Medium access control (MAC) protocol with seamless polling/contention modes

• US 7,024,469 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2000
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Liang, Jenwei, Chang, Chih-Yuan, Smith, Francis James, Chang, Yee-Hsiang, Yang, Huei-ming Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, KENNY S
• Application Number:
  US09/649,474
• Time in Patent Office: 2,045 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310.2, 370/213, 370/433, 370/395.6, 370/310.1, 370/395.64, 370/392, 370/395.52, 370/347, 370/447, 370/431, 710/46, 711/218, 340/3.51, 709/220, 709/248
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5607 Radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5679 Arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0421 Circuit arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/00 Network data management

Abstract

A high speed wireless network for the access market where a polling mode, a contention mode, a seamless transition between the two modes and an efficient contention resolution algorithm are utilized to coordinate user transmission while utilizing a splitting tree algorithm to avoid collision of a number of users.

Claims

1. A method of coordinating slotted multiple access in a wireless network channel shared by a plurality of users comprising the steps of:

a. assigning each of a plurality of users into a subgroup, thereby forming one or more subgroups of users, wherein each subgroup utilizes a contention mode;

b. utilizing a polling mode to provide each subgroup a transmission opportunity; and

c. utilizing a seamless transition between the polling and contention modes such that when a specific subgroup is provided a transmission opportunity and a collision occurs between user signals within the specific subgroup, the specific subgroup is split into smaller subgroups, each smaller subgroup including a portion of the users within the specific subgroup and each smaller subgroup utilizes a contention mode.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning each of the plurality of users a distinct address from an address pool.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the address pool contains 2^k addresses, the maximum number of users within one channel.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising dynamically splitting the address pool into 2^x subgroups.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising transmitting only the users belonging to the specific subgroup at any transmission opportunity.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising starting of a multiple access cycle where x could be any number from 0 to k.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the contention mode occurs for each of the plurality of users when x=0 and only one subgroup exists allowing every user to transmit.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the polling mode occurs for each of the plurality of users when x=k and there are 2^k subgroups containing only one user.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the seamless transition between the polling mode and the contention mode occurs by changing the x parameter.

10. Method of claim 1 further comprising applying a contention resolution algorithm when a collision between two user signals occurs.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein when the collision occurs between two user signals, a subgroup x will be split into two smaller subgroups (x=x+1), both smaller subgroups containing half the number of users in the subgroup x.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein when another collision between two user signals occurs within one of the smaller subgroups, the one smaller subgroup will again split.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein when collisions no longer occur in any subgroup, a multiple access cycle ends and a new cycle begins.

14. An apparatus for coordinating slotted multiple access in a wireless network channel shared by a plurality of users comprising:

a. means for assigning each one of a plurality of users into a subgroup, thereby forming one or more subgroups of users;

b. means for implementing a polling mode to provide each subgroup a transmission opportunity;

c. means for implementing a contention mode within each subgroup; and

d. means for providing a seamless transition between the polling and contention modes such that when a specific subgroup is provided a transmission opportunity and a collision occurs between user signals within the specific subgroup, the specific subgroup is split into smaller subgroups, each smaller subgroup including a portion of the users within the specific subgroup and each smaller subgroup utilizes a contention mode.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further including means for assigning each of the plurality of users a distinct address from an address pool.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the address pool contains 2^k addresses, the maximum number of users within one channel.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 further including means for dynamically splitting the address pool into 2^x subgroups.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further including means for transmitting only the users belonging to the specific subgroup at any transmission opportunity.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further including means for starting of a multiple access cycle where x could be any number from 0 to k.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the contention mode occurs for each of the plurality of users when x=0 and only one subgroup exists allowing every user to transmit.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the polling mode occurs for each of the plurality of users when x=k and there are 2^k subgroups containing only one user.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the seamless transition between the polling mode and the contention mode occurs by changing the x parameter.

23. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising applying a contention resolution algorithm when a collision between two user signals occurs.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein when the collision occurs between two user signals, a subgroup x will be split into two smaller subgroups (x=x+1), both smaller subgroups containing half the number of users in the subgroup x.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein when another collision between two user signals occurs within one of the smaller subgroups, the one smaller subgroup will again split.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein when collisions no longer occur in any subgroup, a multiple access cycle ends and a new cycle begins.

27. An apparatus for coordinating slotted multiple access in a wireless network channel shared by a plurality of users comprising:

a. an ATM cube for operating a high speed wireless network consisting of a plurality of horizontal and vertical management layers;

b. a hub for transmitting and receiving wireless network signals such that the hub may receive requests and assign portions of a communication bandwidth; and

c. a plurality of end user nodes for transmitting and receiving wireless network signals such that a plurality of users may request or be granted a portion of the communication bandwidth,

wherein the hub assigns each one of the plurality of users into a subgroup that utilizes a contention mode, and when a specific subgroup is provided a transmission opportunity according to a polling mode and a collision occurs between user signals within the specific subgroup, the hub splits the specific subgroup into smaller subgroups, each smaller subgroup including a portion of the users within the specific subgroup and each smaller subgroup utilizes a contention mode.

28. Apparatus of claim 27 wherein the hub assigns each of the plurality of users a distinct address from an address pool.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the address pool contains 2^k addresses, the maximum number of users within one channel.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the address pool may be dynamically split into 2^x subgroups.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein at any transmission opportunity only the users belonging to the specific subgroup transmit.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the hub starts a multiple access cycle where x could be any number from 0 to k.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the contention mode occurs for each of the plurality of users when x=0 and only one subgroup exists allowing every user to transmit.

34. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the polling mode occurs for each of the plurality of users when x=k and there are 2^k subgroups containing only one user.

35. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein a seamless transition between the polling mode and the contention mode occurs by changing the x parameter.

36. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the hub implements a contention resolution algorithm when a collision between two user signals occurs.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein when the collision occurs between two user signals, a subgroup x will be split into two smaller subgroups (x=x+1), both smaller subgroups containing half the number of users in the subgroup x.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein when another collision between two user signals occurs within one of the smaller subgroups, the one smaller subgroup will again split.

39. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein when collisions no longer occur in any subgroup, a multiple access cycle ends and a new cycle begins.