A multiple access protocol for indoor wireless communications in factories

The authors propose an architecture for incorporating mobile data users into an existing MAP/TOP system. The scheme involves attaching a small number of radio base stations to the TOP network through which the mobiles may access the system. The system´s central feature is a new distributed, multi-receiver, multiple access protocol used by the mobiles to access the bases. The protocol permits users to gracefully switch between single and multi-base operation while maintaining satisfactory performance characteristics. They utilize a multi-receiver multiple access model derived from the traditional single-receiver model to measure the new protocol´s performance via simulation