Radio network communication system and protocol

• US 8,724,614 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clipsal Integrated Systems Pty Limited (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Clipsal Integrated Systems Pty Limited (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Quick, Ashleigh Glen, Terrace, Donald Murray
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZUNIGA ABAD, JACKIE
• Application Number:
  US12/578,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20100034188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,673 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 5/12 Biphase level code, e.g. split phase code, Manchester code; Biphase space or mark code, e.g. double frequency code
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0083 Formatting with frames or packets; Protocol or part of protocol for error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1664 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with payload signals; piggybacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/125 Arrangements for preventing errors in the return channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4904 using self-synchronising codes, e.g. split-phase codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/89 involving methods or arrangements for detection of transmission errors at the decoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/52 Systems for transmission of a pulse code modulated video signal with one or more other pulse code modulated signals, e.g. an audio signal or a synchronizing signal assembling of a multiplex stream by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, assembling of a packetised elementary stream at server side H04N21/236; disassembling of a multiplex stream, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, extraction or processing of Service Information, disassembling of packetised elementary stream at client side H04N21/434
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A communications system and protocol for a radio communications network including a number of transceiver devices. The protocol ensures that network variables to be shared by all devices are correctly received and updated by all devices. The protocol also provides for accurately detecting the transition from one time slot to another, in a given data transaction. The protocol utilizes a method of providing a marker in a data time frame for use such as marking the end of a variable slot in a data frame. The method includes encoding data into states, and then generating a marker that is an illegal combination of states in the encoding scheme.

Claims

1. A method of providing a reference marker within a data time frame for transmission by a transmitter in a wireless communication system to one or more receivers, the data time frame including at least one variable length time slot followed by a fixed length time slot, and the reference marker is located at the end of a variable length time slot in the data time frame and before the start of the fixed length time slot in the data time frame to act as a reference point indicating the end of the variable time slot within the data time frame, the method including:

encoding data bits within a data sequence to provide states for transmission in the data time frame;

generating a state combination that is an illegal combination at the end of the variable length time slot in the data time frame; and

recognizing the illegal combination as the reference marker in the data time frame indicating the end of the variable length time slot in the data time frame and the start of the fixed length time slot in the data time frame.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the encoding used is Manchester coding.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein a dc balance in the transmission is preserved.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein the illegal combination commences with a state pair of OFF, OFF, or ON, ON.