Abstract: A full service channel access protocol that supports the integrated transport of voice, video and data communications is provided by dividing a communication channel into a plurality of frames, dividing each of the frames into a plurality of slots, and dividing some of the plurality of slots into a plurality of mini-slots. The mini-slots are provided for use by the multiple communication sources to request the establishment of a new voice, data, or video transmission connection over the communication channel. Additionally, a second one of the plurality of slots is divided into a plurality of second mini-slots for use by the multiple communication sources to request the establishment of a new voice, data, or video transmission connection over the communication channel and for use by the multiple communication sources to augment an existing video connection over the communication channel. The method enables timely and power efficient communications over communication network.

Abstract: An approach for transmitting packets over a shared communication channel is disclosed. A satellite terminal (ST) (103, 105, 107, 109) contains a processor that transmits a packet over a transmission slot of the channel using a contention protocol, such as persistent Aloha. The processor reserves an available transmission slot, which is maintained until expiration of a predetermined timeout period.

Abstract: In a multiple-access communication system where a center station dynamically allocates upstream bandwidth to subscriber stations, upon receiving a reservation information from a subscriber station, the center station obtains an upstream resource usage information of a service corresponding to an identifier added to the reservation information from an upstream resource usage control means. When a value of a guaranteed upstream rate of the service is above a value of measured average upstream rate, an upstream bandwidth is allocated immediately upon receiving the reservation information. On the contrary, when the guaranteed value is below the measured average upstream rate value, the upstream bandwidth allocation to the reservation information is deferred, resulting in preventing degradation of service quality of other subscriber stations.

Abstract: An elementary two-stream transport multiplexer provides for the addition of services contained in a transport stream to a pre-existing transport stream. The elementary multiplexer includes a pair of transport demultiplexers, a processor and a transport remultiplexer. The demultiplexers demultiplex a pair of input transport streams to their constituent service components and service control information tables. The service control information tables are routed to the processor which combines and reconfigures the information within the tables to provide a single set of output service control information tables. The demultiplexers filter the service components based on the output service control tables. The transport remultiplexer multiplexes the output tables with the filtered streams to provide an output transport stream.

Abstract: A novel protocol for an ad-hoc, peer-to-peer radio network that provides collision-free channel access with an emphasis on improving geographic reuse of the frequency spectrum. The protocol of the invention is executed on the reservation or control channel, and provides a method for allocating data transactions on the data channels. The system of the invention utilizes multiple parallel data channels that are coordinated by a single reservation channel. The transceiver of the system employs two modems to solve the channel reliability issues with multiple channel designs, where one is dedicated as a receive-only modem for gathering channel usage information on the reservation channel. High quality voice, video and data may be transmitted. The reservation channel implements a time division multiple access algorithm with dynamic slot allocation. In a distributed manner, nodes determine geographic reuse of slots based on channel quality extracted from the modem.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of mobile computing and more specific to the problem of determining the current position of a mobile device (1). If the mobile device (1) can attach itself to (wireless) networks (4) covering a small geographic area, the mobile device (1) can determine its position by querying stationary nodes attached to the network about their location. According to the invention a transmission of position information from a stationary node (3) to a mobile device (1) is effected above the transport layer (layer 4) of the OSI model such that the transmission is independent from the physical type of the networks (4) and/or the transmission (2) used.

Abstract: A network configuration control method and a configuration control unit enable configuration reservations of a network. Simultaneous reservation of opening and closing of a network section is performed if the same network section is not in operation at the time of opening and if there is no previous reservation for the same network section between time of the opening and time of the closing. Further, simultaneous reservation of closing and opening of the network section is performed if the same network section is in operation at the time of the closing and if there is no previous reservation of the same network section between time of the closing and time of the opening.

