Patent ID: 9042354
Filing Date: 2015-05-26
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of controlling access of a station to a communications medium that is divided into time slots, the method comprising: a controller of the medium transmitting demarcation signals at regular intervals, each demarcation signal demarcating a respective time slot and containing one or more interrogatory codes; the station receiving a demarcation signal corresponding to a particular time slot; the station masking each of the one or more interrogatory codes from the received demarcation signal with a control mask to produce for each interrogatory code a respective masked interrogatory code; the station masking a response code generated by the station with the control mask to produce a masked response code; and the station barring itself from attempting to access the communications medium in the particular time slot if none of the one or more masked interrogatory codes matches the masked response code.