Mobile ad hoc network (MANET) providing interference reduction features and related methods

A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) comprising:

• a plurality of mobile nodes each comprising a wireless communications device providing an adjustable signal reception pattern and a controller connected thereto;
• said controller operating in accordance with a multi-layer protocol hierarchy for,
• at an upper protocol layer, establishing a quality of service (QoS) threshold;
• at at least one intermediate protocol layer below the upper protocol layer, determining whether a QoS metric for at least one selected route from at least one source mobile node falls below the QoS threshold;
• and
• at a lower protocol layer below the at least one intermediate protocol layer, cooperating with said wireless communications device to
• determine the QoS metric for the at least one selected route,
• receive data from the at least one source mobile node via the at least one selected route, and
• adjust the signal reception pattern based upon a determination that the QoS metric has fallen below the QoS threshold.

A method for operating a mobile node in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET), comprising a plurality of mobile nodes, in accordance with a multilayer protocol hierarchy, the mobile node comprising a wireless communications device, the method comprising;

• at an upper protocol layer, establishing a quality of-service (QoS) threshold;
• at at least one intermediate protocol layer below the upper protocol layer, determining whether a QoS metric for at least one selected route from at least one source mobile node falls below the QoS threshold;
• and
• at a lower protocol layer below the at least one intermediate protocol layer,
• using the wireless communications device to determine the QoS metric for the at least one selected route,
• causing the wireless communications device to receive data from the at least one source mobile node via the at least one selected route, and
• causing the wireless communications device to adjust signal reception gain based upon a determination that the QoS metric has fallen below the QoS threshold.

A method for operating a mobile node in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) comprising a plurality of mobile nodes in accordance with a multi-layer protocol hierarchy, the mobile node comprising a wireless communications device providing an adjustable signal reception pattern, the method comprising:

• at an upper protocol layer, establishing a quality-of-service (QoS) threshold;
• at at least one intermediate protocol layer below the upper protocol layer, determining whether a QoS metric for at least one selected route from at least one source mobile node falls below the QoS threshold;
• and
• at a lower protocol layer below the at least one intermediate protocol layer,
• using the wireless communications device to determine the QoS metric for the at least one selected route,
• causing the wireless communications device to receive data from the at least one source mobile node via the at least one selected route, and
• causing the wireless communications device to adjust the signal reception pattern based upon a determination that the QoS metric has fallen below the QoS threshold.