Patent ID: 7672328

Claim:
A transmit scheduler for a terminal device transmitting and/or receiving data information in a Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) network; the transmit scheduler comprising: a first transmit scheduler state-machine (FTSM); a second transmit scheduler state-machine (STSM), different from said FTSM, and implemented in hardware logic circuitry; and a reload value unit; wherein functional partitioning between the FTSM and the STSM is such that the most constrained real-time requirements are allocated to the STSM while all complex decisions and non time-critical controls are allocated to the FTSM; wherein the STSM comprises a first guard period counter measuring the predetermined guard period and sending a first signal to a STSM Controller when the guard period has lapsed, and wherein the reload value unit is configured to reload and activate the first guard period counter; wherein the STSM comprises the STSM Controller operative to generate a reloading signal to the reload value unit, wherein the STSM Controller is configured to operate in and switch between four basic states: a first state present when a total backoff period has lapsed; a second state present when a communication medium is indicated as busy; a third state present during a predetermined guard period; and a fourth state present during each backoff counting period.