Abstract: A method for preventing a call of packet data from colliding in a WLL system is disclosed, by which the packet transmission times of respective terminals are allocated using random numbers. The method includes initializing the random number and a call connecting time and transmitting packet data to a Radio Port (RP) after the initialization is completed. New and unique random numbers are assigned to the respective terminals based on the packet data transmitted from the terminals. The packet data is transmitted to the RP at the call connecting times corresponding to the random numbers.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus provide for controlled access to a shared communication medium. Time slots on a forward channel include information regarding status useful for remote units to determine whether a reverse channel is available for seizure. Additionally, information along the forward channel provides guidance to the remote units to control attempts to seize the reverse channel. In one embodiment a remote unit divides a data package into a plurality of portions and attempts to seize the reverse channel using a single portion of the data package which corresponds to one time slot on the reverse channel. It then waits until it receives notification along the forward channel that the first data portion was successfully received before it attempts to send any of the remainder of its data in consecutive time slots on the reverse channel.

Abstract: A wireless local area network that carries mixed traffic of voice and data communications may be provided. The wireless local area network may include an access point and a plurality of remote terminals that are associated with the access point. The access point may be operably coupled to a wireline network. The access point may receive voice and other communications packets from the remote terminals and the wireline network. Some of the packets may be for transmission to the remote terminals. The access point manages which packets to transmit and when to transmit packets. The access point may manage traffic to maintain a fair distribution of packets and to give priority to voice communications over other communications.

Abstract: A method for managing MAC messages is provided which supports dynamic resource reservation for upstream data traffic in a broadband cable system. Three specialized MAC management messages of Dynamic Session Addition, Dynamic Session Deletion, and Dynamic Session Acknowledgment are used to control setting of a filter spec parameter in a cable modem. The present invention provides upstream bandwidth resource reservation which allows packet scheduling to occur at a CMTS, and packet classification to occur at a cable modem. Such an arrangement allows the RSVP protocol to be adapted for use at the OSI protocol layer of a typical cable modem, thereby improving efficiency of network bandwidth/resource allocation.

Abstract: In a communications system the allocation of available resources is done by means of time frames of variable length. Adaptive reserving of resources is carried out in cycles. Calculation of the current time frame length is based, for example, on the current amount of traffic. In a communications system with low traffic volume short time frames are used for short access delays and short access times. In a communications system with high traffic volume long time frames are used taking into account a predetermined maximum time frame length, in order on the one hand to increase fairness and on the other hand to increase the system performance. A resources allocating or assigning algorithm is used, which carries out dynamic allocation or assignment of resources by suitable choice of time frame lengths. A time slot of a predetermined length, for example, acts as basic unit.

Abstract: An onboard DAMA protocol for use in connection with a processing satellite communications network, where multiple users are assigned to a common transmission resource as part of a sharing set. A media access controller (30) on the satellite maintains a reservation log which identifies the frequencies and number of uplink time slots in the resource that are currently reserved by one or more members of the sharing set. To reserve a time-frequency slot on the transmission resource for a non-contentious transmission of data, a user of the sharing set will transmit a reservation request to the satellite on a contentious uplink resource. If a return message is not received, the user knows that the reservation request collided with another reservation request, and a retransmission strategy of the reservation request is employed.

Abstract: In a wireless mesh topology data communications network, a communications method having a type of handshaking protocol for data exchange. A portion of the protocol is synchronous, using a schedule of control channel sessions held at all mutually communicating nodes of the network and a portion of the protocol is asynchronous, relying upon gaps between control channel sessions for transmission of requested data. Nodes which are in line of sight relation request data from each other using a request to send message and a clear to send message. A requesting node sends an RTS message to a neighbor node with information about gaps specifying the location of requested data. A supplying node transmits a potential schedule for sending requested information and the requesting node sends a CTS message agreeing upon the schedule. The potential schedule includes a number of available gaps between known control channel sessions.

