RAP-a novel medium access control protocol for wireless data networks

A novel medium access control scheme, randomly addressed polling (RAP), is proposed and studied. RAP used in wireless networks allows that the base stations poll successfully only knowing the active mobile nodes via decentralized control without knowing the exact mobile nodes under coverage. Therefore, RAP can provide seemingless services for wireless (data) networks with good utilization of channel(s), transparent to multiple physical transmission, power efficiency for mobile nodes, and no handoff for data services (soft handoff for time-bounded services). In addition, the RAP protocol in infrastructured wireless (data) network architectures can be practically implemented with simple hardware and thus well suited for the medium access control protocol for wireless LANs and other personal communication systems,.<
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