Method and apparatus for query-based congestion control

Abstract

An electronic device may be operable to communicate over a physical medium and to regulate the transmission of a message onto the physical medium. The device may access the medium in accordance with a CSMA scheme, wherein one or more values of one or more CSMA parameters may be determined based on the result of a comparison of a received search token to data stored in the communication device. The message may be a response to a received request message, and the search token may have been received in the request message. A value of the CSMA parameter(s) may be determined based on the result of a comparison of the score and one or more thresholds. The threshold(s) may have been received in the request message. The value(s) of the CSMA parameter(s) may be determined based on one or more initial values contained in the received request message.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 in an electronic device comprising a communication interface for communicating over a physical medium:
 determining one or more values of one or more CSMA parameters based on the result of a comparison of a received search token and data stored in said electronic device; ad 
 regulating the transmission of a message onto said physical medium in accordance with a carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) scheme. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said message is a response to a request message received via said communication interface; and   said search token was received in said request message.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 a result of said comparison is a score that indicates how similar said data is to said search token;   said determining of said one or more values of said one or more CSMA parameters is based on the result of a comparison of said score and one or more thresholds that were received in said request message.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said message is a response to a request message received via said communication interface; and   said determining of said one or more values of said one or more of said CSMA parameters is based on one or more initial values of said one or more CSMA parameters contained in said request message.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said CSMA parameters comprise a first parameter corresponding to an amount of time that said electronic device attempts to access said medium. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein an equation utilized for determining said first parameter is selected from a plurality of equations based on said comparison of said data stored in said communication device and said search token. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein a relatively-higher similarity between said data and said search token results in relatively-higher value of said first parameter, and a relatively-lower similarity between said data and said search token results in a relatively-lower value of said first parameter. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said CSMA parameters comprise a second parameter that corresponds to amount of time that said medium must be free before transmitting said message onto said medium. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a relatively-higher similarity between said data and said search token results in relatively-lower value of said second parameter, and a relatively-lower similarity between said data and said search token results in a relatively higher-value of said second parameter. 
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 an electronic device comprising a communication interface for communicating over a physical medium, said electronic device being operable to:
 determine one or more values of one or more CSMA parameters based on the result of a comparison of a received search token and data stored in said electronic device; and 
 regulate the transmission of a message onto said physical medium in accordance with a carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) scheme. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 said message is a response to a request message received via said communication interface; and   said search token was received in said request message.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 a result of said comparison is a score that indicates how similar said data is to said search token;   said determining of said one or more values of said one or more CSMA parameters is based on the result of a comparison of said score and one or more thresholds that were received in said request message.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 said message is a response to a request message received via said communication interface; and   said determining of said one or more values of said one or more of said CSMA parameters is based on one or more initial values of said one or more parameters contained in said request message.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said CSMA parameters comprise a first parameter corresponding to an amount of time that said electronic device attempts to access said medium. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein an equation utilized for determining said first parameter is selected from a plurality of equations based on said comparison of said data stored in said electronic device and said search token. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein a relatively-higher similarity between said data and said search token results in relatively-higher value of said first parameter, and a relatively-lower similarity between said data and said search token results in a relatively-lower value of said first parameter. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said CSMA parameters comprise a second parameter that corresponds to amount of time that said medium must be free before transmitting said message onto said medium. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein a relatively-higher similarity between said data and said search token results in relatively-lower value of said second parameter, and a relatively-lower similarity between said data and said search token results in a relatively higher-value of said second parameter. 
     
     
         19 . A method performed by a communication device which communicates over a shared communication medium, the method comprising:
 determining values of one or more timing parameters based on the result of a comparison of a received search token and data stored in said communication device; and   deciding when to transmit a message onto said shared communication medium based on detected activity on said shared communication medium and based on said one or more timing parameters.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein:
 said message is a response to a previously-received message comprising a threshold value;   a result of said comparison is a score that indicates how similar said data is to said search token;   said one or more values of said timing parameters are determined based on the result of a comparison of said score and said threshold value.