The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 05, 2016
Filed:
Jul. 28, 2014
Consert Inc., San Antonio, TX (US);
Joseph W. Forbes, Jr., Wake Forest, NC (US);
Joel L. Webb, Edmond, OK (US);
John O. F. Long, Raleigh, NC (US);
Consert Inc., San Antonio, TX (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method control transmission of messages over a fixed bandwidth communication link from fixed position client or communication devices to a central controller. In one exemplary embodiment, the central controller determines an identifier associated with each communication device, a reporting period during which messages are to be transmitted by the communication devices, and transmission increments within the reporting period. The central controller allocates each transmission increment to a respective group of multiple communication devices. The central controller then determines transmission times for messages from the communication devices, such that a transmission time for any particular communication device is based on (a) the identifier for the particular communication device, (b) a duration of a transmission increment allocated to a group of communication devices that includes the particular communication device, and (c) a quantity of communication devices in the group of communication devices that includes the particular communication device.