Abstract: A packet network employing a reservation-based protocol system includes routers having processing sections that schedule message processing of the protocol's control messages adaptively based on link utilization. A scheduler of the processing section employs a round-robin scheduling with adaptive weight assignment to allocate processing capacity for control messages. For the RSVP protocol, for example, messages are grouped in classes, and link utilization of the packet flows for each message class is monitored. Weights corresponding to a portion of the processing section's processing capacity are allocated to each message class. The weights are defined based on link utilization for the message class and average message queue length. For processing sections monitoring multiple links, weights are further defined for super-classes based on overall link utilization. Weights may change as link utilization and average message size changes.

Abstract: A communications protocol that is used in a network having a hub device connected to a plurality of peripheral devices includes a synchronization beacon frame that is broadcast by the hub device to the peripheral devices for permitting the peripheral devices to synchronize to the network, a token frame that is broadcast by the hub device to the peripheral devices for allocating network bandwidth among the peripheral devices, a status response frame that is transmitted by the peripheral devices to the hub device for indicating whether the peripheral devices have data to transmit to the hub device, and a data frame. The synchronization beacon frame includes a beacon identifier that identifies a frame as the synchronization beacon frame, and a hub identifier that identifies an address of the hub device. The token frame includes a data portion that schedules a data transmission on the network, and a status response portion that schedules a status response transmission on the network.

Abstract: A plurality of time-division multiplexed data streams which are merged into a single data stream containing a plurality of data words and which are characterized by state vectors, are concurrently processed. The state vectors are stored in a read-write memory having a plurality of addressable memory locations. During an initial clock cycle, a pipeline receives an input data word from one of the data streams, an input state vector characterizing that data stream, and the memory location address of the input state vector. During one or more intermediate clock cycles, the pipeline processes the input data word and the input state vector to yield an output data word and an output state vector. During a final clock cycle, the pipeline transfers the output data word to an outgoing data stream, and transfers the output state vector into the aforementioned memory location address. A controller coupled to the memory and to the pipeline synchronizes operation thereof.

Abstract: An input voice signal is passed from a voice signal encoding unit to a voice signal compressing unit so that it is encoded and compressed. No transmission of a silence signal within the voice signal to a multiplexing unit is performed in a silence signal eliminating unit. A multiplexing unit multiplexes the voice signal with a data to be transmitted which has been passed via a data terminal control unit and a data terminal control unit from a data terminal and is transmitted to a communication line via the transmission control unit. Lapse of a time-out period of time which is present in a timer is detected in a silence signal inserting unit so that a silence signal is generated and is reproduced in a voice signal decompressing unit and a voice signal decoding unit.

Abstract: A telecommunication network including a plurality of secondary stations and a primary station wherein the secondary stations a least partially share a common transmission channel to the primary station, thus obtaining high data transmission efficiency under high load conditions. To prevent interference, an access protocol is employed according to which all secondary stations which have data to transmit send transmission request signals to the primary station. The primary station then transmits to those secondary stations an allocation signal assigning respective time slots to them. The secondary stations then transmit in their assigned time slots. Directly upon completion of transmission in its assigned time slot a secondary station transmits a further transmission request signal to the primary station it such secondary station still has further data to transmit.

Abstract: A backplane for a dynamic synchronous transfer mode network that comprises two dual ring topologies having opposite fiber direction. The ring topologies has a plurality of disjointed segments that permits the simultaneous transmission of signals in the same time slots over the disjointed segments.

Abstract: A communications network includes an optical waveguide to which is connected a head-end station and at lest one optical network unit (ONU). An ONU provides an interface to the communications system for connected user equipment. Data received by an ONU from connected user equipment are stored in a buffer prior to transmission to the head-end station. The head-end station is arranged to implement, in conjunction with the ONUs a demand-assignment protocol for the transfer of data upstream from the ONUs to the head-end station according to which an ONU demands upstream capacity based upon a prediction of its future capacity requirements, calculated using at least one record of earlier granted capacity by the head-end station and at least one measurement of a quantity of data awaiting transmission to the head-end station in the buffer of the ONU.

