METHOD OF COMMUNICATING WITHIN A MESH NETWORK
First Claim
1. A method of operation of a mesh device for communicating within a mesh network comprising:
- scheduling a mesh access reservation time period for transmission of one or more frames by the mesh device on a channel;
during the scheduled mesh access reservation time period;
performing contention for the channel with one or more other mesh devices in the network; and
transmitting at least one frame when the mesh device wins the contention for the channel; and
after the scheduled mesh access reservation time period;
determining whether one or more frames scheduled for transmission during the scheduled mesh access reservation time period remain to be transmitted;
continuing to perform contention for the channel with one or more other mesh devices in the network;
determining whether another mesh device has reserved the channel for a time period after the scheduled mesh access reservation time period; and
transmitting the one or more frames when the mesh device wins the contention for the channel and when another mesh device has not reserved the channel for the time period.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of communicating within a mesh network comprises scheduling a mesh access reservation time period for transmission of one or more frames by the mesh device on a channel. During the scheduled mesh access reservation time period: contention for the channel is performed with one or more other mesh devices in the network; and at least one frame is transmitted when the mesh device wins the contention. After the scheduled mesh access reservation time period: when one or more frames scheduled for transmission during the scheduled mesh access reservation time period remain to be transmitted; contention for the channel continues; and the one or more frames are transmitted when the mesh device wins the contention for the channel and when another mesh device has not reserved the channel for the time period.
-
Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A method of operation of a mesh device for communicating within a mesh network comprising:
-
scheduling a mesh access reservation time period for transmission of one or more frames by the mesh device on a channel; during the scheduled mesh access reservation time period; performing contention for the channel with one or more other mesh devices in the network; and transmitting at least one frame when the mesh device wins the contention for the channel; and after the scheduled mesh access reservation time period; determining whether one or more frames scheduled for transmission during the scheduled mesh access reservation time period remain to be transmitted; continuing to perform contention for the channel with one or more other mesh devices in the network; determining whether another mesh device has reserved the channel for a time period after the scheduled mesh access reservation time period; and transmitting the one or more frames when the mesh device wins the contention for the channel and when another mesh device has not reserved the channel for the time period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of operation of a mesh device for communicating within a mesh network comprising:
-
receiving a schedule including a reservation of a scheduled mesh access reservation time period for each of the one or more received frames; receiving one or more frames to forward to another destination node from at least one neighbor mesh device; buffering the received one or more frames; releasing a buffered frame to a transmit queue of a channel access function at a start of an associated scheduled mesh access reservation time for the buffered frame; and disabling one or more queues with non scheduled mesh access traffic during each of the reserved scheduled mesh access reservation time periods.
-
Specification