Patent ID: 7095728

Claim:
A method of resolving contention between at least two interfaces sharing the same communication means or the same communication resource, by synchronization of operation of said interfaces wherein: periods of use of said interfaces, in particular periods of use of said shared means or resource, do not overlap, each of said interfaces provides an interface with a corresponding one of two communication networks and can be interconnected to provide a bidirectional transmission link between said two networks, and said networks each include one or more mobile or fixed units or stations; said method comprising the steps of: making one of said interfaces a master interface relative to other fixed or mobile units or stations of the associated network, and making another of said interfaces a slave of the associated network, to which it can be connected, making operation of said master interface dependent on said slave interface, allocating to each interface specific time periods to use said shared resource, and imposing the time of said network of said slave interface on said master interface and said associated network, and in the event of a call request from said network associated with said slave interface, first setting up the connection of the calling fixed or mobile station with said slave interface, and then setting up the connection between said master interface and the destination mobile or fixed station of the associated network, said time periods for said master interface/network connection being compatible with said time intervals imposed on said slave interface by said associated network, to synchronize said interfaces, in particular with regard to use of said shared resource.