# US 2026/0100863 A1 · Collision avoidance for a communication network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0100863 A1 - Document ID: US20260100863A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/350,147 - Filed: 2025-10-06 - Published: 2026-04-09 - Earliest claimed: 2024-10-08 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG - Applicants: Infineon Technologies AG - Inventors: Daniel Mysliwitz; Vivin Richards Allimuthu Elavarasu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260100863A1 ## CPC - H04L 12/413: with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD] - H04L 41/0816: the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events - H04L 12/12: Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof - H04L 12/40143: {involving priority mechanisms (hybrid switching fabrics H04L12/6402; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90; time-division multiplex systems H04J3/00)} - H04L 47/24: Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS - H04W 74/0816: with collision avoidance - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A mechanism for determining a transmit order sequence for inter-device communication within a communication network that facilitates one of the devices to operate in a priority mode. If the communication network operates in a priority mode and the device has a particular priority value, the device is provided with more than one transmit opportunity within a transmit order sequence. If the device does not have the particular priority value, the device is provided with a single transmit opportunity within the transmit order sequence. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A collision avoidance module for an electronic device of a communication network, wherein the electronic device is configured to transmit data to one or more other electronic devices of the communication network over a shared communication medium during transmit opportunities for the electronic device, wherein the collision avoidance module is configured to: store a priority mode indicator indicating whether or not the communication network is operating in a priority mode; store a priority value; determine, as a respective device position, a position in a transmit order sequence for each of one or more transmit opportunities for the electronic device, wherein each determined device position for the electronic device avoids conflict with any device position for any transmit opportunity of any of the one or more other electronic devices; and responsive to a beacon signal over the shared communication medium, step through the transmit order sequence, wherein the collision avoidance module is configured to, when the priority mode indicator indicates that the communication network is operating in the priority mode: responsive to the stored priority value having one of a set of one or more first values, determine the one or more transmit opportunities to be only a single transmit opportunity; and responsive to the stored priority value having a second value, different to any of the set of one or more first values, determine the one or more transmit opportunities to be a plurality of transmit opportunities. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The collision avoidance module of claim 1, wherein the collision avoidance module is configured to, responsive to the priority mode indicator indicating that the communication network is operating in the priority mode and the stored priority value having the second value, determine the respective device positions for the plurality of transmit opportunities to be separated by at least one other position in the transmit order sequence. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The collision avoidance module of claim 2, wherein the collision avoidance module is configured to, responsive to the priority mode indicator indicating that the communication network is operating in the priority mode and the stored priority value having the second value, determine the respective device positions for the plurality of transmit opportunities to be separated by exactly one other position in the transmit order sequence. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1, 2, 3) The collision avoidance module of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the collision avoidance module is configured to: store a numeric identifier for the electronic device, wherein the numeric identifier differs from any numeric identifier of any of the one or more other electronic devices of the communication network; and responsive to the priority mode indicator indicating that the communication network is operating in the priority mode and the stored priority value having one of the set of one or more first values, determine the device position for the single transmit opportunity responsive to the numeric identifier. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The collision avoidance module of claim 4, wherein the numeric identifier indicates a position in a sequence of devices comprising the electronic device and the one or more other electronic devices of the communication network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The collision avoidance module of claim 5, wherein: the priority value identifies which, if any, of the electronic device and the one or more other electronic devices is a priority device in the communication network; each first value identifies that one of the one or more other electronic devices is the priority device; and the second value of the priority value indicates that the electronic device is the priority device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The collision avoidance module of claim 6, wherein the collision avoidance module is configured to: responsive to the priority mode indicator indicating that the communication network is operating in the priority mode and the stored priority value having one of a set of one or more first values, determine the device position to be the M-th position in the transmit order sequence, wherein: M is equal to (2N) or (2N−1); and N is equal to the position of the electronic device in a modified sequence of devices, being the sequence of devices excluding the priority device identified by the priority value. