Patent ID: 7251224

Claim:
A method of assigning timeslot numbers to timeslots used for transmission and reception of signals between nodes in a network of nodes in which each node is able to communicate with at least one other node by a transmission link between said each node and said at least one other node, at least some of the nodes having a respective transmission link to each of plural other nodes, each transmission of a signal over a link from a first node to a second node taking place during a timeslot, the method comprising the steps of: assigning timeslot numbers to each timeslot, wherein timeslots having fewer unassigned timeslot numbers are assigned timeslot numbers before timeslots having a greater number of unassigned timeslot numbers and at least two consecutive timeslots are allocated on at least one link for transmission such that user traffic is in use transmitted continuously over more than one timeslot on said at least one link and wherein a timeslot number is assigned to said at least one link before timeslot numbers are assigned to any link not having two consecutive timeslots allocated for transmission.