Importance

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Abstract

A transmission system employing a satellite and a plurality of ground stations each capable of transmitting and receiving data packets to and from each other via the satellite. The satellite station comprises first logic for dividing absolute time into time frames and time frames into message (time) slots with each message slot having a small percentage thereof divided into mini-slots and with each mini-slot in each message slot corresponding to a particular message slot in a future time frame, and second logic including a random number selector responsive to the selection of message slots in the same current time frame by two or more data packets, and third logic for randomly selecting mini-slot for each message slot in which a data packet is to be transmitted in the current time frame with the selected mini-slot for each message slot in the current time frame defining the particular message slot in the future time frame in which the data packet is to be transmitted in case two stations select the same message slot in the current time frame to cause a conflict. A future frame is a time frame which occurs after the data packet in the current time frame has propagated from its originating ground station to the satellite and then back to the originating ground station.

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First Claim