Abstract: A method and system for managing communication resources between nodes in a network, and more particularly to a dynamic distributed multi-channel time division multiple access (TDMA) slot assignment method is presented. The method and apparatus include a set of higher level heuristics that enable the wireless channel access scheme to address predetermined characteristics of the wireless channel access system. These predetermined heuristics include using bootstrap slots, adaptive broadcast cycles, channelized neighborhoods, standby slots, speculation slots, neighbor segregation, hard circuits, and soft circuits.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficiently managing the allocation of available data capacity on a physically shared digital network among devices connected to that network is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method and apparatus for managing the ongoing timely movement of data on the shared network such that precise long-term data rates are achieved between attached devices with minimal additional buffering. The invention further comprises a method and apparatus which allows the use of any remaining network capacity for non time-critical data movement without the need for centralized access management.

Abstract: A serial bus control apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a device for providing a reservation control table for reserving a transmission bandwidth and a transmission channel used at a future time on a serial bus. The reservation control table is organized such that transmission of data of certain bandwidth and channel at a certain future time can be reserved for a transmission between arbitrary nodes. The reservation control table is stored and controlled on a first register. The register is accessible for reading and writing from an arbitrary node on the serial bus. The apparatus may further include a detection part to detect present time and a second and third register for securing available transmission bandwidth and channel at present time. By having this reservation control table, it becomes possible for each node on the serial bus to secure transmission of data of certain bandwidth and transmission channel in a desired future time.

Abstract: Dynamic allocation of communication channels among communication units (CU) in a communications system. Dynamic channel allocation employs a reservation set for reserving channels and an allocation set corresponding to the reservation set for receiving allocated channels. The reservation set and the allocation set are changed dynamically as a function of network parameters to control the dynamic channel operation. Reservation set information is broadcast downlink to multiple users to reserve an allocation set of uplink radio resources for specific ones of the users. The system uses a modification of the packet data channel (PDCH) of a GPRS/EGPRS or EDGE system which employs an Uplink Status Flag (USF) on each PDCH downlink radio block. The downlink reservation set information is commonly received by all users in the group of users. Allocation delay, bandwidth efficiency and other system parameters are optimized.

Abstract: A radio communication system has a random access channel for the transmission of data (214) from a secondary station to a primary station. Such a channel is intended for use by secondary stations having data (214) to transmit to a primary station while not actually engaged in a call.

Abstract: In a distributed pipeline scheduling method for a system which includes a plurality of input ports for inputting data, a plurality of output ports for outputting data, a data switch element for switching the data input from the input ports and transferring the data to the output ports, and a scheduler having a distributed scheduling architecture for controlling the data switch element, and determines connection reservations between the input ports and the output ports, the scheduler independently assigns time slots to information transfer processing and reservation processing. Processing information transfer processing and reservation processing are performed in the assigned time slots in a pipeline fashion. A distributed pipeline scheduling system and distributed scheduler are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for assigning packet data to be transmitted to a radio packet data channel of a base station system in response to a packet traffic transmission request for a plurality of mobile stations in a mobile communication system. The method comprises collecting the packet traffic transmission requests of the radio packet data channel for the mobile stations; selecting at least one of the mobile stations from the collected packet traffic transmission requests; transmitting to the selected mobile station a channel assignment message including information about a data rate, data transmission durations of the radio packet data channel and start points of the data transmission durations for the selected mobile station; and transmitting the packet data to the selected mobile station at the start time of the data transmission durations at the data rate.

Abstract: A bus management node 11 has a register for channels in use REG1 and a bus capacity register REG2. Before starting the synchronous communication, each node 12 transmits a read-out command to the register for channels in use REG1 in order to read out their contents for ascertaining the number of the un-used channel and the residual capacity. If there is any un-used channel and any residual bus capacity, the node 12 transmits write commands to these registers REG1 and REG2 so that the number of the channel to be in use and the capacity of the bus to be in use will be stored in the register for channels in use REG1 and the bus capacity register REG2. This enables bus management to be achieved easily in a system performing synchronous communication between plural nodes connected to the bus.

