CONTENTION-SOLVING METHOD FOR A BIDIRECTIONAL T.V. DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

摘要

The invention relates to a TV distribution system which comprises a network head-end, user stations and an upstream channel from the user stations to the network head-end. Each upstream channel transports an upstream frame divided into time slot regions, each region corresponding to a different type of access for the stations. Each frame can notably contain a contention based region to which all the stations have free access. It is an object of the invention to propose a method of solving collisions which may happen during the access to the contention based region by said stations. In accordance with the invention, when one or various contentions have been detected, the use of the contention based region of a following upstream channel is reserved to the solution of these contentions. The size of this contention based region is determined by the number of contentions to be solved. Only the stations that are involved in one of said contentions are authorized to use this contention based region for retransmitting the data about which there has been contention.