Systems and methods for synchronizing communication networks

A node in a slotted-communication network, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a message at a receipt time during a first time slot in a schedule of time slots, the message having been transmitted by a transmitting node, and
• a processor configured for adjusting the timeslot schedule by aligning a boundary portion of the first time slot with the receipt time, thereby providing sufficent time for the node to receive the message during the first time slot,
• wherein aligning the boundary portion includes shifting at least one of a start time of the first time slot, an end time of the first time slot, and an edge of a guard time period of the first time slot based on the receipt time, and
• wherein the processor aligns the boundary portion of the first time slot with the receipt time without synchronizing the clock of the node with the clock of the transmitting node.

A method for synchronizing nodes by managing time slots in a slotted communication network, comprising:

• providing a network topology for a communication network including a plurality of nodes,
• selecting a root node from the plurality of nodes in the network, transmitting from a first node a first message,
• adjusting a timeslot schedule of a second node by aligning a slot boundary of the second node, neighboring the first node along the network topology, based on the receipt time of the first message, and
• transmitting from the second node a second message, and
• adjusting a timeslot schedule of a third node by aligning a slot boundary of the third node, neighboring the second node along the network topology, based on the receipt time of the first message, wherein a slot boundary is at least one of a start time of a time slot, an end time of a time slot, and an edge of a guard time period of a time slot.