Method, node, and system for reducing collisions in a time-synchronized channel hopping network

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

• a processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions;
• a memory configured to store the computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
• determining, at a beginning of a timeslot of the TSCH network, a transmission priority of the node for the timeslot based on a transmit offset index assigned to the node and an absolute slot number (ASN) of the timeslot, wherein the transmission priority indicates an order of the node transmitting data compared with at least another node in the TSCH network and is determined independently of whether the node has data to transmit;
• in response to determining that the transmission priority of the node is an early transmission priority, transmitting data in a transmission mode via the TSCH network;
• and
• in response to determining that the transmission priority of the node is a late transmission priority,
• listening for incoming communications on the TSCH network in a listen before talk (LBT) mode;
• and
• in response to detecting no incoming communications during the LBT mode, transmitting, after the LBT mode is over, data in the transmission mode via the TSCH network.

A system, comprising:

• a plurality of nodes connected through a time-slotted channel hopping (TSCH) network, wherein a first node of the plurality of nodes is configured for performing operations comprising:
• determining, at a beginning of a timeslot of the TSCH network, a transmission priority of the first node for the timeslot based on a transmit offset index assigned to the first node and an absolute slot number (ASN) of the timeslot, wherein the transmission priority indicates an order of the node transmitting data compared with at least another node in the TSCH network and is determined independently of whether the node has data to transmit;
• in response to determining that the transmission priority of the first node is an early transmission priority, transmitting data in a transmission mode via the TSCH network to a second node of the plurality of nodes;
• and
• in response to determining that the transmission priority of the node is a late transmission priority,
• listening for incoming communications from the second node on the TSCH network in a listen before talk (LBT) mode;
• and
• in response to detecting no incoming communications from the second node during the LBT mode, transmitting data in the transmission mode to the second node via the TSCH network after the LBT mode is over.