System and Methods for Media Access Control Optimization for Long Range Wireless Communication

A method for media access control optimization for long distance wireless communication between an airborne platform and a surface base station, the method comprising:

• maintaining a list of active transmitters;
• receiving an incoming beamform signal, wherein the incoming beamform signal includes a data portion and a token, wherein the data portion and the token are independently modulated, and wherein the token identifies a subsequent transmitter, and wherein the identifying the subsequent transmitter includes at least one of identification of which transmitter is to transmit next, length of time the next transmitter should transmit for, and a transmit timing data;
• adding a particular transmitter to the list of active transmitters when the incoming transmission is received from the particular transmitter
• transmitting an outgoing beamform signal, wherein the outgoing beamform signal includes a data portion and a token;
• performing a timeout check, wherein the timeout check indicates failure if the subsequent transmitter fails to transmit according to the transmit timing data;
• and
• removing a particular transmitter from the list of active transmitters in response to at least one of an explicit request from the particular transmitter, a period of inactivity from the particular transmitter, failure to receive a return transmission from the particular transmitter a set number of times, and failure to receive the return transmission from the particular transmitter at a particular failure rate.

A media access control optimization system for long distance wireless communication between an airborne platform and a surface base station, the system comprising:

• an antenna configured to:
• receive an incoming beamformed signal, wherein the incoming beamformed signal includes an incoming data portion and an incoming token, wherein the incoming token includes a subsequent transmitter identifier;
• and
• transmit an outgoing beamformed signal, wherein the outgoing beamformed signal includes an outgoing data portion and an outgoing token, wherein the outgoing token includes a subsequent transmitter identifier.