in a countdown timer, said value corresponding to a minimum signal propagation delay, starting said countdown timer to count down from said value at the star of the registration time slot, and reading the value from said timer at the moment when each respective first transmission from the respective remote subscriber node is received at the central control node, wherein said read values are then directly indicated to the respective remote subscriber nodes as said time periods;

    d) indicating to each respective remote subscriber node the respective measured time period for that node, wherein each remote subscriber node then uses its respective measured time period to compensate for signal propagation delay when transmitting subsequent data traffic to the central control node; and

    e) using the respective signal propagation delays in each remote subscriber terminal to artificially simulate that each remote subscriber terminal is at the same distance from the central control node as every other remote subscriber terminal.

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