Efficient time-division multiplexed addressing protocol
First Claim
1. A method for communicating within a system including a master unit and one or more slave units, said method comprising the steps of:
- assigning a member address of a Bluetooth protocol to a first slave unit, said member address corresponding to a selected time slot of a plurality of time slots defined by a system clock, said time slots repeating in cycles;
assigning to said first slave unit a first extended address associated with an occurrence of said selected time slot within at least a selected one of said cycles;
transmitting information from said first slave unit to said master unit during said occurrence of said selected time slot;
assigning to a second slave unit said member address and a second extended address associated with a different occurrence of said selected time slot within one or more of said cycles, said second slave unit being disposed to transmit information during said different occurrence of said selected time slot; and
determining whether less than a maximum permitted number of said slave units have been assigned to said member address, said maximum permitted number of slave units being determined by performing a division operation in which a bandwidth associated with said member address is divided by a bandwidth allocated to said first slave unit, said maximum permitted number of slave units being no greater than a quotient of said division operation.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for communicating within a system including a master unit and one or more slave units is disclosed herein. A member address, corresponding to a selected time slot of a plurality of time slots defined by a system clock configured to repeat in cycles, is assigned to a first slave unit. The first slave unit is also assigned a first extended address associated with an occurrence of the designated time slot within at least a selected one of the cycles. After being polled by the master unit during an immediately preceding time slot, the first slave unit transmits information thereto during the designated selected time slot within the selected cycle. A second slave unit may also be assigned the member address and a second extended address associated with a different occurrence of the selected time slot within one or more of the cycles. The second slave unit is disposed to transmit information during such different occurrence of the selected time slot.
51 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for communicating within a system including a master unit and one or more slave units, said method comprising the steps of:
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assigning a member address of a Bluetooth protocol to a first slave unit, said member address corresponding to a selected time slot of a plurality of time slots defined by a system clock, said time slots repeating in cycles; assigning to said first slave unit a first extended address associated with an occurrence of said selected time slot within at least a selected one of said cycles; transmitting information from said first slave unit to said master unit during said occurrence of said selected time slot; assigning to a second slave unit said member address and a second extended address associated with a different occurrence of said selected time slot within one or more of said cycles, said second slave unit being disposed to transmit information during said different occurrence of said selected time slot; and determining whether less than a maximum permitted number of said slave units have been assigned to said member address, said maximum permitted number of slave units being determined by performing a division operation in which a bandwidth associated with said member address is divided by a bandwidth allocated to said first slave unit, said maximum permitted number of slave units being no greater than a quotient of said division operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for communicating within a system including a master unit and one or more slave units, said method comprising the steps of:
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assigning a member address of a Bluetooth protocol to a first slave unit, said member address corresponding to a selected time slot of a plurality of time slots defined by a system clock, said time slots repeating in cycles; assigning to said first slave unit a first extended address associated with an occurrence of said selected time slot within at least a selected one of said cycles; and transmitting information from said first slave unit to said master unit during said occurrence of said selected time slot, wherein said step of assigning a member address includes the step of determining whether a bandwidth associated with extended addresses corresponding to said member address is no less than a desired bandwidth of said first slave unit.
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13. A communication system in which a sequence of time slots repeats in cycles, said communication system comprising:
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a first slave unit; and a master unit, said master unit including; means for assigning a member address of a Bluetooth protocol to said first slave unit, said member address corresponding to a selected one of said sequence of time slot; means for assigning to said first slave unit a first extended address associated with an occurrence of said selected one of said sequence of time slots within one or more of said cycles, said first slave unit being disposed to transmit information during said occurrence of said selected one of said sequence of time slots, wherein said means for assigning a member address comprises means for determining whether a bandwidth associated with extended addresses corresponding to said member address is no less than a desired bandwidth of said first slave unit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. In a communication system in which a master unit communicates with one or more slave units during a sequence of time slots repeating in cycles, said master unit comprising:
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means for polling a first slave unit; means for assigning a member address of a Bluetooth protocol to said first slave unit, said member address corresponding to a selected one of said sequence of time slots; and means For assigning to said first slave unit a first extended address associated with an occurrence of said selected one of said sequence of time slots within one or more of said cycles, said first slave unit being disposed to transmit information during said occurrence of said selected one of said sequence of time slots, wherein said means for assigning a member address comprises means for determining whether a bandwidth associated with extended addresses corresponding to said member address is no less than a desired bandwidth of said first slave unit. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification