Method and apparatus performing express retransmission of frames

A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable code thereon for providing express retransmission of frames, the medium comprising:

• instructions for attempting to transmit a frame designated as a Time Sensitive Quality of Service (TSQ) frame to be express forwarded from a first node to a second node of said plurality of nodes;
• instructions for detecting a collision involving said TSQ frame while attempting to transmit said TSQ frame;
• and
• instructions for providing priority treatment to said TSQ frame by attempting retransmission of said TSQ frame without waiting a predetermined back off period, wherein said attempting retransmission of said TSQ frame without waiting a predetermined back off period comprises attempting retransmission of said TSQ after a Short Inter-Frame Space (SIFS), wherein said attempting retransmission of said TSQ after a SIFS occurs following an acknowledgment (ACK) timeout, and wherein only a first retransmission attempt receives said priority treatment to prevent two express forwarded frames from continuously colliding.

A computer system comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor;
• a communications interface;
• an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface;
• and
• wherein the memory is encoded with an express retransmission application that when performed on the processor, provides an express retransmission process for processing information, the express retransmission process causing the computer system to be capable of performing the operations of:
• attempting to transmit a frame designated as a Time Sensitive Quality of Service (TSQ) frame to be express forwarded from a first node to a second node of said plurality of nodes;
• detecting a collision involving said TSQ frame while attempting to transmit said TSQ frame;
• and
• providing priority treatment to said TSQ frame by attempting retransmission of said TSQ frame without waiting a predetermined back off period, wherein said attempting retransmission of said TSQ frame without waiting a predetermined back off period comprises attempting retransmission of said TSQ after a Short Inter-Frame Space (SIFS), wherein said attempting retransmission of said TSQ after a SIFS occurs following an acknowledgment (ACK) timeout, and wherein only a first retransmission attempt receives said priority treatment to prevent two express forwarded frames from continuously colliding.