MEDIUM ACCESS CONTROL PROTOCOL FOR DATA COMMUNICATIONS

摘要

A method for controlling communications between a hub and a plurality of distributed stations over a medium is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of a method for controlling communications access between a hub (8) and a plurality of distributed stations (M1-M7) over a medium, the method comprising the steps of (a) allocating a plurality of channels for data communications between the station (M1-M7) and the hub (8), the number of channels being at least equal to the number of stations, (M1-M7) and each station owning at least one channel, each channel being varyingly in one of an empty-, a reserved-, or an owner-state, and whereby (i) the empty-state provides a channel to which any station (M1-M7) can have access; (ii) the reserved-state provides a channel to which a station (M1-M7) having made a reservation with the hub (8), but not owning the channel, can have access; and (iii) the owner-state provides a channel to which only the owning station (M1-M7) has access; and (b) re-allocating the respective state and/or the number of channels over time on the basis of each station's data requirements.