MULTI-TIER AD-HOC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20100054228A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stingray IP Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Michaels, Alan J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,325,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/347
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Ad-hoc wireless network which operates in accordance with a time division multiple access (TDMA) channel scheme. The network includes a plurality of nodes configured for wireless ad-hoc network communications using at least a first tier waveform and a second tier waveform.

Claims

1. A method for communicating data among a plurality of nodes in an ad-hoc wireless network operating in accordance with a time division multiple access (TDMA) channel scheme, comprising:

determining a set of first tier communication links for said plurality of nodes by scheduling for said plurality of nodes usage of a plurality of time slots defined by said TDMA scheme to maximize a number of node pairs that can communicate concurrently during one or more of said time slots using a first tier waveform; and

determining a set of second tier communication links between any combination of said plurality of nodes to be implemented concurrently with said first tier communications links using a second tier waveform;

selecting said second tier waveform as a low power spread spectrum signal and said first tier waveform as a relatively higher power signal, exclusive of a spread spectrum signal;

communicating among said plurality of nodes using said set of first tier communication links and said set of second tier communication links.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting said second tier communication links exclusively among said plurality of nodes left unassigned during allocation of said first tier communication links.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising excluding from said second tier communication links any that will adversely interfere with one or more of said first communication links.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating said spread spectrum signal using a first digitally generated chaotic sequence.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising communicating from a first node to a second node using said second tier waveform, and coherently demodulating said spread spectrum signal at said second node using a second digitally generated chaotic sequence.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising maximizing a number of node pairs that can communicate concurrently during one or more of said time slots using said second tier waveform, without interfering with said first tier communication links.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising repeating said determining steps for said first tier communication links and said second tier communication links responsive to a change in said ad-hoc network.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising exclusively allocating said second tier communication links for communications associated with network command and control.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said communications associated with network command and control includes one or more items selected from the group comprising a routing table, a data transmission rate, a transmission frequency, a receive frequency, a transmission time, a transmission protocol, a quality of service parameter, a bit error rate parameter, an available bandwidth, a position of a node, a node velocity, and a node acceleration.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said communications associated with network command and control includes neighbor discovery transmissions.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting said first tier waveform to include a modulation scheme selected from the group comprising amplitude phase shift keying and on-off keying.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting said first tier communication waveform at a first radio transmission frequency within a common radio frequency band defined by said second tier communication waveform.

13. An ad-hoc wireless network operating in accordance with a time division multiple access (TDMA) channel scheme, comprising:

a plurality of nodes configured for wireless ad-hoc network communications using at least a first tier waveform and a second tier waveform;

one or more of said plurality of nodes comprising a scheduling processor configured for determining a set of first tier communication links for said plurality of nodes by scheduling for said plurality of nodes usage of a plurality of time slots defined by said TDMA scheme to maximize a number of node pairs that can communicate concurrently during one or more of said time slots using said first tier waveform;

said scheduling processor further configured for determining a set of second tier communication links between any combination of said plurality of nodes to be implemented concurrently with said first tier communication links using said second tier waveform; and

at least one transceiver configured for transmitting said second tier waveform as a low power spread spectrum signal and said first tier waveform as a relatively higher power signal exclusive of a spread spectrum signal.

14. The ad-hoc wireless network according to claim 13, wherein said scheduling processor is further configured for determining said set of second tier communication links exclusively among said plurality of nodes left unassigned during allocation of said first tier communication links.

15. The ad-hoc wireless network according to claim 13, wherein said scheduling processor is further configured for excluding from said second tier communication links any that will adversely interfere with one or more of said first communication links.

16. The ad-hoc wireless network according to claim 13, wherein each of said plurality of nodes further comprises a digital chaotic sequence generator configured for generating a chaotic sequence, and wherein said transceiver is configured for generating said spread spectrum signal using said chaotic sequence.

17. The ad-hoc wireless network according to claim 16, wherein said transceiver further comprises a receiver configured for coherently receiving said spread spectrum signal using a chaotic sequence.

18. The ad-hoc wireless network according to claim 13, wherein said scheduling processor is further configured for maximizing a number of node pairs that can communicate concurrently during one or more of said time slots using said second tier waveform, without interfering with said first tier communication links.

19. The ad-hoc wireless network according to claim 13, wherein said scheduling processor is further configured for repeating said determining steps for said first tier communication links and said second tier communication links responsive to a change in said ad-hoc network.

20. The ad-hoc wireless network according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of nodes are configured to exclusively use said second tier communication links for communications associated with network command and control.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said communications associated with network command and control includes one or more items selected from the group comprising a routing table, a data transmission rate, a transmission frequency, a receive frequency, a transmission time, a transmission protocol, a quality of service parameter, a bit error rate parameter, an available bandwidth, a position of a node, a node velocity, and a node acceleration.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein said communications associated with network command and control includes neighbor discovery transmissions.

23. The ad-hoc wireless network according to claim 13, wherein said first tier waveform includes a modulation scheme selected from the group comprising amplitude phase shift keying and on-off keying.

24. The ad-hoc wireless network according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of nodes are configured to transmit said first tier communication waveform at a first radio transmission frequency within a common radio frequency band defined by said second tier communication waveform.