Abstract: The approach for managing the topology in a MANET includes, at the network layer of a wireless mobile node, operating a link state or other routing protocol to discover routes from the at least one wireless node to other wireless nodes within the MANET. The routing protocol includes the use of a global topology database storing global network topology information. The method also includes, at the network layer, providing the global network topology information from the global topology database of the routing protocol to the MAC sublayer. Also, at the data link layer, the MAC sublayer is controlled to perform neighbor connection management based upon the global network topology information from the global topology database. The approach may provide enhanced QoS, latency and resistance to link and node failures within MANETs.

Abstract: A MANET may include a plurality of MANET nodes each comprising a wireless transceiver and a controller cooperating therewith for establishing a wireless communication link with an adjacent MANET node based upon a time division multiple access (TDMA) implementation. The TDMA implementation may use a repeating scheduling of a plurality of temporally spaced-apart time slot units within a control epoch to thereby reduce a latency of communication.

Abstract: A MANET may include a plurality of MANET nodes each including a wireless transceiver, a position determining device, and a controller cooperating with the wireless transceiver and position determining device for establishing a wireless communication link with an adjacent MANET node based upon a time division multiple access (TDMA) implementation. The TDMA implementation may use time slots without using a range dependent guard time therein. The controller may further determine a range to the adjacent MANET node, and schedule time slots to offset a link delay in a received signal from the adjacent MANET node based upon the determined range.

Abstract: The approach for managing the topology in a MANET includes, at the network layer of a wireless mobile node, operating a link state or other routing protocol to discover routes from the at least one wireless node to other wireless nodes within the MANET. The routing protocol includes the use of a global topology database storing global network topology information. The method also includes, at the network layer, providing the global network topology information from the global topology database of the routing protocol to the MAC sublayer. Also, at the data link layer, the MAC sublayer is controlled to perform neighbor connection management based upon the global network topology information from the global topology database. The approach may provide enhanced QoS, latency and resistance to link and node failures within MANETs.

Abstract: A method is provided for communicating between a source node and a destination node in a mobile ad-hoc network. The method may include transmitting a quality-of-service (QoS) route request from the source node to the destination node via a plurality of intermediate nodes therebetween to discover routing to the destination node based upon a plurality of QoS parameters. Responsive to the QoS route request, a plurality of potential routes between the source node and the destination node may be determined along with a QoS metric corresponding to each of the QoS parameters for each potential route. Further, the QoS parameters may be ranked in an order of importance, and each of the QoS metrics weighted based upon the ranking of QoS parameters. As such, the weighted QoS metrics may be compared, and one of the potential routes may be selected based thereon for the transmission of message data.

Abstract: A MANET may include a plurality of MANET nodes each comprising a wireless transceiver and a controller cooperating therewith for establishing a wireless communication link with an adjacent MANET node based upon a time division multiple access (TDMA) implementation. The TDMA implementation may use a repeating scheduling of a plurality of temporally spaced-apart time slot units within a control epoch to thereby reduce a latency of communication.

Abstract: A MANET may include a plurality of MANET nodes each including a wireless transceiver, a position determining device, and a controller cooperating with the wireless transceiver and position determining device for establishing a wireless communication link with an adjacent MANET node based upon a time division multiple access (TDMA) implementation. The TDMA implementation may use time slots without using a range dependent guard time therein. The controller may further determine a range to the adjacent MANET node, and schedule time slots to offset a link delay in a received signal from the adjacent MANET node based upon the determined range.

Abstract: Dynamic routing protocol selection capability may be provided within a MANET without the cost of position and/or motion sensing or calculating hardware. The method manages and controls the discovery and maintenance of routes in the MANET, and may include determining additions and drop outs over time of neighboring nodes in communication with a wireless mobile node, and generating a motion-inferred link metric based upon the additions and drop outs over time. A routing protocol may be selected from a plurality of possible routing protocols based upon the motion-inferred link metric, and routes may be discovered with the selected routing protocol to other wireless mobile nodes within the network.

Abstract: The mobile ad hoc network includes a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together. A method for operating the network includes discovering and using routes in the network, predicting route failure in the network, and performing route maintenance in the network based upon the predicted route failure.

Abstract: A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) may include a plurality of mobile nodes each including a wireless communications device and a controller connected thereto. The controller may operate in accordance with a multi-layer protocol hierarchy. More particularly, at an upper protocol layer, the controller may establish a quality-of-service (QoS) threshold. Furthermore, at least one intermediate protocol layer below the upper protocol layer, the controller may select between unicast and multicast communications modes based upon the QoS threshold. As such, at a lower protocol layer below the at least one intermediate protocol layer, the controller may cooperate with the wireless communications device to transmit data to at least one destination mobile node based upon the selected communications mode.

Abstract: The mobile ad hoc network includes a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together. A method for managing and controlling the discovery and maintenance of routes in the network includes predicting future-needed routes or the need for future communications in the network, and predicting future-network dynamics or topology. Partial and complete routes are discovered along predicted future-needed routes based upon the predicted need for routes and the predicted network dynamics or topology. Route tables are built and updated at each mobile node with a route discovery process to store the partial and complete routes in the network.

