Patent ID: 7664508

Claim:
A communication controller in a data network, the data network including a plurality of nodes, the communication controller comprising: a processor; a memory; and at least one interface for communicating with the plurality of nodes and interacting with the processor as controlled by code stored in the memory, wherein the interface is configured to: receive a request signal provided from a first node in the plurality of nodes and a random access request signal from a second node in the plurality of nodes, the request signal selected by the first node from one of a first slot and a second slot when the first node has upstream information to transmit, transmit downstream authorization information from the communication controller subsequent to the communication controller receiving said request signal from the first node, said downstream authorization information comprising information which allows the first node to transmit the upstream information from the first node to the communication controller, wherein the first slot in which the first node may transmit said request signal is a slot where the plurality of nodes including the second node can transmit random access requests, and wherein the second slot in which the first node may transmit said request signal is a slot which is exclusively assigned to the first node.