Preemptive expectation message for triggering transmission of expected message in deterministic wireless network

An apparatus implemented as a physical machine, the apparatus comprising:

• non-transitory machine readable media configured for storing executable machine readable code;
• a device interface circuit configured for receiving a data packet via a deterministic network;
• and
• a processor circuit configured for executing the machine readable code, and when executing the machine readable code operable for:
• identifying, by the apparatus implemented as a receiving network device, a deterministic schedule comprising allocated time slots, each allocated time slot allocated for the receiving network device receiving a data packet from one of a plurality of transmitting network devices in a wireless deterministic data network, and
• selectively transmitting, by the device interface circuit, an expectation message at initiation of each of the allocated time slots, each expectation message preempting transmission by any other network device during the corresponding allocated time slot, each expectation message generated by the processor circuit and identifying a corresponding transmitting network device that is expected to deterministically transmit a corresponding expected data packet to the receiving network device during the corresponding allocated time slot;
• the expectation message causing the corresponding identified transmitting network device to transmit the corresponding expected data packet during the corresponding allocated time slot;
• wherein the processor circuit is configured for suppressing transmission of the expectation message during one of the allocated time slots reserved for retransmissions in response to reception of the corresponding expected data packet during an earlier second allocated time slot, the suppressing transmission causing another network device to reclaim the one allocated time slot in response to a determined absence of the expectation message.

One or more non-transitory tangible media encoded with logic for execution by a machine and when executed by the machine operable for:

• identifying, by the machine implemented as a receiving network device, a deterministic schedule comprising allocated time slots, each allocated time slot allocated for the receiving network device receiving a data packet from one of a plurality of transmitting network devices in a wireless deterministic data network;
• and
• selectively transmitting, by the receiving network device, an expectation message at initiation of each of the allocated time slots, each expectation message preempting transmission by any other network device during the corresponding allocated time slot, each expectation message generated by the receiving network device and identifying a corresponding transmitting network device that is expected to deterministically transmit a corresponding expected data packet to the receiving network device during the corresponding allocated time slot;
• the expectation message causing the corresponding identified transmitting network device to transmit the corresponding expected data packet during the corresponding allocated time slot;
• the one or more non-transitory tangible media further operable for suppressing transmission of the expectation message during one of the allocated time slots reserved for retransmissions in response to reception of the corresponding expected data packet during an earlier second allocated time slot, the suppressing transmission causing another network device to reclaim the one allocated time slot in response to a determined absence of the expectation message.