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Reservation/retry media access control

  • US 7,027,461 B1
  • Filed: 07/20/2000
  • Issued: 04/11/2006
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of providing medium access control over an upstream channel in a communication network system serving a plurality of system users, having an upstream channel for carrying upstream messages from at least a subset of the plurality of system users to a communication server and a downstream channel connecting said communication server to said system users of said subset, the method comprising:

  • classifying upstream user messages as a type-one or a type-two message based on a predetermined factor wherein a copy of type-one messages will be distributed from a user of the subset of users to all users in said subset of users;

    for each type-two message, defining a type-one message, as a reserve request, directed to all other users in the subset of users to reserve upstream channel usage to the sending user for sending a type-two message;

    said users selectively buffering said messages such that type-one messages are buffered if a reserve message has been received and type-two message are buffered until after its associated type-one message is sent and received by the other users wherein said users buffer said messages for a backoff time;

    calculating the backoff time, each time said user completes an upstream transmission or receives a reserve request from another user of said subset, where said calculation is based on a plurality of factors including the message round-trip propagation time, the size of last upstream message sent by said user, and the total number of current on-line users of said subset tracked by said communication system, andtracking the total number of current on-line users of said subset wherein tracking said total number of current on-line users of said subset comprises;

    periodically sending a first special message containing said total number of current on-line users of said subset by the last log-in system user into said subset;

    monitoring said first special message for a predetermined period of time when a new system user first logs into said subset;

    said new system user which has received said first special message starting to send periodically a second special message having said total number of current on-line users of said subset incrementing by one;

    stopping sending said first special message by said last log-in system user once it has received said second special message from said new system user, said new system user becoming said last log-in system user of said subset;

    sending a third special message into said system by a system user ready to log-out of said subset;

    said last log-in system user which has received said third special message decrementing said total number of current on-line users of said subset by one; and

    resetting and recounting said total number of current on-line users of said subset if needed.

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