Voice-data integrated multiaccess by self-reservation and stabilized aloha contention

• US 8,811,165 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2009
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ho, Jin-Meng
• Primary Examiner(s): Jagannathan, Melanie
• Application Number:
  US12/647,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20100220693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,696 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0875 with assigned priorities based access

Abstract

A multiple access communication protocol that includes an uplink and a downlink channel is disclosed. The uplink channel has a plurality of frames, such that each frame has a first selectable number of minislots and a second selectable number of slots. A reservation request of a first type is sent into a first selected minislot of a selected frame of the uplink channel when information of a first type is to be sent. The reservation request of the first type requests an assignment for at least one slot for transmitting information of the first type in at least one frame that is subsequent to the selected frame. A reservation request of a second type is sent into a second selected minislot of the selected frame when the second selected minislot is available in the selected frame and when information of a second type is to be sent.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

responsive to a first reservation request in a first minislot of a frame of a plurality of frames comprising a plurality of minislots that is reserved for an ongoing voice call, via a downlink channel, broadcasting, by a central station, information regarding an assignment of a first slot of a plurality of slots of the plurality of frames to transmit a speech talkspurt of voice traffic, the plurality of slots transmitted via an uplink channel, the first reservation request for causing a contention-free reservation of the first slot;

receiving, by the central station, a message indicative of an end of the speech talkspurt in the voice traffic, wherein the message is contained in the first slot of the plurality of slots that is included in a penultimate frame of the plurality of frames containing the speech talkspurt;

responsive to the message indicative of the end of the speech talkspurt in the voice traffic, broadcasting, by the central station, information regarding an assignment of a second minislot of the plurality of minislots to carry the voice traffic, the second minislot for transmitting silence compression and background imitation during a speech silence in the voice traffic; and

responsive to the message indicative of the end of the speech talkspurt in the voice traffic, via the downlink channel, broadcasting, by the central station to a plurality of user terminals, information regarding a reassignment of the first slot of the plurality of slots to transmit data traffic, where the data traffic that is assigned to the first slot is based on a blocked binary tree algorithm.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the first reservation request in the first minislot of the frame of the plurality of frames transmitted via the uplink channel, each frame of the plurality of frames comprising a variable number of minislots and a variable number of slots.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information indicating that the frame transmitted via the uplink channel comprises the voice traffic in the first slot.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a second reservation request, broadcasting information regarding an assignment of a second slot to transmit data traffic, wherein the data traffic assigned to the second slot is based on the blocked binary tree algorithm.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before an end of the frame comprising the first reservation request, via the downlink channel, broadcasting a feedback message comprising;

minislot assignments for sending reservation requests related to voice traffic and data traffic, in the uplink channel, slot assignments for transmitting voice traffic and data traffic in the uplink channel, minislot contention results for reservation requests for data slots received in the frame comprising the first reservation request, and a measurement of a data traffic backlog.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

via the downlink channel, broadcasting a feedback message comprising;

minislot assignments for requests related to data traffic, the minislot assignments selected by a central station for a contention subgroup of terminals, the minislot assignments identified by a level in a virtual stack from a plurality of minislots available for sending reservation requests for data traffic that have experienced unresolved collisions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

via the downlink channel, broadcasting a feedback message comprising;

a number of minislots available in a second frame for sending reservation requests for data slots, and

a new allocation time for reservation requests for data slots to be initiated in the second frame.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

via the uplink channel, receiving a second reservation request for an assigned data slot via a predetermined minislot selected independently and at random with equal probability from a plurality of minislots available for sending new reservation requests for assigned data slots arriving between a first allocation time and a second allocation time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

via the uplink channel, receiving a second reservation request for an assigned data slot; and

making a determination that a virtual stack level associated with the second reservation request for the assigned data slot has a smaller value than a number of minislots available for sending reservation requests for data slots.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

via the uplink channel, receiving a second reservation request for a data slot; and

making a determination that a number of virtual stack levels associated with reservation requests for assigned data slots undergoing collision resolution is smaller than a number of minislots available for sending reservation requests for assigned data slots.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a second minislot in the uplink channel based upon minislot contention information, wherein the minislot contention information comprises information relating to a successful sending of a second reservation request for a data slot.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a second minislot in the uplink channel based upon minislot contention information, wherein the minislot contention information comprises information relating to a collision of a second reservation request for a data slot.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting a virtual stack level value identifying a contention subgroup of terminals from which a second reservation request for a data slot in the uplink channel has been received, the virtual stack level value based on minislot contention information.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subtracting one from a virtual stack level value for each noncolliding contention subgroup of terminals identified by virtual stack levels less than a particular virtual stack level associated with a second reservation request for a data slot, the virtual stack level adapted to identify a contention subgroup of terminals sending reservation requests for data slots via the uplink channel.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding one to a virtual stack level value for each colliding contention subgroup of terminals identified by a virtual stack level that is less than a particular virtual stack level associated with a second reservation request for a data slot, the virtual stack level adapted to identify a contention subgroup of terminals sending reservation requests for data slots via the uplink channel.

16. A communication system comprising:

a user terminal of a plurality of user terminals that communicates on an uplink channel; and

a central station that communicates on a downlink channel, wherein the central station is for;

responsive to a first reservation request in a minislot of a frame of a plurality of frames comprising a plurality of minislots that is reserved for an ongoing voice call, broadcasting information regarding an assignment of a first slot of a plurality of slots of the plurality of frames to transmit a speech talkspurt of voice traffic, the plurality of slots transmitted via the uplink channel, the first reservation request for causing a contention-free reservation of the first slot;

receiving a message indicative of an end of the speech talkspurt in the voice traffic, wherein the message is contained in the first slot of the plurality of slots that is included in a penultimate frame of the plurality of frames containing the speech talkspurt;

responsive to the message indicative of the end of the speech talkspurt in the voice traffic, broadcasting information regarding an assignment of a second minislot of the plurality of minislots to carry the voice traffic, the second minislot for transmitting silence compression and background imitation during a speech silence in the voice traffic; and

responsive to the message indicative of the end of the speech talkspurt in the voice traffic, broadcasting to the plurality of user terminals information regarding a reassignment of the first slot of the plurality of slots to transmit data traffic, where the data traffic that is assigned to the first slot is based on a blocked binary tree algorithm.

17. A central station embodying instructions comprising:

responsive to a first reservation request in a minislot of a frame of a plurality of frames comprising a plurality of minislots that is reserved for an ongoing voice call, via a downlink channel, broadcasting information regarding an assignment of a first slot of a plurality of slots of the plurality of frames to transmit a speech talkspurt of voice traffic, the plurality of slots transmitted via an uplink channel, the first reservation request for causing a contention-free reservation of the first slot;

receiving a message indicative of an end of the speech talkspurt in the voice traffic, wherein the message is contained in the first slot of the plurality of slots that is included in a penultimate frame of the plurality of frames containing the speech talkspurt;

responsive to the message indicative of the end of the speech talkspurt in the voice traffic, broadcasting information regarding an assignment of a second minislot of the plurality of minislots to carry the voice traffic, the second minislot for transmitting silence compression and background imitation during a speech silence in the voice traffic; and

responsive to the message indicative of the end of the speech talkspurt in the voice traffic, via the downlink channel, broadcasting to a plurality of user terminals information regarding a reassignment of the first slot of the plurality of slots to transmit data traffic, where the data traffic that is assigned to the first slot is based on a blocked binary tree algorithm.