Patent ID: 7424029

Claim:
A machine-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for determining whether to transmit a signal during a time slot, the method comprising the following operations: detecting transmissions from a first group of users, wherein the transmissions are detected by a first designated user; determining a first count of the number of users in the first group of users; setting the value of a variable N 1,1 equal to one plus the first count; determining whether the first designated user has data to transmit during a first time slot; and if it is determined that the first designated user has data to transmit during the first time slot: generating a first random number; calculating 1/N 1,1 ; determining if the first random number is less than 1/N 1,1 ; and if it is determined that the first random number is less than 1/N 1,1 , transmitting a first time slot signal from the first designated user during the first time slot.