Enhanced channel access mechanisms for an HPNA network

A method for providing access to a communications medium, the communications medium being suitable for allowing use of a plurality of Home Phoneline Network Association (HPNA) v2-formatted frames, each HPNA v2-formatted frame being timed to allow a plurality of physical layer priority level slots, the method comprising steps of:

• receiving a message at a non-Media Control Station (non-MC STA) from a Media Control (MC) STA, the non-MC STA and the MC STA each being enhanced STAs that gain access to the communications medium in a centralized manner, the MC STA maintaining a list of sessions in enhanced STAs using the communications medium, the received message starting at a highest physical layer priority level slot available with a first HPNA v2-formatted frame, at least one enhanced STA adapted to always choose a Backoff Signal Slot 0 of an HPNA v2 frame during contention resolution with an HPNA v2 station, the Backoff Signal Slot 0 is one of only three Backoff Signal Slots specified under HPNA v2 for use in contention resolution after a collision;
• and
• transmitting a reply message from the non-MC STA in response to the received message to the MC STA, the reply message being transmitted at a highest physical layer priority level available in a second HPNA v2-formatted frame.

A communications network, comprising:

• a telephone-wire-based communications medium that is suitable for allowing use of a plurality of HPNA v2-formatted frames, each HPNA v2-formatted frame being timed to allow a plurality of physical layer priority level slots;
• and
• a Media Control Station (MC STA) device maintaining a list of sessions in enhanced stations (STAs) using the communications medium, each enhanced STA being one of the MC STA and a non-MC STA, at least one enhanced STA adapted to always choose a Backoff Signal Slot 0 of an HPNA v2 frame during contention resolution with an HPNA v2 station, the Backoff Signal Slot 0 is one of only three Backoff Signal Slots specified under HPNA v2 for use in contention resolution after a collision, and gaining access to the communications medium in a centralized manner, the MC STA transmitting a message to at least one selected non-MC STA using the communications medium, the transmitted message being transmitted with a highest physical layer priority level available in a first HPNA v2-formatted frame.

A communications network, comprising:

• a telephone-wire-based communications medium that is suitable for allowing use of a plurality of HPNA formatted frames, each HPNA formatted frame being timed to allow a plurality of physical layer priority level slots;
• and a non-Media Control Station (non-MC STA) device receiving a message from a Media Control (MC) STA, the non-MC STA and the MC STA each being enhanced STAs that gain access to the communications medium in a centralized manner, the MC STA maintaining a list of sessions in enhanced STAs using the communications medium, the received message starting in a highest physical layer priority level available in a first HPNA v2-formatted frame, the non-MC STA transmitting a reply message in response to the received message to the MC STA, the reply message being transmitted using a highest physical layer priority level available with a second HPNA v2-formatted frame, at least one enhanced STA adapted to always choose a Backoff Signal Slot 0 of an HPNA v2 frame during contention resolution with an HPNA v2 station, the Backoff Signal Slot 0 is one of only three Backoff Signal Slots specified under HPNA v2 for use in contention resolution after a collision.

A method for providing access to a communications medium, the communications medium being suitable for allowing use of a plurality of Home Phoneline Network Association (HPNA) v2-formatted frames, each HPNA v2-formatted frame being timed to allow a plurality of physical layer priority level slots, the method comprising steps of:

• remapping at a link sublayer for each HPNA v2 STA that is associated with the communications medium so that no data packet from an upper layer in each HPNA v2 STA is mapped to a highest physical layer priority level of a MAC sublayer of each HPNA v2 STA;
• transmitting a message from a Media Control Station (MC STA) to at least one selected non-Media Control Station (non-MC STA), the transmitted message being transmitted with a highest physical layer priority level available in a first HPNA v2-formatted frame, at least one enhanced STA adapted to always choose a Backoff Signal Slot 0 of an HPNA v2 frame during contention resolution with an HPNA v2 station, Backoff Signal Slot 0 is one of only three Backoff Signal Slots specified under HPNA v2 for use in contention resolution after a collision.