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The collision avoidance module of claim 1, further configured to store a node number value identifying a total number of the one or more other electronic devices, wherein the total number of the plurality of transmit opportunities comprises no more than the total number of the one or more other electronic devices. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The collision avoidance module of claim 8, wherein the total number of the plurality of transmit opportunities is equal to the total number of the one or more other electronic devices. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The collision avoidance module of claim 1, configured to: store a transmit opportunity duration; and step through the transmit order sequence by starting at a first position in the transmit order sequence and iteratively: beginning a timer; responsive to a data transmission by the electronic device or any other electronic device over the shared communication medium occurring before the timer reaches the transmit opportunity duration, waiting until the data transmission has ended before moving to a next position in the transmit order sequence; and responsive to a data transmission by the electronic device or any other electronic device over the shared communication medium occurring before the timer reaches the transmit opportunity duration, moving to a next position in the transmit order sequence responsive to the timer reaching the transmit opportunity duration. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The collision avoidance module of claim 1, wherein the shared communication medium is an Ethernet cable. ### Claim 12 A computer-implemented method for determining transmit opportunities for an electronic device, wherein the electronic device is configured to only transmit data to one or more other electronic devices of a communication network over a shared communication medium during a transmit opportunity for the electronic device, wherein the computer-implemented method comprises: storing a priority mode indicator indicating whether or not the communication network is operating in a priority mode; storing a priority value; determining, as a respective device position, a position in a transmit order sequence for each of one or more transmit opportunities for the electronic device, wherein each determined device position for the electronic device avoids conflict with any device position for any transmit opportunity of any of the one or more other electronic devices; and responsive to a beacon signal over the shared communication medium, stepping through the transmit order sequence, wherein the computer-implemented method comprises, when the priority mode indicator indicates that the communication network is operating in the priority mode: responsive to the stored priority value having one of a set of one or more first values, determining the one or more transmit opportunities to be only a single transmit opportunity; and responsive to the stored priority value having a second value, different to any of the set of one or more first values, determining the one or more transmit opportunities to be a plurality of transmit opportunities. ### Claim 13 A communication arrangement for an electronic device comprising; a medium access module for controlling access of the electronic device to a shared communication medium, wherein the shared communication medium is coupled to at least one other electronic device that shares the shared communication medium with the electronic device; a transceiver module for transmitting data over the shared communication medium; and a collision avoidance module comprising a memory to store a priority value associated with the electronic device, the priority value indicative of whether or not the electronic device is a priority device; and a processor configured to, based on the priority value, determine one or more positions in a transmit opportunity sequence for use by the electronic device, wherein the transmit opportunity sequence includes a plurality of respective transmit opportunities over the shared communication that are allocated for use by respective ones of the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device, the processor further configured to determine a single position in the transmit opportunity sequence for use by the electronic device when the priority value indicates that the electronic device is not the priority device and determine more than one position in the transmit opportunity sequence for use by the electronic device when the priority value indicates that the electronic device is the priority device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The communication arrangement of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to determine the single position or the more than one position in the transmit opportunity sequence based on a number of electronic devices coupled to the shared communication medium. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The communication arrangement of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to determine the single position or the more than one position in the transmit opportunity sequence based on a pre-assigned position of the electronic device in the transmit opportunity sequence. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The communication arrangement of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to determine the single position or the more than one position in the transmit opportunity sequence based on a number of positions in the transmit opportunity sequence. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The communication arrangement of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to determine the more than one position in the transmit opportunity sequence by assigning odd numbered positions in the transmit opportunity sequence to the electronic device in addition to a pre-assigned position. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The communication arrangement of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to determine the more than one position in the transmit opportunity sequence by assigning even numbered positions in the transmit opportunity sequence to the electronic device in addition to a pre-assigned position. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The communication arrangement of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to determine the single position in the transmit opportunity sequence based on a pre-assigned position of the electronic device in the transmit opportunity sequence.