Method and apparatus for increasing co-channel utilization in a multi- station data communications network with overlapping coverage

摘要

A digital radio system having improved co-channel utilization is disclosed. A remote terminal receives a station identification from one of the fixed stations having an overlapping radio coverage area with another fixed station and retransmits this station identification with its message. A second fixed station receiving the remote terminal's transmission uses the station identification and the signal strength of the remote terminal to determine whether transmissions from other remote terminals should be inhibited. Depending upon the geographic proximity of the first fixed station to the second fixed station and the remote terminal's signal strength at the second fixed station, a signal representative of the remote terminal's signal strength at the second fixed station may be transmitted by the second fixed station. This representative signal may be used by a second remote terminal to determine whether the second remote terminal may transmit.