Voice data integrated multiaccess by self-reservation and contention algorithm

• US 7,664,068 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ho, Jin-Meng
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US12/171,332
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 370/447, 370/442, 370/443, 370/348, 370/337, 370/321, 370/322, 455/450, 455/455, 455/464, 455/509, 455/511, 455/515, 455/516, 455/154.1, 455/158.1
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments provide a method for providing multiple access to a communication channel, the method comprising: sending a reservation request of a first type into a first selected minislot of a selected frame of an uplink channel when information of a first type is to be sent, the uplink channel having a plurality of frames, each frame having a first selectable number of minislots and a second selectable number of slots, the reservation request of the first type requesting an assignment of at least one slot for transmitting information of the first type in at least one frame that is subsequent to the selected frame.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

responsive to a received reservation request of a first type contained in a first selected minislot of a selected frame of a plurality of frames when the first selected minislot is available in the selected frame in an uplink channel and when information of the first type is ready to be sent, broadcasting a feedback message in a downlink channel before an end of the selected frame, each frame of the plurality of frames comprising a selectable number of minislots and a selectable number of slots, the feedback message containing minislot assignment information adapted to cause reservation requests of the first type and a second type to be sent, slot assignment information adapted to cause a transmission of information of the first type and the second type, minislot contention information for the reservation request of the first type received in the selected frame, allocation time information for the reservation request of the first type to be initiated in a frame after the selected frame on behalf of the information of the first type, the reservation request of the first type requesting an assignment of at least one slot for transmitting information of the first type in at least one frame that is subsequent to the selected frame, the reservation request of the first type contending for the first selected minislot based on a contention algorithm, at least one second slot assigned in response to the reservation request of the second type, the reservation request of the second type contained in a second selected minislot of the selected frame of the uplink channel received when information of the second type is ready to be sent, the reservation request of the second type requesting an assignment of at least one slot for transmitting information of the second type in at least one frame that is subsequent to the selected frame.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the feedback message comprises slot assignment information for at least one frame following the selected frame.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the minislot contention information comprises information relating to a successful receipt of the reservation request of the first type.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the minislot contention information comprises information relating to a collision of the reservation requests of the first type.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the information of the second type is a talkspurt of a voice message.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the information of the first type is a data message.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information of the second type in the uplink channel in a slot in a frame that is subsequent to the selected frame that was assigned in response to the reservation request of the first type.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the selectable number of minislots and the selectable number of slots are predetermined.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the selectable number of minislots and the selectable number of slots are adjustable.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one slot assigned for transmitting information of the second type is assigned based on a contention-free reservation mechanism.

11. A method comprising:

responsive to a sent reservation request of a first type into a first selected minislot of a selected frame of an uplink channel when the first selected minislot is available in the selected frame and when information of the first type is to be sent, receiving a feedback message from a downlink channel, the feedback message containing minislot assignment information adapted to cause reservation requests of the first type and a second type to be sent, the uplink channel having a plurality of frames, each frame of the plurality of frames having a selectable number of minislots and a selectable number of slots, the reservation request of the first type requesting an assignment of at least one slot adapted to transmit information of the first type in at least one frame that is subsequent to the selected frame, the reservation request of the first type contending for the first selected minislot based on a contention algorithm, slot assignment information adapted to transmit information of the first and the second type, minislot contention information for the reservation requests of the first type sent in the selected frame, and allocation time information for the reservation request of the first type to be initiated in a frame after the selected frame on behalf of the information of the first type, the feedback message being received prior to an end of the selected frame of the uplink channel, a reservation request of the second type sent into a second selected minislot of the selected frame of the uplink channel when information of the second type is to be sent, the reservation request of the second type requesting an assignment of at least one slot for transmitting information of the second type in at least one frame that is subsequent to the selected frame.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the reservation request of the first type is sent into the first selected minislot, each first selected minislot being selected by a central station for a contention subgroup of terminals identified by a level in a virtual stack from a plurality of minislots available for sending the reservation requests of the first type that have experienced a collision not yet resolved.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the reservation request of the first type is sent into the first selected minislot, each first selected minislot being selected independently and at random with equal probability from a plurality of minislots available for sending new reservation requests of the first type on behalf of the information of the first type arriving between an old allocation time and a new allocation time.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the feedback message comprises slot assignment information for at least one frame following the selected frame.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the feedback message comprises information relating to a number of minislots available in a frame after the selected frame for sending reservation request of the first type, and information relating to a new allocation time for reservation requests of the first type to be initiated in a frame after the selected frame on behalf of information of the first type.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the minislot contention information comprises information relating to a successful sending of the reservation request of the first type.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the minislot contention information comprises information relating to a collision of the reservation request of the first type.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

a step of adjusting a virtual stack level value identifying a contention subgroup of terminals sending the reservation request of the first type based on the minislot contention information.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the information of the second type is a talkspurt of a voice message.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the information of the first type is a data message.

21. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the information of the second type is transmitted in the uplink channel in a slot in a frame that is subsequent to the selected frame that is assigned in response to the reservation request of the second type.

22. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the selectable number of minislots and the selectable number of slots are each predetermined.

23. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the selectable number of minislots and selectable number of slots are each adjustable.

24. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the at least one slot assigned for transmitting information of the second type is assigned based on a contention-free reservation mechanism.