Abstract: The method includes routing message data from a source node to a destination node in a mobile ad hoc network. The mobile ad-hoc network includes 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, at the source node, discovering routing to the destination node, ranking discovered routes according to at least one link metric, and distributing the message data to the destination node along a plurality of the discovered routes based upon the ranking. The link metric may include a measurement of link delay, link capacity, link available capacity, and/or link reliability.

Abstract: A wireless communication network may include a plurality of mobile nodes each including a wireless transceiver and a controller for controlling the wireless transceiver. The controller may also be for scheduling a respective semi-permanent time slot to establish a communication link with neighboring mobile nodes for transmitting data therebetween, where the data has different priority levels. The controller may also determine respective link utilization metrics for each data priority level for each communication link, and schedule demand assigned time slots for establishing additional communication links with the neighboring mobile nodes for transmitting data therebetween based upon the link utilization metrics and data priority levels. The wireless communication network may also provide enhanced interference avoidance and/or mitigation features in certain embodiments.

Abstract: A wireless communication network includes a plurality of mobile nodes each including a transceiver, a phased array antenna connected to the transceiver, and a controller connected to the transceiver. The controller schedules time slots for each time frame to establish a communication link with each neighboring mobile node. An initiating mobile node transmits a request for time slots to the receiving mobile node, which transmits a reply to the initiating mobile node. The initiating mobile node transmits a confirmation to the receiving mobile node, and the receiving mobile node transmits the reply again if the confirmation is not received. Alternatively, the receiving mobile node may transmit an acknowledgment to the initiating mobile node, and the initiating mobile node transmits the confirmation again if the acknowledgment is not received.

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 phased array antenna connected to the transceiver, and a controller connected to the transceiver. The controller initiates at least one semi-permanent time slot request for respective time frames to establish a communication link with each neighboring mobile node and leaving at least one available time slot in each time frame, while processing multiple received semi-permanent time slot requests from neighboring mobile nodes. The controller also initiates at least one available time slot request to also serve the communication link with a neighboring mobile node based upon link communications demand, while processing multiple received available time slot requests from neighboring mobile nodes. The phased array antenna is aimed by the controller towards each neighboring mobile node during communication therewith.

Abstract: A method is provided for sending data in a wireless ad-hoc network including a plurality of nodes grouped into clusters of nodes and a plurality of wireless links connecting the plurality of nodes, where each cluster node has a designated cluster leader node. The method may include sending a cluster-level route request from a source node of a source cluster to a cluster leader node of the source cluster, and determining a cluster-level route between the source cluster and a destination cluster including a destination node responsive to the cluster-level route request and using a plurality of the cluster leader nodes. Furthermore, at least one cluster target node may be designated in a cluster along the cluster-level route, and a node-level route determined from the source node to the destination node including the at least one cluster target node. In addition, the method may also include generating a mission data packet for transferring the data.

Abstract: The method includes nodes transmitting quality-of-service (QoS) route requests to discover traffic routing based upon a QoS parameter, and the QoS route requests including a traffic flow identifier. Each node calculates a node QoS tag value to make traffic admission control decisions, and each node determines whether to admit traffic in response to QoS route requests based upon the calculated QoS tag value and the QoS parameter of QoS route requests. Also, each node replies to QoS route requests to indicate whether the node can support the QoS parameter of the route request and admit the traffic, and each node polices admitted traffic based upon the traffic flow identifier to ensure that admitted traffic does not exceed the QoS parameter of the QoS route request.

Abstract: The method includes transmitting a quality-of-service (QoS) route request to discover routing based upon a QoS parameter, and the route request including a flow identifier and a QoS link metric. Furthermore, the method includes each intermediate node determining whether the node can support the requested QoS parameter and, if so, updating the QoS link metric, forwarding the QoS route request, and temporarily reserving node resources. The destination node, upon receiving the QoS route request, generates a reply including the flow identifier and updated QoS link metric for each discovered route, and the source node generates QoS route metrics based upon updated QoS link metrics in the replies. Also, the source node selects a route to the destination node based upon the QoS route metrics, and transmits route confirmations to intermediate nodes on the selected route.

Abstract: The mobile ad hoc network includes a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the plurality of nodes together. The method includes transmitting quality-of-service (QoS) route requests to discover traffic routing based upon a QoS parameter, each node calculating a node QoS tag value to make traffic admission control decisions, the node QoS tag value being a function of at least one node specific QoS metric, and each node determining whether to admit traffic in response to QoS route requests based upon the calculated QoS tag value and the QoS parameter of QoS route requests.

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 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 method is provided for sending data in a wireless ad-hoc network including a plurality of nodes grouped into clusters of nodes and a plurality of wireless links connecting the plurality of nodes, where each cluster has a designated cluster leader node. The method may include sending a cluster-level route request from a source node of a source cluster to a cluster leader node of the source cluster, and determining a cluster-level route between the source cluster and a destination cluster including a destination node responsive to the cluster-level route request and using a plurality of the cluster leader nodes. Further, a node-level route may be determined from the source node to the destination node along the cluster-level route, and each node along the node-level route may store an address of a next node along the node-level route. Additionally, the data may be transferred via the node-level route based upon the stored addresses.

Abstract: A wireless communication network includes a plurality of mobile nodes each including a transceiver, 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 controller waits a time period to resend another request upon simultaneously sending a request to an other mobile node and receiving a request from the other mobile node without receiving a corresponding reply.

Abstract: A wireless communication network includes a plurality of mobile nodes each including a transceiver, 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 phased array antenna is aimed by the controller towards each neighboring mobile node during communication therewith. The controller also detects interference in time slots for communication with neighboring mobile nodes and coordinates the scheduling of time slots based upon detected interference.

Abstract: A wireless communication network includes a plurality of mobile nodes each including a transceiver, 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. Each time frame has up to N semi-permanent time slots and at least 2N−1 available time slots. 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 phased array antenna is aimed by the controller towards each neighboring mobile node during communication therewith.

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: A method for sending data in a mobile ad-hoc network may include a plurality of nodes grouped into clusters of nodes and a plurality of wireless links connecting the plurality of nodes, where each cluster node has a designated cluster leader node. The method may include sending a cluster-level route request from a source node of a source cluster to a cluster leader node of the source cluster, and determining a cluster-level route through the source cluster and a destination cluster including a destination node responsive to the cluster-level route request and using a plurality of the cluster leader nodes. Furthermore, the method may also include determining node-level routes through each cluster along the cluster-level route to a cluster target node in a next cluster along the cluster-level route. Recovery for cluster-level and node-level routing errors/failures is also provided.

Abstract: A wireless communication network may include a plurality of mobile nodes each including a wireless transceiver and a controller for controlling the wireless transceiver. The controller may also be for scheduling a plurality of time slots for establishing a communication link with a neighboring mobile node for transmitting data therebetween, where the data has a plurality of priority levels. The controller may also determine respective link quality values associated with the communication link during the time slots, and prioritize data to be transmitted during the time slots based upon the priority level of the data and the link quality values.

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.