Multi-listener wireless medium access method

摘要

Collisions in wireless networks may be avoided by limiting competing transmissions at the same time or within a temporally proximate time range. A relay schedule may be transmitted with each frame in a transmission chain, the relay schedule containing transmission time information such that each participating node in the transmission chain has designated transmission times. The transmission times may be different such that transmissions are spaced out in an effective manner. A non-participant node may receive the transmission with the relay schedule and may delay transmissions during conflicting times based on the relay schedule.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
broadcasting a packet frame to a plurality of nodes in a wireless network, the packet frame comprising relay schedule information, wherein the relay schedule information comprises a different time range for each of the plurality of nodes in the wireless network, the different time ranges corresponding to ranges of time within which each node should transmit a frame, wherein at least two of the time ranges overlap, wherein the packet frame further comprises information such that when the packet frame is received at a non-participating node that is not among the plurality of nodes, a transmission from the non-participating node is delayed based on the packet frame relay schedule information.