Timeslot distribution in a distributed routing protocol for deterministic wireless networks

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more network interfaces to communicate as a particular node within a shared-media communication network;
• a processor coupled to the network interfaces and configured to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to:
• operate via a distributed routing protocol in the shared-media communication network;
• distribute timeslot allocations using the distributed routing protocol, where the particular node as a parent node allocates a pool of timeslots available to child nodes of the parent node;
• transmit a request for a time-synchronized path, the request carrying:
• an absolute time of cycle for a message from a source to reach a target, and
• a relative time (TC) initialized to the absolute time and decremented at each hop toward the source;
• and
• dynamically allocate particular timeslots from the pool to particular child nodes according to particular flows from the source to the target in the shared-media communication network in order to meet a defined maximum delay time budget for a resultant time-synchronized path from the source to the target.

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software when executed by a processor operable to:

• operate, at a particular node, via a distributed routing protocol in a shared-media communication network;
• distribute timeslot allocations using the distributed routing protocol, where the particular node as a parent node allocates a pool of timeslots available to child nodes of the parent node;
• transmit a request for a time-synchronized path, the request carrying:
• an absolute time of cycle for a message from a source to reach a target, and
• a relative time (TC) initialized to the absolute time and decremented at each hop toward the source;
• and
• dynamically allocate particular timeslots from the pool to particular child nodes according to particular flows from a source to a target in the shared-media communication network in order to meet a defined maximum delay time budget for a resultant time-synchronized path from the source to the target.