Arrangement for accessing media in a network having universal multiple access nodes and carrier sense nodes
US5774658A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 17, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jun 30, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 17, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L12/413
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A network includes a combination of carrier-sense stations and Universal Multiple Access (UMA) stations using a time slot multiple access protocol. The network is configured to include assigned time slots for the respective UMA stations and unassigned time slots reserved for the carrier-sense stations to access the shared network media. Each of the UMA stations is provided with a corresponding assigned time slot and the total number of time slots. Since the UMA stations access the media only during the assigned time slot, the carrier-sense stations can contend for access to the media after waiting a minimum interpacket gap (IPG) after sensing deassertion of the receive carrier on the media. The UMA stations may also be modified to attempt access of the media using Ethernet-compliant, carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) protocol when a current time slot corresponds to a mixed-use time slot.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.