| 摘要 |
A number of network components are arranged in a hierarchical fashion and communicatively coupled to one another through communication links (21, Radio) operative at different levels of the hierarchy. A highest level of the hierarchy uses a communication protocol that supports dynamic addition of new network components at any level of the hierarchy according to bandwidth requirements within a communication channel operative at the highest level of the network hierarchy. Preferably, the communication channel is supported on a wireless communication link. Within the network, requests by new network components for access to the communication channel are dynamically accommodated by one or more others of the network components by allocating time slots for transmissions of information associated with the new network components within the communication channel. In one embodiment, this is accommodated by configuring the communication channel with a quiet time slot within which requests by new network components for access to the communication channel may be received. |
