Media access control and distributed data processing using mediation devices in an asynchronous network
First Claim
1. A method of facilitating communications between one or more of a plurality of communication devices of an asynchronous network, comprising:
- determining a first communication schedule of a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices and a second communication schedule of one or more of the plurality of communication devices;
a mediation device of the asynchronous network establishing a common synchronization schedule from the first and second communication schedules, further comprising;
the mediation device transmitting a synchronization message to the plurality of communication devices when the mediation device knows the plurality of communication devices will be able to receive the synchronization message; and
the mediation device transmitting the common synchronization schedule to the plurality of communication devices in accordance with the synchronization message,wherein the common synchronization schedule provides information needed by the first and second communication devices to be available to receive messages sent to them via the mediation device; and
upon receiving a communication request from the first communication device, the mediation device initiating transmittal of and transmitting a message received from the first communication device of the plurality of communication devices to the one or more of the plurality of communication devices when the one or more of the plurality of communication devices are available to receive the message in accordance with the common synchronization schedule.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A low power consumption protocol for low power communication devices attached to an asynchronous network is described. In this protocol, one or more mediation devices (MDs) facilitate data processing capabilities in the network, whether in a dedicated MD or distributed MD network environment. These capabilities may be provided by the functions of packet caching, removal of replicated packets, and multiple communication types performed by the one or more MDs in accordance with a common synchronization schedule (2510) managed by the one or more MDs and communicated to other devices in the network (2530).
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method of facilitating communications between one or more of a plurality of communication devices of an asynchronous network, comprising:
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determining a first communication schedule of a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices and a second communication schedule of one or more of the plurality of communication devices; a mediation device of the asynchronous network establishing a common synchronization schedule from the first and second communication schedules, further comprising; the mediation device transmitting a synchronization message to the plurality of communication devices when the mediation device knows the plurality of communication devices will be able to receive the synchronization message; and the mediation device transmitting the common synchronization schedule to the plurality of communication devices in accordance with the synchronization message, wherein the common synchronization schedule provides information needed by the first and second communication devices to be available to receive messages sent to them via the mediation device; and upon receiving a communication request from the first communication device, the mediation device initiating transmittal of and transmitting a message received from the first communication device of the plurality of communication devices to the one or more of the plurality of communication devices when the one or more of the plurality of communication devices are available to receive the message in accordance with the common synchronization schedule. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An asynchronous communications network, comprising:
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a plurality of communication devices of the asynchronous communications network; a mediation device (MD) of the asynchronous communications network operable to facilitate communications between a first communication device and one or more communication devices of the plurality of communication devices; wherein the MD facilitates communications between the first communication device and the one or more communication devices in accordance with a common synchronization schedule managed by the MD and wherein the MD establishes the common synchronization schedule from a first communication schedule of the first communication device and a second communication schedule of the one or more communication devices, wherein to establish the common synchronization schedule the MD further; transmits a synchronization message to the plurality of communication devices when, the mediation device knows the plurality of communication devices will be able to receive the synchronization messages; and transmits the common synchronization schedule to the plurality of communication devices in accordance with the synchronization message, wherein the common synchronization, schedule provides information needed by the first and second communication devices to be available to receive messages sent to them via the mediation device; and wherein upon receipt of a communication request to transmit a message received from the first communication device, the MD initiates transmittal of and transmits the message to the one or more communication devices when the MD knows that the one or more communication devices are available to receive the message in accordance with the common synchronization schedule. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A first communication device of a plurality of communication devices operable to facilitate communications between the plurality of communication devices in an asynchronous network, comprising:
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a processing and control element that establishes and manages a common synchronization schedule based upon a communication schedule of one or more of the plurality of communication devices of the asynchronous network; a receiver, coupled to and controlled by the processing and control element, that receives a communication request to send a message to the one or more of the plurality of communication devices; and a transmitter, coupled to and controlled by the processing and control element, that in response to the receiver receiving the communication request initiating transmittal of and transmitting the message to the one or more communication devices in accordance with the common synchronization schedule, wherein the common synchronization schedule provides information needed by the first and second communication, devices to be available to receive messages sent to them via the mediation device, and wherein the common synchronization schedule is established by the processing and control element causing the transmitter to transmit a synchronization message to the plurality of communication devices when the first communication device knows the plurality of communication devices will be able to receive the synchronization message and causing the transmitter to transmit the common synchronization schedule to the plurality of communication devices in accordance with the synchronization message. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for facilitating communications between one or more of a plurality of communication devices of an asynchronous network, comprising:
- a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices transmitting a communication request to a mediation device to transmit a message to one or more of the one or more communication devices;
the mediation device receiving the communication request from the first communication device; and
the mediation device initiating transmittal of and transmitting the message to the one or more communication devices when the one or more communication devices are available to receive the message in accordance with a common synchronization schedule managed by the mediation device, wherein the common synchronization schedule provides formation needed, by the plurality of communication devices to be available to receive messages sent to them via the mediation device, wherein the common synchronous schedule is determined from a first communication schedule of the first communication device of the plurality of communication devices and a second communication schedule of the one or more communication devices and wherein establishing the common synchronization, schedule further comprises;the mediation device transmitting a synchronization message to the plurality of, communication devices when the, mediation device knows the plurality of communication devices will be able to receive the synchronization message; and the mediation device transmitting the common synchronization schedule to the plurality of communication devices in accordance with the synchronization message. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
- a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices transmitting a communication request to a mediation device to transmit a message to one or more of the one or more communication devices;
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38. Computer-readable media tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to facilitate communications between one or more of a plurality of communication devices of an asynchronous network, the method comprising:
- determining a first communication schedule of a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices and a second communication schedule of one or more of the plurality of communication devices;
a mediation device of the asynchronous network establishing a common synchronization schedule from the first and second communication schedules;
further comprising;the mediation device transmitting a synchronization message to the plurality of communication devices when the mediation device knows the plurality of communication devices will be able to receive the synchronization message, and the mediation device transmitting the common synchronization schedule to the plurality of communication devices in accordance, with the synchronization message, wherein the common synchronization schedule provides information needed by the first and second communication devices to be available to receive messages sent to them via the mediation device; and upon receiving a communication request from the first communication device, the mediation device initiating transmittal of and transmitting a message received from the first communication device of the plurality of communication devices to the one or more of the plurality of communication devices when the one or more of the plurality of communication devices are available to receive the message in accordance with the common synchronization schedule.
- determining a first communication schedule of a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices and a second communication schedule of one or more of the plurality of communication devices;
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39. Computer-readable media tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to facilitate communications between one or more of a plurality of communication devices of an asynchronous network, comprising:
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a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices transmitting a communication request to a mediation device to transmit a message to one or more of the one or more communication devices; the mediation device receiving the communication request from the first communication device; and the mediation device initiating transmittal of and transmitting the message to the one or more communication devices when the one or more communication devices are available to receive the message in accordance with a common synchronization schedule managed by the mediation device, wherein the common synchronous schedule provides information needed by the plurality of communication devices to be available to receive messages sent to them via the mediation device, wherein the common synchronous schedule is determined from a first communication schedule of the first communication device of the plurality of communication devices and a second communication schedule of the one or more communication devices and wherein establishing the common synchronization schedule further comprises; the mediation device transmitting a synchronization message to the plurality of communication devices when the mediation device knows the plurality of communication devices will be able to receive the synchronization message; and the mediation device transmitting the common synchronization schedule to the plurality of communication devices in accordance with the synchronization message.
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Specification