Method of using sub-rate slots in an ultrawide bandwidth system
View Patent ↗A method is provided to pass information in a wireless network. The available channel time in the network is first divided into a plurality of sequential superframes. Some devices may need to transmit during every superframe, but others will only need to transmit during a fraction of the superframes. These devices are assigned sub-rate time slots in the superframes at sub-rates that must be a power of two. In other words, they can only be assigned sub-rate time slots every second superframe, every fourth superframe, every eighth superframe, etc. This allows the sub-rate time slots to be spread more evenly throughout the plurality of sequential superframes, and minimizes the amount of overlap possible.
1. A method of passing information in a wireless network, comprising:
dividing an available channel time in the wireless network into a plurality of sequential superframes;
transmitting first signals from a first device only during one out of every K 1 sequential superframes; and
transmitting second signals from a second device only during one out of every K 2 sequential superframes,
wherein K 1 and K 2 are each chosen from the set consisting of powers of two.
2. A method of passing information in a wireless network, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and the second devices do not ever transmit signals during the same superframe.
3. A method of passing information in a wireless network, as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein each superframe has a limited number of sub-rate time slots, and
wherein the first and second signals are transmitted in the sub-rate time slots.
4. A method of passing information in a wireless network, comprising:
dividing an available channel time in the wireless network into a plurality of sequential superframes; and
transmitting first through N th signals from first through N th devices, respectively, only during one out of every K 1 to K N sequential superframes, respectively,
wherein K 1 to K N are each integers chosen from the set consisting of powers of two.
5. A method of passing information in a wireless network, as recited in claim 4 ,
wherein
1
K
1
+
1
K
2
+
⋯
+
1
K
N
<
1
,
and
wherein no two of the first through N th devices transmit signals during the same superframe.
6. A method of passing information in a wireless network, as recited in claim 4 ,
wherein
1
K
1
+
1
K
2
+
⋯
+
1
K
N
<
J
,
and
wherein no more than J of the first through N th devices transmit signals during the same superframe, and
wherein J is an integer greater than 1.
7. A method of passing information in a wireless network, as recited in claim 4 ,
wherein each superframe has a limited number of sub-rate time slots, and
wherein the first through N th signals are transmitted in the sub-rate time slots.