Abstract: A method for allocating Common Packet Channels CPCHs in a next generation mobile communication system is disclosed. A mobile station maps a signature for indicating a specific CPCH with scrambling codes and transmits an access preamble including the signature to a system to request allocation of the channel. The system maps a signature of a CA-ICH for a desired CPCH with the scrambling codes to transmit it to the mobile station. The mobile station transmits a message to the system through a corresponding physical channel in accordance with the CA-ICH. The mobile station can transmit a CD-P for preventing channel collision to the system by mapping with a specific scrambling code set. At this time, the system can select a scrambling code from a scrambling code set designated by the CD-P and can map the selected scrambling code with the CA-ICH.

Abstract: A mobile station accesses a base station by randomly selecting a first reverse link common control channel from a set of random access channels. The mobile station transmits a request portion of an access probe over the first reverse link common control channel. The request portion is subject to collision with other signals. The request portion comprises a hash identification which is derived from a uniquely identifying number using a hash function. The hash identification quasi-uniquely identifies the mobile station. The mobile station receives a channel assignment message from the base station designating the hash identification and a reserved access channel. The reserved access channel provides communication with a low probability of contention. The mobile station transmits a message portion of the access probe over the reserved access channel.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and process for automatically and dynamically configuring a wireless computer network. Each computer that is to participate in the dynamic network continuously broadcasts its address to any other computer within range of the wireless network hardware. When a computer receives a broadcast message from a machine it is not currently connected to, it can then use any standard communications protocol (i.e., TCP/IP) to establish a connection to the broadcasting machine. Once the connection is established, a message is sent to the broadcasting machine notifying it of the new connection. This allows for either client/server, peer-to-peer, or other communications strategies to be implemented, depending on the application. Upon establishing a new connection between a pair of computers, a data synchronization protocol is employed to exchange data, applications, or configure services.

Abstract: The CATV system includes a center device and a plurality of terminal devices. The center device sends downstream timeslots, to the terminal devices, including upstream timeslots occupancy information and collision information. Upstream timeslot occupancy information indicates whether or not an upstream timeslot corresponding to the downstream timeslot is vacant, and collision information indicates whether or not a collision has occurred. The terminal device receives the downstream timeslot, checks upstream timeslot occupancy information to detect upstream timeslot in the vacant state, and sends upstream data to the center device via the vacant upstream timeslot. If the upstream timeslot makes a collision, the center device detects it and sends a downstream timeslot which includes collision information indicative of the occurrence of the collision. The user of the terminal device recognizes the collision having occurred or not by referring to the collision information.

Abstract: A method for implementing bandwidth reservation in an electronic network comprises the setup of a new connection between at least two nodes in a network, while preventing the overload of individual nodes, and the overload of the network bus, or a radio network. In one embodiment, the present invention is implemented through the use of a plug traffic list for each node to indicate the total capability to sink and/or receive, the outgoing communications, and the incoming communications. The invention also preferably includes a bus traffic list to indicate the load of the network bus. According to the present invention, a node that wishes to establish a new communication preferably first determines whether all nodes that are planned to participate in the new connection have enough capacity to handle the additional plug traffic, whereafter the capacity of the network bus is checked.

Abstract: A method for allocating control time slots to terminals in a multipoint system based on time-division data transmission. Specific grant numbers are allocated to the terminals in downstream time slots. One grant number is associated with a grant to send information, such as one ATM cell, in corresponding upstream time slots. The terminal may be forbidden by means of a grant number to send in a certain time slot, or the time slot may be called a slotted Aloha time slot or a measurement time slot used for timing advance adjustment. The network terminal sends grant numbers at a predetermined rate to each terminal or sends grant numbers on the basis of how much information the terminals report needs to be sent. ATM channels are accessed rapidly and allocated efficiently, and a short access delay for a speech channel is achieved.

