Method and apparatus for controlling communication channels using contention and polling schemes
US6275497A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 27, 1997 |
| Grant date | Aug 14, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 27, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L69/329
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A medium access controller for a multi-user network that assigns or changes the operating protocol of multiple upstream channels according to user loading, user status, and/or type of payload data transfers requested by the user or detected by the controller. One group of upstream channels utilizes a contention-only protocol for non-responding or off-line users, a second group utilizes a limited type polling protocol for users requiring only brief transfers of payload data, and a third group utilizes an exhaustive polling protocol user requiring large amounts of payload data transfers. Limited type polling provides low latency for quick response to accommodate multiple users, while exhaustive polling provides large data throughput at the expense of latency. Additional levels of limited or exhaustive polling may be employed to accommodate a larger variety of users needs. In addition, the channels themselves may be dynamically reclassified between and among contention and first and/or other level polling modes based on user loading and/or the nature and character of on-going data transfers in order to achieve maximum utilization of shared resources. After initiating a data transmissi…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.