William E Earnshaw

US Patent:

6907044, Jun 14, 2005

Filed:

Aug 4, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/632609

Inventors:

Brian E. Markwalter - Ocala FL, US
James Philip Patella - Hernando FL, US
William E. Earnshaw - Ocala FL, US

Assignee:

Intellon Corporation - Ocala FL

International Classification:

H04L012/413

US Classification:

370445, 370462

Abstract:

A CSMA Media Access Control (MAC) scheme for supporting both centralized and distributed shared medium access control in a CSMA network. A master device exchanges connection control messages with a slave during using contention-oriented access to establish a connection and a session of periodic contention-free intervals. Once the session is established, the contention-free intervals alternate with contention-oriented intervals according to the timing parameters specified by the connection control messages. Each of the contention-free intervals is divided into slots, the master transmitting in a downstream frame and the slave device transmitting an upstream frame in a following slot if the downstream frame indicates a source address matching that of the master device, a contention-free access at a highest priority and a connection number corresponding to the connection established between the master device and the slave device, thus downstream frame thus serving to poll the slave device and trigger the slave device's upstream frame. Master control is passed from one device to another device during the contention-free interval using additional control information, more specifically, a master flag for indicating which device has master control and a control flag for indicating the direction in which master control is being passed. Arrangements to change session parameters or change session control are made using connection control messages using contention-oriented access.

US Patent:

6909723, Jun 21, 2005

Filed:

Aug 4, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/632597

Inventors:

Brian E. Markwalter - Ocala FL, US
James Philip Patella - Hernando FL, US
William E. Earnshaw - Ocala FL, US

Assignee:

Intellon Corporation - Ocala FL

International Classification:

H04L012/413
H04L012/56

US Classification:

370447, 370462, 370474

Abstract:

A scheme for bounding latency of transmissions for QoS in network stations operating in shared medium access network. The length of segment burst transmissions are limited by allowing the segment burst transmission of a given priority to be interrupted by higher priority traffic. Restrictions are placed on frame length for transmissions of all priority levels or, alternatively, at all but the highest of the priority levels.

US Patent:

7120847, Oct 10, 2006

Filed:

Jun 26, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/180171

Inventors:

William E. Earnshaw - Ocala FL, US

Assignee:

Intellon Corporation - Ocala FL

International Classification:

G08C 25/02
H04L 1/08

US Classification:

714748, 714749, 714776

Abstract:

A transmit process that limits the time during which a reduced network bandwidth exists between two powerline nodes because a receiving node fails to respond to frame transmission attempts by a transmitting node is described. The transmit process restricts the number of retries that occur in a lower date rate transmission mode and, for a predetermined time period to follow, drops all subsequent frames destined for the non-responding node.

US Patent:

7298691, Nov 20, 2007

Filed:

Aug 4, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/632867

Inventors:

Brian E. Markwalter - Ocala FL, US
James Philip Patella - Hernando FL, US
William E. Earnshaw - Ocala FL, US

Assignee:

Intellon Corporation - Ocala FL

International Classification:

H04J 1/16
H04J 3/14

US Classification:

370203, 370430, 370445, 370462, 370465, 375220

Abstract:

A rate-adaptive mechanism for optimizing transmitter/receiver connections on a carrier-by-carrier basis for maximum date rate based on channel attributes for that connection and direction. Channel information is produced by a channel adaptation process based on channel characteristics and is stored in both transmitter and receiver as a channel map with an associated a channel map index for channel map look-up. The channel map index for a channel map used to modulate a payload of a frame is conveyed by transmitter to receiver in the frame so that the receiver is able to select the correct channel map for demodulation.

US Patent:

7352770, Apr 1, 2008

Filed:

Aug 4, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/632303

Inventors:

Brian E. Markwalter - Ocala FL, US
James Philip Patella - Hernando FL, US
William E. Earnshaw - Ocala FL, US

Assignee:

Intellon Corporation - Ocala FL

International Classification:

H04L 12/413
H04J 3/16
H04J 3/22
H04J 11/00

US Classification:

370445, 370468

Abstract:

An access contention scheme having both multi-level priorities and a contention-free access indicator for use by a station in a network of stations. When a contention control indicator is detected for a contention period, a station having a frame to transmit determines from the contention control indicator if it is permitted to contend for access to the transmission medium during the contention period. The station determines if the contention control indicator indicates a contention-free access and, if the contention control information indicates a contention-free access, the station determines if a channel access priority level associated with the frame to be transmitted is higher than a channel access priority level associated with a last transmitted frame. If the channel access priority level associated with the frame to be transmitted is higher, the station detects whether any station in the network of stations intends to contend for access to the medium at a channel access priority level that is higher than the channel access priority level associated with the frame to be transmitted. If so, the station defers contention for access.

US Patent:

7623542, Nov 24, 2009

Filed:

Oct 21, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/695371

Inventors:

Srinivas Katar - Ocala FL, US
William E. Earnshaw - Ocala FL, US

Assignee:

Intellon Corporation - Ocala FL

International Classification:

H04L 12/413

US Classification:

370445, 370462

Abstract:

A method of operating in a network in which stations communicate over a shared medium is described. The method provides regularly repeated contention free intervals, CSMA communication during times outside the contention free intervals, and distributed control over the initiation and makeup of the contention free intervals to a plurality of stations so that any of the plurality of stations can independently initiate transmission within the contention free interval.

US Patent:

7715425, May 11, 2010

Filed:

Feb 26, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/787544

Inventors:

Srinivas Katar - Ocala FL, US
William E. Earnshaw - Ocala FL, US
Bart W. Blanchard - Fort McCoy FL, US
Hassan Kaywan Afkhamie - Ocala FL, US
Harper Brent Mashburn - Gainesville FL, US

Assignee:

Atheros Communications, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H04J 3/16

US Classification:

370437, 370465, 370503, 340538

Abstract:

A method of operating in a network (e. g. , a power line communication network) in which a plurality of stations communicate over a shared medium (e. g. , an AC power line) having a periodically varying channel. The method includes determining a plurality of channel adaptations (e. g. , tone maps) for communication between a pair of stations, and assigning a different one of the plurality of channel adaptations to each of a plurality of phase regions of the periodically varying channel.

US Patent:

7826466, Nov 2, 2010

Filed:

Jun 26, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/180175

Inventors:

James Philip Patella - Hernando FL, US
William E. Earnshaw - Ocala FL, US
William Winston Williams - Tarpon Springs FL, US
Timothy Robert Gargrave - Ocala FL, US

Assignee:

Atheros Communications, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

H04L 12/28

US Classification:

370412, 370444

Abstract:

Media Access Control (MAC) layer transmit and receive buffering with multi-level prioritization. The receive buffering allocates receive buffers for receiving frame data from a PHY interface in priority order using both a static and dynamic buffer allocation, and delivers completed buffers queued in a multi-level priority queue to a host interface highest priority first. The transmit buffering delivers completed buffers queued in a multi-level priority queue to the PHY interface in priority order. When the multi-level priority queue contains a buffer that is higher priority than one being prepared for transmit, a priority-based interruption causes the transmit processing of the buffer to be suspended at its current state with the higher priority buffer taking its place. Upon completion of the higher priority buffer, the suspended buffer is resumed at its current state.