Abstract: Channel access for communicating a data packet over a multiple access communication network with a forward channel and a multiple access reverse channel which efficiently handles a mix of short message and long data transfer communication type traffic is provided by combined contention and reservation mode access to the multiple reverse channel. A forward channel transmission apparatus or base station broadcasts a forward channel control packet associated with a subsequent transmission window which channel control packet includes an indication of contention or reservation mode for the subsequent transmission window and an identifier identifying a device to be granted reservation mode access to the reverse channel.

Abstract: In the digital communication systems, devices and methods described, a transmission medium is shared by means of service messages indicating to each digital communication device whether or not that device is authorized to send on the medium once the medium is free after the service message. Certain of these messages are collective authorization-to-send messages indicating to a group of communication devices that each is authorized to send by return. When such a collective message is sent, each receiving device, when attempting to send on the medium, determines whether or not it may send in return, in accordance with a preset rule which preferably involves a random ballot.

Abstract: Requests are processed to transmit data packets upstream from a cable modem to a cable headend in a manner that minimizes the use of CPU operations and/or memory capacity. Data packets to be transmitted upstream are stored at the cable modem. The data packets each have a given transmission data byte length value. Burst profiles are received successively at the cable modem. Each time a new bust profile is received, a set of physical data length values corresponding to respective transmission data byte length values is calculated from the parameters of the received burst profile. The calculated set of physical data length values is stored in memory so the individual values can be retrieved from the transmission data byte length values again and again, rather than being re-calculated each time a conversion is made from transmission data byte length values to physical data length values. The same set of physical data length values is used until a new burst profile is received by the cable modem.

Abstract: A network for interconnecting network equipment units via a ring optimizes access to the ring by the equipment units in that the capacity of the ring is permanently shared between the various equipment units. An information signal, representing the unused part of the capacity of the ring, is forwarded on the ring. The equipment units insert into a transport frame a number of data units corresponding to a minimum transmission right guaranteed to each equipment unit. The unused capacity of the ring is then subdivided between the equipment units.

Abstract: A method of reserving resources in an internet is disclosed. The method provides an improved process for use in relation to large scale shared-tree multicast environments since its use results in a reduction in path state in the routers (A-E, R1-R6) in the internet. The method involves the sending of path characteristics upstream from receivers (H1-H7) to senders (H1-H7), the routers in between combining path characteristics from different sources downstream of them. Reservations are subsequently made on the basis of the combined path characteristic data, the nature of the sender's traffic and the end-to-end quality of service required by the sender.

Abstract: A multiple access communications channel is punctured at randomly selected time periods to reduce system-wide interference levels. During the puncturing time period, all users are restricted from accessing the communications channel. Puncturing is implemented as a restriction to communications channel access in addition to any other restrictions implicated by use of a particular multiple access protocol. Thus, a control flag on a forward channel is set not only when a reverse channel is either busy with or reserved for the communications of another user, but also when the reverse channel is closed by puncturing to all user communications.

Abstract: In a method for conflict resolution among remote hosts in a wireless network where remotes make bandwidth requests to the base station via uplink frames partitioned into one or more reservation minislots, a collision occurs where two or more remotes have transmitted a request in the same minislot. Each remote is characterized by a stack level, and only remotes with a stack level equal to 0 are permitted to transmit access request packets. Newly active remotes are allowed to join in with those remotes already having stack level 0 during any particular conflict resolution period by setting their stack levels to 0 and entering the request state. If the stack level of a remote is 0, the remote randomly picks a minislot for transmission of an access request. If the outcome is SUCCESS, and the queue at the remote is empty, the remote transmits the current packet after receiving a transmit permit and exits the request state.

