Cirrus Logic Inc.

Nirmalendu Bikash Patra

Rajugopal R Gubbi

Natarajan Ekambaram

Donia Sebastian

Donia Sevastian

Synchronization within a common communication channel having designated transmission time slots for various devices of a computer network is maintained by allowing transmissions within the channel outside of a network device's designated time slot when a clear channel assessment indicates that a previous time slot is not being utilized by its associated device and/or upon receipt of an indication of the end of a transmission of another device in the network. The clear channel assessment preferably takes into account the device's designated transmission time slot within the communication channel with respect to those of other network devices and may be a time period that is the product of a predetermined clear channel waiting time and a numerical representation of the device's designated transmission time slot within the communication channel with respect to those of other network devices. The clear channel waiting time itself may be specified by a network master device as part of a network connection process. The network device may be configured to construct one or more packets for transmission within the network in advance of its designated time slot to accommodate these early transmissions.

Network slot synchronization scheme for a computer network communication channel

Admission to a computer network is provided by having a network device listen to a communication channel communicatively coupling two or more components of the computer network. In some cases, the network device may then transmit a connection request to a controller of the computer network within a designated time slot of the communication channel. In other cases, the connection request may be transmitted without requiring the network device to be polled. The connection request may be confirmed by transmitting the connection request from the controller to network device periodically, until a response from the first network device is received by the controller. Upon confirmation, the controller may send to the network device, a connection agreements package, which includes information regarding time slots within the communication channel to be used by the controller for transmitting information to the first network device. The connection agreement packet may further include information regarding time slots within the communication channel to be used by the network device when transmitting information to the controller. Thus, during normal communications, data from the network device destined for the controller may be transmitted in the time slots designated in the connection agreement packet. In some cases, the information sent between the network device and the controller includes packets and, in such cases, the connection agreement may include information regarding a maximum number of bytes the network device can send or expect to receive in each packet, for each type of data included in a packet.

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Cameron Park, CA, United States of America

Nirmalendu Bikash Patra