Enhanced channel access mechanisms for an HPNA network
First Claim
1. A method for providing access to a communications medium, the communications medium being suitable for allowing use of a plurality of Home Phoneline Network Association (HPNA) v2 frames, each HPNA v2 frame being timed to allow a plurality of physical layer priority level slots, the method comprising steps of:
- maintaining a list of sessions in enhanced stations (STAs) using the communications medium, each enhanced STA being one of a Media Control Station (MC STA) and a non-Media Control Station (non-MC STA) and gaining access to the communications medium in a centralized manner;
transmitting at least one first message from the MC STA to at least one selected non-MC STA using the communications medium, the transmitted message being transmitted with a highest physical layer priority level slot available in an HPNA v2 frame; and
transmitting at least one second message from at least one selected non-MC STA in response to a first message during the same HPNA v2 frame.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system is disclosed for providing access in a centralized manner to a communications medium that is suitable for allowing use of a plurality of Home Phoneline Network Association (HPNA) v2 frames, and such that each HPNA v2 frame is timed to allow a plurality of physical layer priority level slots. A list of sessions in enhanced stations (STAs) using the communications medium is maintained. At least one second message is transmitted from at least one selected non-MC STA in response to a first message during the same HPNA v2 frame. Accordingly, at least one second message can be transmitted to the MC STA and/or to another non-MC STA. At least a portion of the second message simultaneously with the step of transmitting the first message. Similarly, a portion of at least two second messages are transmitted simultaneously with each other.
97 Citations
65 Claims
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1. A method for providing access to a communications medium, the communications medium being suitable for allowing use of a plurality of Home Phoneline Network Association (HPNA) v2 frames, each HPNA v2 frame being timed to allow a plurality of physical layer priority level slots, the method comprising steps of:
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maintaining a list of sessions in enhanced stations (STAs) using the communications medium, each enhanced STA being one of a Media Control Station (MC STA) and a non-Media Control Station (non-MC STA) and gaining access to the communications medium in a centralized manner; transmitting at least one first message from the MC STA to at least one selected non-MC STA using the communications medium, the transmitted message being transmitted with a highest physical layer priority level slot available in an HPNA v2 frame; and transmitting at least one second message from at least one selected non-MC STA in response to a first message during the same HPNA v2 frame. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for providing access to a communications medium, the communications medium being suitable for allowing use of a plurality of Home Phoneline Network Association (HPNA) v2 frames, each HPNA v2 frame being timed to allow a plurality of physical layer priority level slots, the method comprising steps of:
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maintaining a list of sessions in enhanced stations (STAs) using the communications medium, each enhanced STA being one of a Media Control Station (MC STA) and a non-Media Control Station (non-MC STA) and gaining access to the communications medium in a centralized manner; transmitting at least one first message from the MC STA to at least one selected non-MC STA using the communications medium, the first message being transmitted with a highest physical layer priority level slot available in an HPNA v2 frame; and receiving at least one second message from at least one selected non-MC STA in response to a first message during the same HPNA v2 frame. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for providing access to a communications medium, the communications medium being suitable for allowing use of a plurality of Home Phoneline Network Association (HPNA) v2 frames, each HPNA v2 frame being timed to allow a plurality of physical layer priority level slots, the method comprising steps of:
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receiving at least one first message from a Media Control Station (MC STA) at a non-Media Control Station (non-MC STA), the MC STA maintaining a list of sessions in enhanced STAs using the communications medium, each enhanced STA being one of the MC STA and a non-MC STA and gaining access to the communications medium in a centralized manner, the received message being received with a highest physical layer priority level slot available in an HPNA v2 frame; and transmitting at least one second message to at least one enhanced station in response to the first message during the same HPNA v2 frame. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A communications network having a communications medium, the communications medium being suitable for allowing use of a plurality of Home Phoneline Network Association (HPNA) v2 frames, each HPNA v2 frame being timed to allow a plurality of physical layer priority level slots, the communications network comprising:
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a Media Control Station (MC STA) maintaining a list of sessions in enhanced stations (STAs) using the communications medium, each enhanced STA being one of the MC STA and a non-Media Control Station (non-MC STA) and gaining access to the communications medium in a centralized manner, the MC STA transmitting a first message to at least one selected non-MC STA using the communications medium, the first message being transmitted with a highest physical layer priority level slot available in an HPNA v2 frame, at least one non-MC STA coupled to the communications medium, the non-MC STA transmitting at least one second message in response to a first message during the same HPNA v2 frame. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A Media Control Station (MC STA) for a communications network, the communications network having a communications medium that is suitable for allowing use of a plurality of Home Phoneline Network Association (HPNA) v2 frames, each HPNA v2 frame being timed to allow a plurality of physical layer priority level slots, the MC STA comprising:
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a QoS management entity (QME) receiving at least one end-to-end QoS message characterizing a user application, the at least one end-to-end QoS message including at least one QoS parameter set that is expressed at a layer that is higher than the Media Access Control (MAC) sublayer of an HPNA v2 network and is to be passed down to the MAC sublayer of the MC STA for enabling QoS traffic transport of the application; and an admission control entity (ACE) performing an admission control decision relating to the application based on the at least one end-to-end QoS message characterizing the application, the MC STA transmitting at least one first message from the MC STA to at least one selected non-Media Control Station (non-MC STA) using the communications medium the first message being transmitted with a highest physical layer priority level slot available in an HPNA v2 frame, and receiving at least one second message from at least one selected non-MC STA in response to a first message during the same HPNA v2 frame. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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Specification