Random access channel protocol
First Claim
1. A user element for facilitating random access communications comprising:
- a) receive circuitry;
b) transmit circuitry; and
c) control circuitry associated with the receive and transmit circuitry and configured to;
i) transmit a packet stored in a buffer to an access point during a time slot when a stack counter is a nominal value; and
ii) adjust the stack counter when feedback information received from the access point is indicative of the packet needing to be retransmitted, the feedback information sent to a plurality of user elements in a communication environment.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides an improved random access channel protocol, wherein different user elements may be associated with different priority levels. Based on relative priority, the user elements may have different probabilities for deciding when to retransmit a previously transmitted packet upon receiving information from an access point indicating that the packet needs to be retransmitted. A buffer is provided for storing a packet to transmit, and the buffer is associated with a stack counter, which is incremented or decremented to or from a nominal value to determine when to transmit or retransmit the packet stored in the buffer. Based on the relative priority, feedback information from the access point may cause the stack counter for a packet needing to be retransmitted to stay at the nominal value, wherein retransmission will occur at the next available time slot, or it may increase the stack counter by one or more levels.
10 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A user element for facilitating random access communications comprising:
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a) receive circuitry; b) transmit circuitry; and c) control circuitry associated with the receive and transmit circuitry and configured to; i) transmit a packet stored in a buffer to an access point during a time slot when a stack counter is a nominal value; and ii) adjust the stack counter when feedback information received from the access point is indicative of the packet needing to be retransmitted, the feedback information sent to a plurality of user elements in a communication environment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An access point for facilitating random access communications comprising:
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a) receive circuitry; b) transmit circuitry; and c) control circuitry associated with the receive and transmit circuitry and configured to; i) receive packets transmitted via at least one of a plurality of channels from a plurality of user elements during a time slot; ii) determine a number of successful channels in which packets were properly received during the time slot; iii) determine a number of unsuccessful channels in which packets were not properly received during the time slot; and iv) transmit a feedback message based on a relative number of successful channels in which packets were properly received to a relative number of unsuccessful channels in which packets were not properly received. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method for facilitating random access communications from a user element comprising:
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a) transmitting a packet stored in a buffer to an access point during a time slot when a stack counter is a nominal value; and b) adjusting the stack counter when feedback information received from the access point is indicative of the packet needing to be retransmitted, the feedback information sent to a plurality of user elements in a communication environment. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for facilitating random access communications from an access point comprising:
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a) receiving packets transmitted via at least one of a plurality of channels from a plurality of user elements during a time slot; b) determining a number of successful channels in which packets were properly received during the time slot; c) determining a number of unsuccessful channels in which packets were not properly received during the time slot; and d) transmitting a feedback message based on a relative number of successful channels in which packets were properly received to a relative number of unsuccessful channels in which packets were not properly received. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification