POLLING STATIONS IN A PRIMARY POLLING PERIOD AND A SECONDARY POLLING PERIOD

摘要

In a method for polling a plurality of stations in a network during a polling cycle, wherein the polling cycle comprises a primary polling period and a secondary polling period that follows the primary polling period, polling time slots are assigned for each of the plurality of stations during the primary polling period. Each of the plurality of stations are polled in turn according to their assigned polling time slots. Each of the plurality of stations is to enter into an idle state from an inactive state at a beginning of their respective polling time slot and to be placed into an inactive state during a remainder of the primary polling period. In addition, a determination whether at least one of the plurality of stations failed to complete transmission of a respective set of data during the primary polling period is made.