Abstract: A protocol allows a device connected to a common channel to communicate directly with another device on that channel during a predetermined slot time. The protocol is particularly suited to a communications network where all communications devices are able to communicate directly with each other. In architecture, the protocol can be implemented in hardware, software or a combination thereof, and is more particularly implemented as follows. A central communications device for processing slot time sequence information and communicating it to tributary communications devices is connected via any number of communications channels to a plurality of tributary communications devices. The configuration of the system is such that the communications devices can directly transmit and receive information from each other. The central communications device optimizes system bandwidth usage by dynamically allocating a sequence of slot times for use in the protocol.

Abstract: A dynamic synchronous transfer mode network that comprises two ring topologies having opposite fiber direction. The first dynamic synchronous transfer mode ring topology has a plurality of nodes for receiving and transmitting frames. The time slots are dynamically allocated to the nodes and the first ring topology is adapted to transmit frames only in a first fiber direction. The second dynamic synchronous transfer mode ring topology also has a plurality of nodes in common with the first ring topology. The second ring topology only transmits frames in a second direction that is opposite the first fiber direction.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a process in a radio communication system which is arranged for packet data transmission according to a message-synchronized ALOHA protocol with reservation. Mobile stations in the system are arranged to send access requests to a base station during a reservation phase in a mobile radio system which uses this protocol. The base station is arranged to receive and comply with the access request from a first mobile station by sending thereto a channel reservation message (2) comprising a channel reservation (3). The base station is further arranged to receive access requests from at least a second mobile station for which channel reservation momentarily cannot be carried out. According to the process of the invention an access request received from the second mobile station is confirmed when channel reservation cannot be carried out in the usual manner.

Abstract: In a radio packet communication system between a master station and a plurality of slave stations, a contention mode is switched to a polling mode or vice versa in accordance with the amount of transmission data reserved by the slave stations to the master station.

Abstract: A packet data communication system (10) where multiple users (87) can access the same channel (22) to maximize an efficiency of the communication system (10). Each channel (22) is divided into time slots. Each time slot is allocated to a user based on the user's request (303) for time slots and the availability of time slots. If time slots are available, then the system (10) will inform the user (87) and allocate the time slot to the user (87, 305). If there are no available time slots, then the system (10) will inform the user (87) that no time slots are available and access to the system's channel is denied. The user (87) will continue to request access (303) to the system (10) as long as the user has data packets to send.

Abstract: A method for coordinating an inbound channel in a selective call communication system (100) includes the steps of encoding (702) an expected time for an inbound response and a number of bits in the inbound response with an outbound message requesting information from a selective call device; transmitting (704) the outbound message to the selective call device; allocating (706) an inbound channel; determining (708) the number of bits to be encoded in at least one time slot of the inbound channel; transmitting (710) the inbound channel, the number of bits to be transmitted in the at least one time slot to the selective call device; encoding (712) the information being requested on the inbound channel with the number of bits in the at least one time slot; and transmitting (714) the inbound response on the inbound channel with the number of bits specified for each of the at least one time slot.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for early arbitration in a full duplex bus system. Early arbitration in a distributed arbitration serial bus system permits the resolution of requests for a next fairness interval during a current fairness interval such that the grant of the highest priority request in the next fairness interval may immediately follow a last packet of a last subaction in a current fairness interval. In this way, the bandwidth previously wasted propagating an arbitration reset token and waiting for arbitration requests can be substantially eliminated.

Abstract: The mobile station to base station access in a cellular radio system is a classical problem of random multiple access using a shared common channel. Many multiple access protocols have been invented in the past with varied degrees of success in improving the throughput of the multiple access channel. The current invention is a new multiple access protocol which enhances the throughput and reduces the access delay by providing feedback of the detailed status of the access channel from the base station to the mobile station. The feedback mechanism and multiple access protocol are also applicable to other types of radio or wire-based channels.