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Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include (i) a request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different

Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include (i) a request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space and (ii) a scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, (c) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request, and (d) wherein a collection of request segments in the plurality of request segments is separated by a guard zone from an adjacent collection of scheduled transmission segments in the plurality of scheduled transmission segments.

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What is claimed is: 1. A method for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, the method comprising: (a) sending a symbol-level request to a scheduler from a first node in the plurality of nodes, the shared communication medium organized to include

What is claimed is: 1. A method for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, the method comprising: (a) sending a symbol-level request to a scheduler from a first node in the plurality of nodes, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space having at least one frame and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request segments each comprising a non-overlapping time slot defined within the at least one frame within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the symbol-level request in occupying a request segment that is one of the plurality of request segments; (b) at the first node, obtaining an assignment from the scheduler associating the symbol-level request with a scheduled transmission segment selected from the plurality of scheduled transmission segments, the assignment taking into account location of the request segment within the request signal space; (c) from the first node, sending a data transmission occupying the scheduled transmission segment associated with the symbol-level request in accordance with the assignment; and (d) wherein a two-step request for transmission comprising a first step and a second step is sent from the first node, the symbol-level request sent from the first node representing the first step of the two-step request, the data transmission sent from the first node representing the second step of the two-step request. 2. A method for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes including a first node and a second node, the method comprising: (a) at the second node, receiving a symbol-level request from the first node, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space having at least one frame and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request segments each comprising a non-overlapping time slot defined within the at least one frame within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the symbol-level request occupying a request segment that is one of the plurality of request segments; (b) at the second node, making an assignment associating the symbol-level request with a scheduled transmission segment selected from the plurality of scheduled transmission segments, the assignment taking into account location of the request segment within the request signal space, and sending a corresponding assignment message; (c) at the second node, receiving a data transmission from the first node occupying the scheduled transmission segment associated with the symbol-level request; (d) wherein the second node is configured to handle a two-step request for transmission comprising a first step and a second step, the symbol-level request sent from the first node representing the first step of the two-step request, the data transmission sent from the first node representing the second step of the two-step request. 3. An apparatus for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, comprising: (a) a first node configured to send a symbol-level request to a scheduler over the shared communication medium, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space having at least one frame and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request segments each comprising a non-overlapping time slot defined within the at least one frame within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the first node configured to send the symbol-level request occupying a request segment that is one of the plurality of request segments; (b) wherein the first node is configured to obtain an assignment from the scheduler associating the symbol-level request with a scheduled transmission segment selected from the plurality of scheduled transmission segments, the assignment taking into account location of the request segment within the request signal space; (c) wherein the first node is configured to send a data transmission occupying the scheduled transmission segment associated with the symbol-level request in accordance with the assignment; and (d) wherein the first node is configured to send a two-step request for transmission comprising a first step and a second, the symbol-level request sent from the first node representing the first step of the two-step request, the data transmission sent from the first node representing the second step of the two-step request. 4. An apparatus for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, comprising: (a) a second node configured to receive a symbol-level request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space having at least one frame and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request segments each comprising a non-overlapping time slot defined within the at least one frame within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the second node configured to receive the symbol-level request occupying a request segment that is one of the plurality of request segments; (b) wherein the second node is configured to make an assignment associating the symbol-level request with a scheduled transmission segment selected from the plurality of scheduled transmission segments, the assignment taking into account location of the request segment within the request signal space, and to send a corresponding assignment message; (c) wherein the second node is configured to receive a data transmission from the first node occupying the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request; and (d) wherein the second node is configured to handle a two-step request for transmission comprising a first step and a second step, the symbol-level request sent from the first node representing the first step of the two-step request, the data transmission sent from the first node representing the second step of the two-step request.