Collision avoidance for a communication network

A computer-implemented method for determining transmit opportunities for an electronic device, wherein the electronic device is configured to only transmit data to one or more other electronic devices of a communication network over a shared communication medium during a transmit opportunity for the electronic device, wherein the computer-implemented method comprises:

• storing a priority mode indicator indicating whether or not the communication network is operating in a priority mode;
• storing a priority value;
• determining, as a respective device position, a position in a transmit order sequence for each of one or more transmit opportunities for the electronic device, wherein each determined device position for the electronic device avoids conflict with any device position for any transmit opportunity of any of the one or more other electronic devices;
• and
• responsive to a beacon signal over the shared communication medium, stepping through the transmit order sequence,
• wherein the computer-implemented method comprises, when the priority mode indicator indicates that the communication network is operating in the priority mode:
• responsive to the stored priority value having one of a set of one or more first values, determining the one or more transmit opportunities to be only a single transmit opportunity;
• and
• responsive to the stored priority value having a second value, different to any of the set of one or more first values, determining the one or more transmit opportunities to be a plurality of transmit opportunities.

A communication arrangement for an electronic device comprising;

• a medium access module for controlling access of the electronic device to a shared communication medium, wherein the shared communication medium is coupled to at least one other electronic device that shares the shared communication medium with the electronic device;
• a transceiver module for transmitting data over the shared communication medium;
• and
• a collision avoidance module comprising
• a memory to store a priority value associated with the electronic device, the priority value indicative of whether or not the electronic device is a priority device;
• and
• a processor configured to, based on the priority value, determine one or more positions in a transmit opportunity sequence for use by the electronic device, wherein the transmit opportunity sequence includes a plurality of respective transmit opportunities over the shared communication that are allocated for use by respective ones of the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device,
• the processor further configured to determine a single position in the transmit opportunity sequence for use by the electronic device when the priority value indicates that the electronic device is not the priority device and determine more than one position in the transmit opportunity sequence for use by the electronic device when the priority value indicates that the electronic device is the priority device.