Abstract: A wireless communication network may include a plurality of mobile nodes each including at least one wireless transceiver, a directional antenna and an omni-directional antenna connected to the at least one wireless transceiver, and a controller for controlling the at least one wireless transceiver. The controller may also be for controlling the at least one wireless transceiver, establishing an omni-directional communication link with another mobile node, and determining a link quality value for the omni-directional communication link. The controller may also establish a directional communication link with the other mobile node if the link quality value for the omni-directional communication link is greater than a quality threshold.

Abstract: A wireless communication network includes a plurality of mobile nodes each including a transceiver, a directional antenna, such as a phased array antenna, connected to the transceiver, and a controller connected to the transceiver. The controller schedules a respective semi-permanent time slot for each time frame to establish a communication link with each neighboring mobile node and leaves at least one available time slot in each time frame. The controller also schedules the at least one available time slot to also serve the communication link with a neighboring mobile node based upon link communications demand. The directional antenna is aimed by the controller towards each neighboring mobile node during communication therewith. The controller also coordinates communication with each neighboring mobile node by allocating time slots based upon link communications demand.

Abstract: The mobile ad hoc network includes a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together. A method for managing and controlling the discovery and maintenance of routes in the network includes predicting future-needed routes or the need for future communications in the network using fuzzy logic. Partial and complete routes are discovered along predicted future-needed routes based upon the predicted need for routes. Route tables are built and updated at each mobile node with a route discovery process to store the partial and complete routes in the network.

Abstract: A method is provided for sending data in a mobile ad-hoc network including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of wireless links connecting the plurality of nodes. The method may include grouping the plurality of nodes into clusters of nodes and designating a cluster leader node for each cluster. Furthermore, a cluster-level route request may be sent from a source node of a source cluster to a cluster leader node of the source cluster. The method may also include determining a cluster-level route between the source cluster and a destination cluster comprising a destination node responsive to the cluster-level route request and using a plurality of the cluster leader nodes. Additionally, data may be transferred from the source node to the destination node using the cluster-level route.

Abstract: A communication system for a distributed locomotive power/brake control system for a railroad train having a lead locomotive and one or more remote locomotives. Command and status signals are communicated over the system between the lead and remote locomotives. Each communicated message includes an information segment comprising the command or status information, and an error control segment for detecting errors in the information segment. The error control segment further comprises cyclic redundancy code words and parity bits formed according to the horizontal or vertical parity of the information segment and the cyclic redundancy code words.

Abstract: A mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) may include a source node, a destination node, and a plurality of intermediate nodes. The source node may establish a plurality of routes to the destination node for transferring data therebetween, where each route passes through at least one of the intermediate nodes. The source node may also encode a plurality of data packets using a forward error correction (FEC) encoding algorithm to generate error correction data for the data packets, interleave the data packets and error correction data, and distribute and send the interleaved data packets and error correction data across the routes to the destination node. Furthermore, the destination node may receive and deinterleave the interleaved data packets and error correction data. The destination node may also decode the data packets based upon the error correction data using an FEC decoding algorithm to correct compromised data packets.

Abstract: The method routes message data from a source node to a destination node in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET). The MANET has a plurality of intermediate mobile nodes between the source node and the destination node, and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together. The method includes prioritizing the message data according to a type-of-service (ToS), discovering routes from the source node to the destination node, and ranking the discovered routes according to quality of service (QoS). Message data is distributed to the destination node on the discovered routes based upon the ToS of the message data and the QoS of the discovered routes, including distributing message data having a same ToS on multiple discovered routes, and distributing message data having higher priority ToS, e.g. delay sensitive message data and/or large volume message data, on higher ranked discovered routes.

Abstract: A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) may include a plurality of mobile nodes each including a wireless communications device and a controller connected thereto. At an upper protocol layer, the controller may establish a quality-of-service (QoS) threshold. At at least one intermediate protocol layer, the controller may select at least one route for transmitting data to at least one destination mobile node based upon the QoS threshold, and determine whether a QoS metric for the selected route falls below the threshold. At a lower protocol layer, the controller may cooperate with the wireless communications device to transmit data to the at least one destination mobile node via the at least one selected route, and cooperate with the wireless communications device at the lower protocol layer to adjust signal transmission power, pattern, and/or gain based upon a determination that the QoS metric has fallen below the QoS threshold.

Abstract: A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) may include a plurality of mobile nodes each including a wireless communications device and a controller connected thereto operating in accordance with a multi-layer protocol hierarchy. More particularly, the controller may, at an application layer, establish a quality-of-service (QoS) threshold, and at a QoS support layer below the application layer, determine whether to require data reception acknowledgements based upon the QoS threshold. At a QoS coding layer below the QoS support layer, data from the application layer may be encoded for transmission to a destination mobile node(s). Additionally, at a QoS route selection layer below the QoS coding layer, at least one route to the destination mobile node(s) may be selected based upon the QoS threshold. At a QoS traffic layer below the QoS route selection layer, data traffic flow may be controlled based upon the QoS threshold.