Group shared distributed reservation protocol

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable code that when executed causes a processor to perform a process of:

• collecting information about distributed reservation availabilities of devices in a wireless network that uses a medium access control (MAC) protocol;
• selecting a group of shared devices to be included in a group shared distributed reservation based on the collected information;
• sending a reservation request to each device in the group of shared devices;
• updating the group of shared devices to include only devices that accept the reservation request, and;
• allocating as a reservation block at least first and second time-contiguous medium access slots during each of which one of more of the shared devices in said group can transmit data in accordance with a group shared distributed reservation protocol, the medium access slots being as defined by the MAC protocol;
• and
• transmitting data frames in the reservation block from a transmitting device to a receiving device through at least one forwarding device in the group of shared devices, the transmitting being carried out for the data frames in succession without an idle period prior to the end of the at least first time-contiguous medium access slot of said reservation block and without waiting for a start of the at least second time-contiguous medium access slot at its boundary with the at least first time-contiguous medium access slot.

A method for medium access control (MAC) layers forwarding in a wireless network that uses a medium access control (MAC) protocol, the method comprising:

• collecting link quality information about each wireless link between a source device and the source device's neighbor devices;
• collecting information about distributed reservation availabilities of the neighbor devices;
• selecting a group of devices to participate in the MAC layers forwarding based on the collected link quality information and the distributed reservation availabilities information;
• and
• creating a group shared distributed reservation of medium access time slots, wherein the group shared distributed reservation includes the devices sharing a reservation block and selected to participate in the MAC layers forwarding, the reservation block comprising at least first and second time-contiguous medium access time slots during each of which one of more of the devices in said group can transmit data in accordance with a group shared distributed reservation protocol, the medium access time slots being as defined by the MAC protocol;
• wherein the MAC layers forwarding allows transmitting a plurality of data frames in the reservation block from the source device to a destination device through one or more forwarding devices, the transmitting being carried out for the data frames in succession without an idle period prior to the end of the at least first time-contiguous medium access time slot of said reservation block and without waiting for a start of the at least second time-contiguous medium access time slot at its boundary with the at least first time-contiguous medium access time slot, wherein the source device, the destination device, and the one or more forwarding devices are in the group shared distributed reservation.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable code when executed causes a processor to perform a process of medium access control (MAC) layers forwarding in a wireless network that uses a medium access control (MAC) protocol, the process comprising:

• collecting link quality information about each wireless link between a source device and the source device's neighbor devices;
• collecting information about distributed reservation availabilities of the neighbor devices;
• selecting a group of devices to participate in the MAC layers forwarding based on the collected link quality information and the distributed reservation availabilities information;
• and
• creating a group shared distributed reservation of medium access time slots, wherein the group shared distributed reservation includes the devices sharing a reservation block and selected to participate in the MAC layers forwarding, the reservation block comprising at least first and second time-contiguous medium access time slots during each of which one of more of the devices in said group can transmit data in accordance with a group shared distributed reservation protocol, the medium access time slots being as defined by the MAC protocol,
• wherein the MAC layers forwarding allows transmitting a plurality of data frames in the reservation block from the source device to a destination device through one or more forwarding devices, the transmitting being carried out for the data frames in succession without an idle period prior to the end of the at least first time-contiguous medium access time slot of said reservation block and without waiting for a start of the at least second time-contiguous medium access time slot at its boundary with the at least first time-contiguous medium access time slot, wherein the source device, the destination device, and the one or more forwarding devices are in the group shared distributed reservation.