Patent · US Expired

Synchronized multiple access apparatus and method for a local area network

US4773066A · kind A · utility

70Cited by
3References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 15, 1986
Grant dateSep 20, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 15, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L12/407
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present access protocol for contention networks results in synchronous network operation. Each node determines the next transmission instant by counting from the beginning of the most recently received packet of information a time equal to that packet's labeled length minus the previously measured round trip propagation delay seen by the node. Subsequent instants will occur at intervals equal to the maximum propagation delay allowed on the network. Each time a subsequent packet is received, synchronization is rederived based on the packet. If no packets are received within predetermined slots, the network is considered to be in asynchronous mode, with transmissions allowed at any time following the next slot. The disclosed packet synchronized multiple access (PSMA) protocol improves the performance measures by which local area networks are evaluated.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.