Adaptive media control

An apparatus for controlling media access by a plurality of stations configured to communicate over a shared communication medium in a communication system comprising:

• means for assigning communication resources in accordance with quality of service requirements of a plurality of communication sessions, including a means for determining a polling pattern;
• means for polling each of the communication stations to transmit data over the shared communication medium for the plurality of communication sessions according to the polling pattern;
• means for monitoring data transmitted by the communication stations in response to the polling;
• and
• means for adapting assignment of the communication resources in accordance with the monitoring, including adapting the polling pattern including for each of the communication sessions adapting a rate of polling associated with said session according to said monitoring and said quality of service requirements by
• reducing a rate of polling for a session in response to the monitored transmissions for that session corresponding to a reduction in actual rate of transmission for that session;
• and
• increasing a rate of polling for a session in response to the monitored transmissions for that session corresponding to an increase in actual rate of transmission for that session.

A computer readable medium encoded with software for causing a computer to perform the functions of:

• assigning communication resources in accordance with quality of service requirements of a plurality of communication sessions on a shared communication medium, including determining a polling pattern;
• polling each of plurality of communication stations to transmit data for the plurality og communication sessions according to a polling pattern;
• monitoring data transmitted over the shared communication medium by the communication stations in response to the polling;
• adapting assignment of the communication resources in accordance with the monitoring, including adapting the polling pattern including for each of the communication sessions adapting a rate of polling associated with said session according to said monitoring and said quality of service requirements by
• reducing a rate of polling for a session in response to the monitored transmissions for that session corresponding to a reduction in actual rate of transmission for that session;
• and
• increasing a rate of polling for a session in response to the monitored transmissions for that session corresponding to an increase in actual rate of transmission for that session;
• and
• continuing polling of each of the communication stations according to the adapted polling pattern.

An apparatus for polling a plurality of stations configured to communicate over a shared communication medium in a communication system comprising:

• a polling manager configured to send polling messages to the stations in accordance with a polling pattern;
• a transmitter coupled to the polling manager configured to accept the polling messages from the polling manager and to transmit the messages over the shared communication medium to the stations;
• and
• a receiver coupled to the polling manager configured to receive messages over the shared communication medium from the stations and to provide monitoring information to the polling manager;
• wherein the polling manager is configured to adapt the polling pattern including adapting a rate of polling associated with each of the stations in accordance with the monitoring information and the quality of service requirements of communication sessions at the stations by
• reducing a rate of polling for a session in response to the monitored transmissions for that session corresponding to a reduction in actual rate of transmission for that session, and
• increasing a rate of polling for a session in response to the monitored transmissions for that session corresponding to an increase in actual rate of transmission for that session.

In a communication system in which a plurality of stations share access to a communication network according to a multiple-access media access control protocol, a method for controlling access by the stations to said network comprising:

• at an arbiter station that is coupled to the communication network, determining a polling pattern for polling the plurality of stations including
• reducing a rate of polling for a station in response to monitored transmissions for that session corresponding to a reduction in actual rate of transmission for that station, and
• increasing a rate of polling for a station in response to the monitored transmissions for that session corresponding to an increase in actual rate of transmission for that station,
• wherein the rate of polling for a station satisfies quality of service requirements for a plurality of communication sessions at the station;
• transmitting polling messages from the arbiter station to each of the plurality of communication stations according to the polling pattern;
• receiving the polling messages at the plurality of stations;
• and
• at each of the plurality of stations, using the received polling messages to determine times when to transmit onto the communication network, and at said determined times transmitting data onto the communication network using the multiple access media access control protocol.