Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A communications station for use on a single channel, time division, multiple access information network, said single channel being divided into a plurality of time slots, said communications station comprising in combination: selectable Aloha protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using an Aloha protocol; selectable Reservation protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using a Reservation protocol; reservation information means for transmitting and receiving reservation information; a reservation queue for storing reservation information transmitted on said network and received by said reservation information means; and means for switching from said Reservation protocol means to said Aloha protocol means when said reservation queue has been clear for a predetermined non-zero number of time slots.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
118 words
A communications station for use on a single channel, time division, multiple access information network, said single channel being divided into a plurality of time slots, said communications station comprising in combination: selectable Aloha protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using an Aloha protocol; selectable Reservation protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using a Reservation protocol; reservation information means for transmitting and receiving reservation information; a reservation queue for storing reservation information transmitted on said network and received by said reservation information means; and means for switching from said Reservation protocol means to said Aloha protocol means when said reservation queue has been clear for a predetermined non-zero number of time slots.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
The communications station of claim 1, wherein: when said Reservation protocol means is selected, each of said time slots includes a predetermined number of minislots for the transmission of said reservation information; and said predetermined non-zero number of time slots is dependent on the number of minislots per time slot.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The communications station of claim 1, further comprising means for switching from said Aloha protocol means to said Reservation protocol means when a predetermined number of information packets have collided within a predetermined window, said window being a predetermined number of recently received time slots.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
109 words
A communications station for use on a single channel, time division, multiple access network, said single channel being divided into a plurality of time slots, said communications station comprising in combination; selectable Reservation protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using a Reservation protocol; selectable TDMA protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using a TDMA protocol; means for switching from said Reservation protocol means to said TDMA protocol means when more than a first predetermined number of stations operating on said network having transmitted information packets within a first predetermined window, said first window being a first predetermined number of recently received time slots.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
109 words
A communications station for use on a single channel, time division, multiple access network, said single channel being divided into a plurality of time slots, said communications station comprising in combination; selectable Reservation protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using a Reservation protocol; selectable TDMA protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using a TDMA protocol; means for switching from said Reservation protocol means to said TDMA protocol means when more than a first predetermined number of stations operating on said network having transmitted information packets within a first predetermined window, said first window being a first predetermined number of recently received time slots.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
The communications station of claim 4, wherein: when said Reservation protocol means is selected, each of said time slots includes a predetermined number of minislots for the transmission of reservation information; and said first predetermined number of stations is dependent on the number of minislots per time slot.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
The communications station of claim 4, wherein: each station operating on said network transmits messages, each message including at least one information packet; and the size of said first window is dependent on the number of stations operating on said network and the average number of packets in each message.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
The communications station of claim 4, further comprising: means for switching from said TDMA protocol means to said Reservation protocol means when less than a second predetermined number of stations operating on said network have transmitted information packets within a second predetermined window, said second window being a second predetermined number of recently received time slots.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
The communications station of claim 7, wherein: said single channel is organized into a plurality of frames, each of said frames including a plurality of said time slots; and said second predetermined number of stations is dependent on the number of time slots per frame.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The communications station of claim 7, wherein the size of said second window is dependent on the number of time slots per frame.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
107 words
A communications station for use on a single channel, time division, multiple access network, said single channel being divided into a plurality of time slots, said communications station comprising in combination; selectable Aloha protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using an Aloha protocol; selectable Reservation protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using a Reservation protocol; selectable TDMA protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using a TDMA protocol; first switching means for switching between said Aloha protocol means and said Reservation protocol means; and second switching means for switching between said Reservation protocol means and said TDMA protocol means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
107 words
A communications station for use on a single channel, time division, multiple access network, said single channel being divided into a plurality of time slots, said communications station comprising in combination; selectable Aloha protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using an Aloha protocol; selectable Reservation protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using a Reservation protocol; selectable TDMA protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using a TDMA protocol; first switching means for switching between said Aloha protocol means and said Reservation protocol means; and second switching means for switching between said Reservation protocol means and said TDMA protocol means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
70 words
The communications station of claim 10, further comprising: reservation information means for transmitting and receiving reservation information; a reservation queue for storing reservation information transmitted on said network and received by said reservation information means; and wherein said first switching means includes means for switching from said Reservation protocol means to said Aloha protocol means when said reservation queue has been clear for a predetermined non-zero number of time slots.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
The communications station of claim 11, wherein: when said Reservation protocol means is selected, each of said time slots includes a predetermined number of minislots for the transmission of reservation information; and said predetermined non-zero number of time slots is dependent on the number of minislots per time slot.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
49 words
The communications station of claim 10, wherein said first switching means includes means for switching from said Aloha protocol means to said Reservation protocol means when a predetermined number of information packets have collided within a predetermined window, said window being a predetermined number of recently received time slots.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
56 words
The communications station of claim 10, wherein: said second switching means includes means for switching from said Reservation protocol means to said TDMA protocol means when more than a predetermined number of stations operating on said network have transmitted information packets within a predetermined window, said window being a predetermined number of recently received time slots.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
47 words
The communications station of claim 14, wherein: when said Reservation protocol means is selected, each of said time slots includes a predetermined number of minislots for the transmission of reservation information; and said predetermined number of stations is dependent on the number of minislots per time slot.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
49 words
The communications station of claim 14, wherein: each station operating on said network transmits messages, each message including at least one information packet; and the size of said window is dependent on the number of stations operating on said network and the average number of packets in each message.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
57 words
The communications station of claim 10, wherein: said second switching means includes means for switching from said TDMA protocol means to said Reservation protocol means when less than a predetermined number of stations operating on said network have transmitted information packets within a predetermined window, said window being a second predetermined number of recently received time slots.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
44 words
The communications station of claim 17, wherein: said single channel is organized into a plurality of frames, each of said frames including a plurality of said time slots; and said predetermined number of stations is dependent on the number of time slots per frame.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
The communications station of claim 17, wherein the size of said window is dependent on the number of time slots per frame.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
101 words
A communications station for use on a single channel, time division, multiple access network, said single channel being divided into a plurality of time slots, said communications station comprising in combination: selectable Aloha protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using an Aloha protocol; selectable TDMA protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using a TDMA protocol; means for switching from said Aloha protocol means to said TDMA protocol means when a predetermined number of information packets have collided within a first predetermined window, said first window being a first predetermined number of recently received time slots.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
101 words
A communications station for use on a single channel, time division, multiple access network, said single channel being divided into a plurality of time slots, said communications station comprising in combination: selectable Aloha protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using an Aloha protocol; selectable TDMA protocol means for transmitting and receiving message information packets using a TDMA protocol; means for switching from said Aloha protocol means to said TDMA protocol means when a predetermined number of information packets have collided within a first predetermined window, said first window being a first predetermined number of recently received time slots.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
55 words
The communications station of claim 20, further comprising: means for switching from said TDMA protocol means to said Aloha protocol means when less than a predetermined number of stations operating on said network have transmitted information packets within a second predetermined window, said second window being a second predetermined number of recently received time slots.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
44 words
The communications station of claim 21, wherein: said single channel is organized into a plurality of frames, each of said frames including a plurality of said time slots; and said predetermined number of stations is dependent on the number of time slots per frame.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
The communications station of claim 21, wherein the size of said second window is dependent on the number of time slots per frame.