System and method for collision-free transmission scheduling using neighborhood information and advertised transmission times

A method for distributed packet scheduling, comprising:

• determining physical neighborhood information associated with a node in an ad hoc network, wherein the physical neighborhood information includes a node identifier and a transmit time parameter;
• creating a control packet in accordance with the physical neighborhood information;
• and
• transmitting the control packet in accordance with the transmit time parameter.

A method for compressing a plurality of neighbor entries in a neighborhood list contained in a network configuration packet, comprising:

• excluding a neighbor entry when:
• the neighbor entry was reported in a round robin list;
• when operating in a two-hop-scheduling mode, if the neighbor entry is a three-hop neighbor entry;
• and
• a reported flag associated with the neighbor entry is set;
• and
• including the neighbor entry in a compressed neighborhood list if it has not been excluded.

A method for transmitting a network configuration packet associated with a node in an ad hoc network, comprising:

• determining a next transmit time associated with the node;
• determining a next holdoff time associated with the node;
• evaluating a skip transmit flag, and if the skip transmit flag is set:
• creating a network configuration packet;
• setting a reported flag associated with a neighbor entry in accordance with whether the neighbor entry has been reported;
• and
• transmitting the network configuration flag.

A method for transmission scheduling in an ad hoc network comprising:

• ordering neighbor entries in a physical neighbor list in accordance with next transmit times associated with neighbor entries;
• calculating an earliest subsequent transmit time for each neighbor entry;
• setting a temporary transmit time associated with a neighbor node equal to a value representing the addition of an advertised transmit holdoff time associated with the neighbor node to a current transmit time associated with the neighbor node;
• holding a neighborhood election;
• and
• scheduling a next transmit time based on the neighborhood election.