Patent ID: 7274908

Claim:
A demand assignment method for a synchronous communication network including a hub and a plurality of user nodes each at a different distance from the hub that communicate with the hub via a satellite, said method comprising steps of: transmitting a first frame from the hub to said each user node, the first frame including a first burst time plan according to a demand data structure and predetermined rules; transmitting a first respective data burst in a first frame time period from said each of the user nodes to the hub according to the first burst time plan, a start of the first frame time period from said each of the user nodes being received at the hub simultaneously, each first data burst including a demand field; storing each demand field in the demand data structure; transmitting a second frame from the hub to said each user node immediately following the first frame, the second frame including a second burst time plan according to the demand data structure and the predetermined rules; transmitting a second respective data burst in a second frame time period from said each of the user nodes to the hub according to the second burst time plan, a start of the second frame time period from said each of the user nodes being received at the hub simultaneously, wherein the second respective data burst in the second frame time period is received at the hub immediately following the first respective data burst in the first frame time period.