MANAGING COMMUNICATIONS OVER A SHARED MEDIUM

摘要

In a network, some data are transmitted between stations during time slots in contention free periods. Selecting the time slots includes collecting timing information at some stations in the network. The timing information indicates the times of existing time slots used by stations whose transmissions can be reliably received by the station collecting the timing information. The timing information is distributed to other stations in the network. A new time slot for transmission between a first and a second station is selected based at least on timing information indicating the times of existing time slots used by stations whose transmissions can be reliably received by at least one of the first and second station. The network is preferably a Broadband Power Line Network, BPLN, which comprises a Head End station HE and a plurality of Repeaters R1,R2. TDMA schedule information for contention-free access of stations to the medium is communicated in beacons.