Patent ID: 8428034
Filing Date: 2013-04-23
Classification: H04J,H04Q

Abstract:
1. A method of data communications between a headend node and a plurality of secondary nodes, the method providing an efficient use of an upstream channel in burst mode with a variable number of data frames, the method comprising the steps of: a) monitoring a variable length data burst at one of the secondary nodes in a demand assignment multiple access (DAMA) data communication system, as said data burst is packed into the variable number of data frames for transmission in a respective assigned TDM slot; b) aligning the variable number of data frames into a variable number of encoded blocks defining a variable transmission time, said aligning aligns a start-of-frame (/S/) of the variable number of data frames to a start of said variable number of encoded blocks, said variable number of encoded blocks being deterministically derived from said variable number of data frames and is predictable by the headend node; and c) transmitting said variable number of encoded blocks from said one secondary node to the headend node of the data communication system via the upstream channel.