Assignment modes for a shared communication medium
First Claim
1. A method for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:
- (a) sending a symbol-level request for assignment of a scheduled transmission segment for a data transmission, the symbol-level request sent from a first node in the plurality of nodes, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the symbol-level request sent in a request segment that is one of the plurality of request segments;
(b) at the first node, making the assignment associating the symbol-level request with the scheduled transmission segment selected from the plurality of scheduled transmission segments, the assignment made locally at the first node in response to the symbol-level request and one or more other symbol-level requests detected at the first node, the one or more other symbol-level requests sent from one or more nodes in the plurality of nodes, the assignment taking into account location of the symbol-level request within the request signal space; and
(c) from the first node, sending the data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the symbol-level request in accordance with the assignment,wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a mixture of nodes operating under different assignment modes, the mixture of nodes comprising;
a node operating under a first assignment mode, wherein the node obtains an assignment made remotely at another node in response to one or more symbol-level requests received at the other node;
a node operating under a second assignment mode, wherein the node makes an assignment locally in response to one or more symbol-level requests detected at the node operating under the second assignment mode, without taking into account information communicated from the other node; and
a node operating under a third assignment mode, wherein the node makes an assignment locally in response to one or more symbol-level requests detected at the node operating under the third assignment mode, taking into account information communicated from the other node.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include (i) a request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space and (ii) a scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, the assignment taking into account location of the request within the request signal space, and (c) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request in accordance with the assignment.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A method for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:
-
(a) sending a symbol-level request for assignment of a scheduled transmission segment for a data transmission, the symbol-level request sent from a first node in the plurality of nodes, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the symbol-level request sent in a request segment that is one of the plurality of request segments; (b) at the first node, making the assignment associating the symbol-level request with the scheduled transmission segment selected from the plurality of scheduled transmission segments, the assignment made locally at the first node in response to the symbol-level request and one or more other symbol-level requests detected at the first node, the one or more other symbol-level requests sent from one or more nodes in the plurality of nodes, the assignment taking into account location of the symbol-level request within the request signal space; and (c) from the first node, sending the data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the symbol-level request in accordance with the assignment, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a mixture of nodes operating under different assignment modes, the mixture of nodes comprising; a node operating under a first assignment mode, wherein the node obtains an assignment made remotely at another node in response to one or more symbol-level requests received at the other node; a node operating under a second assignment mode, wherein the node makes an assignment locally in response to one or more symbol-level requests detected at the node operating under the second assignment mode, without taking into account information communicated from the other node; and a node operating under a third assignment mode, wherein the node makes an assignment locally in response to one or more symbol-level requests detected at the node operating under the third assignment mode, taking into account information communicated from the other node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. An apparatus for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, comprising:
-
(a) a first node configured to send a symbol-level request for assignment of a scheduled transmission segment for a data transmission, the symbol-level request sent over the shared communication medium, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the first node configured to send the symbol-level request in a request segment that is one of the plurality of request segments; (b) wherein the first node is configured to make the assignment associating the symbol-level request with the scheduled transmission segment selected from the plurality of scheduled transmission segments, the assignment made locally at the first node in response to the symbol-level request and one or more other symbol-level requests detected at the first node, the one or more other symbol-level requests sent from one or more nodes in the plurality of nodes, the assignment taking into account location of the symbol-level request within the request signal space; and (c) wherein the first node is configured to send the data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the symbol-level request in accordance with the assignment, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a mixture of nodes operating under different assignment modes, the mixture of nodes comprising; a node operating under a first assignment mode, wherein the node obtains an assignment made remotely at another node in response to one or more symbol-level requests received at the other node; a node operating under a second assignment mode, wherein the node makes an assignment locally in response to one or more symbol-level requests detected at the node operating under the second assignment mode, without taking into account information communicated from the other node; and a node operating under a third assignment mode, wherein the node makes an assignment locally in response to one or more symbol-level requests detected at the node operating under the third assignment mode, taking into account information communicated from the other node. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
Specification