Method, network nodes and system for broadcast transmission of data

• US 8,737,366 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Schwingenschlogl, Christian, Hollick, Matthias, Mogre, Parag Sudhir, Ziller, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): ABELSON, RONALD B
• Application Number:
  US13/362,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20120155365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for transmission of data requires a transmitting node sending a request message identifying at least one time slot that is available for the transmitting node to transmit a data transmission to a plurality of receiving nodes, a first receiving node transmitting a first time slot grant message in response to the request message, a second receiving node transmitting a second time slot grant message in response to the request message, the transmitting node receiving the first and second time slot grant messages, the transmitting node evaluating the first and second time slot grant messages to determine at least one available time slot for transmitting, the transmitting node transmitting at least one confirmation message to the first and second receiving nodes, and the transmitting node transmitting the data transmission in the at least one available time slot identified in the at least one confirmation message.

Claims

1. A method for transmission of data comprising:

a transmitting node sending a request message to a plurality of receiving nodes, the request message identifying at least one time slot that is available for the transmitting node to transmit a data transmission;

a first receiving node of the plurality of receiving nodes transmitting a first time slot grant message in response to the request message, the first time slot grant message indicating at least one first time slot that is available for the first receiving node to receive the data transmission from the transmitting node, the at least one first time slot matching at least one time slot identified in the request message;

a second receiving node of the plurality of receiving nodes transmitting a second time slot grant message in response to the request message, the second time slot grant message indicating at least one second time slot that is available for the second receiving node to receive the data transmission from the transmitting node, the at least one second time slot matching at least one time slot identified in the request message;

the transmitting node receiving the first and second time slot grant messages;

the transmitting node evaluating the first and second time slot grant messages to determine at least one available time slot for transmitting the data transmission to the first and second receiving nodes;

the transmitting node transmitting at least one confirmation message to the first and second receiving nodes in response to the first and second received time slot grant messages, the at least one confirmation message confirming the at least one available time slot that is to be used for transmitting the data transmission from the transmitting node;

the transmitting node transmitting the data transmission in the at least one available time slot identified in the at least one confirmation message to the first and second receiving nodes; and

wherein the request message comprises a demand level and a demand persistence.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting node evaluating the first and second time slot grant messages to determine the at least one available time slot for transmitting the data transmission comprising:

the transmitting node comparing the at least one first time slot and the at least one second time slot to identify a single time slot of the at least one first time slot that matches with a time slot of the at least one second time slot, the single time slot being found in both the at least one first time slot grant message and the at least one second time slot grant message; and

wherein the at least one confirmation message to the first and second receiving nodes identifies the single time slot that is in both the at least one first time slot grant message and the at least one second time slot grant message.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a third receiving node of the plurality of receiving nodes transmitting a third time slot grant message in response to the request message, the third time slot grant message indicating at least one third time slot that is available for the third receiving node to receive the data transmission from the transmitting node, the at least one third time slot matching at least one time slot in the request message and not matching any time slot of the first time slot grant message and not matching any time slot of the second time slot grant message;

the transmitting node receiving the third time slot grant message;

the transmitting node evaluating the at least one third time slot identified in the third time slot grant message to determine whether the at least one third time slot matches any time slot of the at least one first time slot;

the transmitting node evaluating the at least one third time slot to determine whether the at least one third time slot matches any time slot of the at least one second time slot;

the transmitting node determining another time slot for sending the data transmission to the third receiving node that differs from a time slot at which the transmitting node is to transmit the data transmission to the first and second receiving nodes;

the transmitting node transmitting the data transmission to the third receiving node in the other time slot after completing the transmission in the at least one available time slot.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting node transmitting the data transmission in the at least one available time slot comprises the transmitting node transmitting the data transmission to the first receiving node in one of the at least one first time slot identified in the first time slot grant message and after the data transmission to the first receiving node is complete, transmitting the data transmission in one of the at least one second time slot identified in the second time slot grant message, wherein the one of the at least one first time slot differs from the one of the at least one second time slot.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of receiving nodes comprise a network, the network comprising a mesh network, a WiMax network, or a fixed network, and wherein the request message is a broadcast message or a unicast message.