Terminal-based contention free low overhead access

A method, comprising:

• enabling a mobile station of a wireless network to join a selected clique, the selected clique being one of a plurality of existing cliques or a newly created clique, wherein the selected clique comprises at least the mobile station and wherein each mobile station in the selected clique is configured to hear all other mobile stations within the selected clique;
• receiving a unique value within the selected clique that is assigned to the mobile terminal when the mobile station joins the selected clique, wherein the unique value is used to determine a rank associated with the mobile station within the selected clique;
• obtaining a system map that defines information associated with each of the plurality of existing cliques and all of the mobile stations in the network;
• and
• upon receiving a predefined signal, causing transmission to begin based on an order determined by the rank of the mobile station in the selected clique.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a communication unit configured to cause communication with a mobile station when the mobile station joins one of a plurality of cliques or creates a new clique, each of the plurality of cliques comprising at least one mobile station and each mobile station in a clique being configured to hear all other mobile stations within the clique;
• an assigning unit configured to assign a unique value to each mobile station in a clique when the mobile station joins the respective clique, the unique value being used to determine a rank associated with each mobile station within the clique;
• and
• a maintenance unit configured to maintain a system map that defines information associated with each of the plurality of cliques and all of the mobile stations in the network, wherein each mobile station is configured to listen for a predefined signal such that upon receipt of the predefined signal each mobile station in the clique is configured to begin transmission based on an order determined by a ranking of the mobile stations in the clique.

A method, comprising:

• causing communication with a mobile station when the mobile station joins one of a plurality of cliques or creates a new clique, wherein each of the plurality of cliques comprises at least one mobile station and wherein each mobile station in a clique can hear all other mobile stations within the clique;
• assigning a unique value to each mobile station in a clique when the mobile station joins the network, wherein the value is used to determine a rank associated with each mobile station within the clique;
• and
• maintaining a system map that defines information associated with each of the plurality of cliques and all of the mobile stations in the network, wherein each mobile station in a clique is configured to listen for a predefined signal such that upon receipt of the predefined signal each mobile station in the clique is configured to begin transmission based on an order determined by a ranking of the mobile stations in the clique.

An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:

• enabling a mobile station entering the network to join one of a plurality of cliques or create a new clique, wherein each of the plurality of cliques comprises at least one mobile station and wherein each mobile station in a clique can hear all other mobile stations within the clique;
• assigning a unique value to each mobile station in the clique when the mobile station joins the network, wherein the value is used to determine a rank associated with each mobile station within the clique, and wherein upon receipt of a predefined signal each mobile station in a clique is configured to begin transmission based on an order determined by a ranking of the mobile stations in the clique;
• and
• maintaining a system map that defines information associated with each of the plurality of cliques and all of the mobile stations in the network, wherein each mobile terminal in a clique is configured to, upon receipt of the predefined signal, begin transmission based on an order determined by a ranking of the mobile stations in the clique.

A non-transitory computer program product embodied on a computer readable memory, upon execution a computer program stored on the computer readable memory an apparatus is caused to perform:

• enabling a mobile station entering the network to join a selected clique, the selected clique being one of a plurality of existing cliques or a newly created clique, wherein the selected clique comprises at least the mobile station and wherein each mobile station in the selected clique is configured to hear all other mobile stations within the selected clique;
• receiving a unique value within the selected clique when the mobile station joins the selected clique, wherein the unique value being used to determine a rank associated with the mobile station within the selected clique;
• obtaining a system map that defines information associated with each of the plurality of existing cliques and all of the mobile stations in the network;
• and
• upon receipt of a predefined signal cause transmission to begin based on an order determined by the rank of the mobile station in the selected clique.