Patent ID: 8773980

Claim:
A method for allocating bandwidth to a sequence of subscriber units, the sequence having a subscriber unit number 0 at a low end of the sequence and a subscriber unit number (N−1) at a high end of the sequence, N being an integer greater than two, said method comprising the steps of: (a) assigning N channels to the subscriber units so that each of the subscriber units has a respective one of the channels as a primary channel; (b) except for the subscriber unit number 0, assigning each subscriber unit in the sequence a secondary channel that serves as the primary channel for one of the subscriber units that is lower in the sequence; (c) assigning the primary channel of the subscriber unit (N−1) to the subscriber unit number 0 as a secondary channel; (d) permitting each subscriber unit to communicate data via its primary channel on a priority basis; and (e) permitting each subscriber unit to communicate data via its secondary channel if the secondary channel has bandwidth that is not reserved for the subscriber unit to which the secondary channel serves as a primary channel.