Method of determining optimal transmission channel in multistation communications system

Claim 2

In a multi-station communications system utilizing a plurality of channels in common, a method of determining the order of transmission channels to be used - at each station utilizing a transmission priority assigned to each channel, comprising the steps: (a) receiving a transmission request; (b) selecting the channel with the highest transmission priority among the channels not in use at the station; (c) determining whether the selected channel is used at another station; (d) in the event that the selected channel is not used at another station, the transmission is performed via the selected channel; and (e) in the event that the selected channel is used at another station, a channel is selected which has the next highest transmission priority among the channels not in use at the station; (f) determining whether the channel selected at step (e) is used at another station; (g) in the event that the channel selected at step (e) is not used at another station, the channel is employed for transmission; and (h) in the event that the channel selected at step (e) is used at another station, steps (e) and (f) are repeated.

Claim 3

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission priority assigned to each channel is raised by a predetermined value in the event that the channel is detected to be umemployed by another station, and lowered by a predetermined value in the event that the channel is detected to be used by another station.

Claim 4

A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the time period required for the determining process at each of steps (c) and (f) is changed according to the transmission priority assigned to the selected channel.

Claim 7

In a multi-station communications system utilizing a plurality of channels in common, a method of determining the order of transmission channels to be used at each station utilizing a transmission priority assigned to each channel, comprising the steps: (a) receiving a transmission request; (b) selecting the channel with the highest transmission priority among the channels not in use at the station, wherein the transmission priority is a probability of the selected channels being not used at another station; (c) determining whether the selected channel is used at another station, wherein the time period required for the determining is changed according to the transmission priority assigned to the selected channel, and wherein a threshold level for use in determining whether the selected channel is used is changed according to the transmission priority assigned to each channel; (d) in the event that the selected channel is not used at another station, the transmission is performed via the selected channel; and (e) in the event that the selected channel is used at another station, a channel is selected which has the next highest transmission priority among the channels not in use at the station; (f) determining whether the channel selected at step (e) is used at another station, wherein the time period required for the determining is changed according to the transmission priority assigned to the selected channel, and wherein a threshold level for use in determining whether the selected channel is used is changed according to the transmission priority assigned to each ; (g) in the event that the channel selected at step (e) is not used at another station, the channel is employed for transmission; and (h) in the event that the channel selected at step (e) is used at another station, steps (e) and (f) are repeated.

Claim 8

In a multi-station communications system utilizing a plurality of channels in common, a method of determining the order of transmission channels to be used at each station utilizing a transmission priority assigned to each channel, comprising the steps: (a) receiving a transmission request; (b) selecting the channel with the highest transmission priority among the channels not in use at the station, wherein the transmission priority is a probability of the selected channels being not used at another station; (c) determining whether the selected channel is used at another station, wherein the time period required for the determining is changed according to the transmission priority assigned to the selected channel, and wherein a threshold level for use in determining whether the selected channel is used is changed according to the transmission priority assigned to each channel; (d) in the event that the selected channel is not used at another station, the transmission is performed via the selected channel; and (e) in the event that the selected channel is used at another station, a channel is selected which has the next highest transmission priority among the channels not in use at the station; (f) determining whether the channel selected at step (e) is used at another station, wherein the time period required for the determining is changed according to the transmission priority assigned to the selected channel, and wherein a threshold level for use in determining whether the selected channel is used is changed according to the transmission priority assigned to each ; (g) in the event that the channel selected at step (e) is not used at another station, the channel is employed for transmission; and (h) in the event that the channel selected at step (e) is used at another station, steps (e) and (f) are repeated.