Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A frequency-hopping packet communication system without a master clock or master control unit is based on use of a receiver's frequency hopping timing and identification to control communication. A frequency-hopping band plan, involving the number of channels and the pseudo-random pattern of frequency change and nominal timing of changes, is universally known to each node in the network. A transmitter acquires synchronization with a target node by use of information previously received from or about a target indicating timing of present idle frequency hop of the target receiver. Each receiving node establishes in each station or node a table of receiver frequency hopping sequence offsets (hop timing offsets) of each other node within its communication range, and each node announces its presence on each frequency in a packet with a hop timing offset indicator. The hop timing offset indicator is a key used to read a table to allow nodes to set themselves in synchronization with one another. A location indicator built into the address of each packet is used to randomize an ordered frequency-hopping table at each node. Frequency-hopping is implemented by the division of communicaton slots and the accumulation of slots into epochs, wherein each epoch equals the total number of available slots (number of channels times the number of time frames per channel). The transmitting node tracks the pre-established frequency-hopping pattern for its target receiver based on previously-acquired information.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim