Patent ID: 8054162

Claim:
A method for communicating between a control unit and a plurality of remote units located in a response area of the control unit, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a command from the control unit to the remote units, the command being a notch signal or a low bit count command structure; determining at the remote units, in response to said command from the control unit, a first random number specifying a predetermined time window for the transmission of a data sequence by the remote unit, where said remote units transmit said first random number to said control unit unless said first random number corresponds to a time window of a common, first transmission and, in that instance the remote units whose first random number corresponds to the time window of the common, first transmission, determine a new random number without transmitting said first random number to the control unit; transmitting the data sequence to the control unit upon receipt of the command sent by the control unit, wherein all of the remote units executing the command begin synchronously with the first transmission of the data sequence; and transmitting a control signal from the control unit to the remote units substantially simultaneously with the transmission or expected transmission of the data sequence from the remote units on a basis of a communication state, the communication state being an absence of a transmission of the data sequence by at least one of the remote units or an at least partially simultaneous transmission of the data sequence by more than one of the remote units.