Distributed method and apparatus for allocating a communication medium

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US007756153B1

(12) United States Patent

Lu et al.

(io) Patent No.: (45) Date of Patent:

US 7,756,153 Bl *Jul. 13, 2010

(54) DISTRIBUTED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ALLOCATING A COMMUNICATION MEDIUM

(75) Inventors: Xiaolin Lu, Highlands Ranch, CO (US);

Xiaoxin Qiu, Middletown, NJ (US)

(73) Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.,

Reno, NV (US)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 377 days.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

(21) Appl.No.: 11/359,395

(22) Filed: Feb. 23, 2006

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation of application No. 10/150,110, filed on May 20, 2002, now Pat. No. 7,079,547, which is a continuation of application No. 09/145,074, filed on Sep. 1, 1998, now Pat. No. 6,501,765.

(51) Int. CI.

H04L12/413 (2006.01)

(52) U.S. CI 370/447

(58) Field of Classification Search None

See application file for complete search history.

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

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5,469,439 A 11/1995 Thaler etal.

The invention provides a method and apparatus for end-users to allocate a communication medium locally without requiring a central arbitration device while guaranteeing access to the end-users. The end-users bid for control of an upstream data channel by concurrently transmitting auction data and address data on a first upstream signaling channel and a second upstream signaling channel. An end-user gains control of the upstream data channel when data received from the first and second downstream signaling channels match the auction and address bits. When it is determined that the enduser lost the bid, the end-user backs off from the first and second upstream signaling channels and refrains from bidding until the first and second upstream signaling channels become quiet.

20 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets

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* cited by examiner