Shared time universal multiple access network

Abstract

A method of controlling access to a network media by a plurality of stations, the method including determining a number of time slots; determining a number of slot cycles for each time slot, at least one of the time slots having more than one slot cycle; assigning each station one or more slot cycles in one or more time slots; and operating each of the stations by initializing an access timer to time out at the beginning of the station's assigned slot cycle(s) and transmitting data during the assigned slot cycle(s), the access timer being stopped whenever a station transmits over the network, and restarted at the end of transmission.

1 . A method of controlling access to a network media by a plurality of stations, the method comprising:
 determining a number of time slots;   determining a number of slot cycles for each time slot, at least one of the time slots having more than one slot cycle;   assigning each station one or more slot cycles in one or more time slots; and   operating each of the stations by initializing an access timer to time out at the beginning of the station's assigned slot cycle(s) and transmitting data during the assigned slot cycle(s), the access timer being stopped whenever a station transmits over the network, and restarted at the end of transmission.   
     
     
         2 . The method claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising providing unassigned slot cycles in a time slot, thereby reducing the bandwidth available to stations having slot cycles in the same time slot, and shifting the bandwidth to the other slots with priority given to the slot immediately following the slot having the unassigned slot cycle. 
     
     
         3 . The method claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the stations include an access timer that is initialized in response to a synchronization signal and wherein the stations are operated according to a Universal Multiple Access protocol that includes using a current access number CAN. 
     
     
         4 . The method claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the CAN is rotated by a fixed amount. 
     
     
         5 . The method claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the CAN is changed to give priority to give priority to a station assigned to a slot after the one that most recently transmitted. 
     
     
         6 . The method claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the stations are operated according to a protocol that includes using a first access window FAW that represents the slot number of the next slot after the slot whose message was just received or transmitted. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controlling access to the network media by the plurality of stations is conducted in a network adapter. 
     
     
         8 . A method of controlling access to a network media by a plurality of stations, the method comprising:
 determining a number of time slots;   determining a number of slot cycles for each time slot, at least one of the time slots having more than one slot cycle; and   assigning each station one or more slot cycles in one or more time slots.   
     
     
         9 . A method of controlling access to a network media by a plurality of stations, the method comprising:
 determining a number of time slots; and   determining a number of slot cycles for each time slot, and   wherein at least one of the time slots has a plurality of slot cycles, and at least two of the stations are assigned to different ones of the plurality of slot cycles.   
     
     
         10 . A method of controlling access to a network media by a plurality of stations, the method comprising:
 determining a number of slot cycles for each of a plurality of time slots, and   wherein different stations are assigned to different slot cycles in at least one of the time slots.