Patent ID: 6567416
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
A method for access control in a wireless communications network, said network having a base station and a plurality of remote hosts between which uplink and downlink frames flow, said base station having a downlink queue, each of said remote hosts having an uplink queue, each of said uplink frames containing contention minislots, said contention minislots being organized into a plurality of access priority classes, each of said access priority classes being characterized by a different priority, the method comprising:configuring a number N of said contention minislots in each of said uplink frames; allowing for a number m of said plurality of access priority classes at said base station; at each of said remote hosts of an access priority class i, randomly picking one of said contention minislots in which to send an access request, said picked contention minislot being in a range from 1 to Ni where N(i+1)i and Ni=N when i=1; receiving at least one of said access requests at said base station; identifying uncollided ones of said received access requests; and granting access to one of said remote hosts that made an uncollided one of said access requests.