Optimized unicast and broadcast communication in TSCH primary and secondary networks

A time-slotted channel hopping (TSCH) network node, comprising:

• a transceiver;
• a memory;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to implement a protocol stack including:
• a media access control (MAC) layer having a MAC address to communicate on a primary TSCH network, wherein the MAC address defines addressing for the primary TSCH network and a secondary TSCH network,
• wherein the processor is further configured to:
• refer to a neighbor table stored in the memory of the TSCH network node to obtain the MAC address of a second TSCH network node,
• after a delay period of a first portion of a primary TSCH network timeslot cause the transceiver of the TSCH network node to:
• synchronize to a channel hopping sequence and frequency of the secondary TSCH network, and
• transmit a unicast frame to the second TSCH network node on the secondary TSCH network during a second portion of the primary TSCH network timeslot.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of time-slotted channel hopping (TSCH) nodes communicatively coupled to each other on a primary TSCH network, each of the TSCH nodes of the plurality of TSCH nodes including:
• a transceiver;
• a memory;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to implement a protocol stack including:
• a media access control (MAC) layer having a MAC address to communicate on the primary TSCH network, wherein the MAC address defines addressing for the primary TSCH network and a secondary TSCH network,
• wherein the processor of a first TSCH node of the plurality of TSCH nodes is further configured to:
• cause the transceiver of the first TSCH node to receive a first communication from a second TSCH node of the plurality of TSCH nodes over the primary TSCH network containing a capability information element indicating that the second TSCH node supports communication over the secondary TSCH network,
• cause the transceiver of the first TSCH node to synchronize to a channel hopping sequence and frequency of the secondary TSCH network, and
• after a delay period of a first portion of a primary TSCH network timeslot, cause the transceiver of the first TSCH node to transmit a unicast frame to the second TSCH node on the secondary TSCH network during a second portion of the primary TSCH network timeslot.