Wireless communication system with enhanced time slot allocation and interference avoidance/mitigation features and related methods

A wireless communication network comprising:

• a plurality of mobile nodes each comprising a wireless transceiver and a controller for controlling said wireless transceiver, said controller comprising a data queue and also for
• scheduling respective semi-permanent time slots to establish communication links with neighboring mobile nodes for transmitting data stored in said data queues therebetween,
• determining link utilization metrics for each communication link based upon a quantity of data previously sent over the communication link during the semi-permanent time slots and the data queue, and
• scheduling demand assigned time slots for establishing additional communication links with said neighboring mobile nodes for transmitting the data based upon the link utilization metrics.

A communication method for a wireless communication network comprising a plurality of mobile nodes, the method comprising:

• scheduling a respective semi-permanent time slot to establish communication links between respective pairs of mobile nodes for transmitting data therebetween, the data having different priority levels;
• determining respective link utilization metrics for each data priority level for each communication link;
• and
• scheduling demand assigned time slots for establishing additional communication links between the pairs of mobile nodes for transmitting data therebetween based upon the link utilization metrics and data priority levels.

A communication method for a wireless communication network comprising a plurality of mobile nodes each comprising a data queue, the method comprising:

• scheduling respective semi-permanent time slots to establish communication links between respective pairs of mobile nodes for transmitting data stored in the data queues therebetween;
• determining link utilization metrics for each communication link based upon a quantity of data previously sent over the communication link during the semi-permanent time slots and the data queues;
• and
• scheduling demand assigned time slots for establishing additional communication links between the pairs of mobile nodes for transmitting the data based upon the link utilization metrics.