Methods and systems for improved communication in multi-hop networks

A method for local re-use in a wireless network, the wireless network being a time-slotted multi-hop wireless network, the wireless network comprising a source node, a plurality of relay nodes and a plurality of out-of-network nodes, each of the plurality of out-of-network nodes being one hop away from the source node, the wireless network being configured to use a spatial pipelining factor (SPF), the method comprising:

• transmitting from the source node, in an Nth timeslot, a first data signal over a first frequency allocation, wherein a first subset of nodes is configured to receive the first data signal, and wherein each of the first subset of nodes is one of the plurality of relay nodes and is one hop away from the source node;
• transmitting, in an Mth timeslot, a local information signal over a second frequency allocation, wherein M is greater than N, wherein M is less than (N+SPF), and wherein at least one of a second subset of nodes is configured to receive the local information signal;
• and
• transmitting, in an (N+SPF)th timeslot, a second data signal over a third frequency allocation, wherein at least one of the first subset of nodes is configured to receive the second data signal, and wherein one of the plurality of relay nodes is configured to retransmit retransmitting the first data signal over the third frequency allocation,
• wherein each of the plurality of relay nodes is aligned with timeslots of the wireless network such that one or more data signals from the source node can be received, and
• wherein each of the plurality of out-of-network nodes has not been allowed to align with the timeslots of the wireless network such that the one or more data signals from the source node cannot be received.

A system for local re-use in a wireless network, the wireless network being a time-slotted multi-hop wireless network, the wireless network being configured to use a spatial pipelining factor (SPF), the system comprising:

• at least one source node;
• a plurality of relay nodes;
• and
• a plurality of out-of-network nodes, wherein each of the plurality of out-of-network nodes is one hop away from a first of the at least one source node,
• wherein in an Nth timeslot:
• the first of the at least one source node is configured to transmit a first data signal over a first frequency allocation;
• and
• at least one of a first subset of nodes is configured to receive the first data signal, wherein each of the first subset of nodes is one of the plurality of relay nodes and is one hop away from the first of the at least one source node,
• wherein in an (N+1)th timeslot:
• the at least one of a first subset of nodes is configured to transmit the first data signal over a second frequency allocation;
• and
• at least one of a second subset of nodes is configured to receive the first data signal, wherein each of the second subset of nodes is one of the plurality of relay nodes and is two hops away from the first of the at least one source node,
• wherein in an Mth timeslot:
• the first of the at least one source node is configured to transmit a local information signal over a third frequency allocation, wherein M is greater than N, and wherein M is less than (N+SPF);
• and
• at least one of a third subset of nodes is configured to receive the local information signal,
• wherein in an (N+SPF)th timeslot:
• a second of the at least one source node is configured to transmit a second data signal over a fourth frequency allocation;
• and
• one or more of the first subset of nodes is configured to receive the second data signal,
• wherein one of the plurality of relay nodes is configured to retransmit the first data signal over the fourth frequency allocation,
• wherein each of the plurality of relay nodes is aligned with timeslots of the wireless network such that one or more data signals from the source node can be received, and
• wherein each of the plurality of out-of-network nodes has not been allowed to align with the timeslots of the wireless network such that the one or more data signals from the source node cannot be received.