Method and apparatus for managing data flow through a mesh network

A non-transitory computer readable medium including:

• instructions for receiving a first data packet from a first mesh point and a second data packet from a second mesh point via wireless transmissions, at least a portion of the data in the first data packet being first quality of service (QoS) type data and at least a portion of the data in the second data packet being first QoS type data;
• instructions for storing the first QoS type data from the first data packet and the second data packet in a packet queue associated with the first QoS type;
• instructions for selecting data for a transmit data packet from the packet queue associated with the first QoS type;
• instructions for aggregating the selected data into the transmit data packet, the aggregated transmit data packet including at least a portion of the first QoS type data from the first data packet and at least a portion of the first QoS type data from the second data packet;
• instructions for contending for access to a communications channel according to at least one access parameter, wherein the at least one access parameter is based on a rank of the mesh point;
• and
• instructions for transmitting the transmit data packet during a transmission opportunity duration.

An apparatus for managing traffic streams at a mesh point in a mesh network comprising:

• a receiving module configured to receive a first data packet from a first mesh point and a second data packet from a second mesh point via wireless transmissions, at least a portion of the data in the first data packet being first quality of service (QoS) type data and at least a portion of the data in the second data packet being first QoS type data;
• a storing module configured to store the first QoS type data from the first data packet and the second data packet in a packet queue associated with the first QoS type;
• a selecting module configured to select data for a transmit data packet from the packet queue associated with the first QoS type;
• an aggregating module configured to aggregate the selected data into the transmit data packet, the aggregated transmit data packet including at least a portion of the first QoS type data from the first data packet and at least a portion of the first QoS type data from the second data packet;
• a contending module configured to contend for access to a communications channel according to at least one access parameter, wherein the at least one access parameter is based on a rank of the mesh point;
• and
• a transmitting module configured to transmit the transmit data packet during a transmission opportunity duration.

An apparatus for managing traffic streams at a mesh point in a mesh network comprising:

• means for receiving a first data packet from a first mesh point and a second data packet from a second mesh point via wireless transmissions, at least a portion of the data in the first data packet being first quality of service (QoS) type data and at least a portion of the data in the second data packet being first QoS type data;
• means for storing the first QoS type data from the first data packet and the second data packet in a packet queue associated with the first QoS type;
• means for selecting data for a transmit data packet from the packet queue associated with the first QoS type;
• means for aggregating the selected data into the transmit data packet, the aggregated transmit data packet including at least a portion of the first QoS type data from the first data packet and at least a portion of the first QoS type data from the second data packet;
• means for contending for access to a communications channel according to at least one access parameter, wherein the at least one access parameter is based on a rank of the mesh point;
• and
• means for transmitting the transmit data packet during a transmission opportunity duration.