Abstract: A system may include a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) including a plurality of nodes. Each of the plurality of nodes is configured to transmit communication data packets and transmit beacons. Each of the plurality of nodes has passive spatial awareness. A first node has information of own node velocity, own node orientation, and a destination. The first node may be configured to: calculate a direct line or an arc from the first node to the destination; utilize passive spatial awareness; assess possible relay routes beyond the communication range and within the beacon range of the first node; determine a next relay node that is on one of the possible relay routes wherein the one of the possible relay routes may be closest to the direct line or the arc without being determined to be part of a dead-end route; and transmit a communication data packet to the next relay node.

Abstract: A system may include a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) including nodes. The nodes may include beacon-based clusterhead (BB-CH) nodes and members. Each of the nodes may be configured to transmit communication data packets and transmit beacons. Each of the nodes may have passive spatial awareness. For each of at least some of the BB-CH nodes having members, a BB-CH node may be configured to compile spatial awareness information of all members of the BB-CH node. The compiled spatial awareness information may include a BB-CH node identification, position-location information (PLI) of the BB-CH node, a quantity of the members, and a member list with PLI. For each of the at least some of the BB-CH nodes, the BB-CH node may be configured to broadcast, via efficient flooding, some or all of the compiled spatial awareness information to every connected node.

Abstract: A system may include a transmitter node and a receiver node. Each node may include a communications interface including at least one antenna element and a controller operatively coupled to the communications interface, the controller including one or more processors, wherein the controller has information of own node velocity and own node orientation. Each node of the transmitter node and the receiver node may be in motion. Each node may be time synchronized to apply Doppler corrections associated with said node's own motions relative to a common reference frame. The common reference frame may be known to the transmitter node and the receiver node prior to the transmitter node transmitting signals to the receiver node and prior to the receiver node receiving the signals from the transmitter node.

Abstract: A system and method for frequency offset determination in a MANET via Doppler nulling techniques is disclosed. In embodiments, a receiving (Rx) node of the network monitors a transmitting (Tx) node of the network, which scans through a range or set of Doppler nulling angles adjusting its transmitting frequency to resolve Doppler frequency offset at each angle, the Doppler frequency shift resulting from the motion of the Tx node relative to the Rx node. The Rx node detects the net frequency shift at each nulling direction and can thereby determine frequency shift points (FSP) indicative of the relative velocity vector between the Tx and Rx nodes. If the set of Doppler nulling angles is known to it, the Rx node can determine frequency shift profiles based on the FSPs, and derive therefrom the relative velocity and angular direction of motion between the Tx and Rx nodes.

Abstract: A multi-node communication network and method for sending data within a multi-node communication network are disclosed. The network includes a source communication node, a destination communication node, and one or more relay communication nodes. The communication nodes include a communication interface and a controller communicatively coupled to the communication interface configured to transmit, receive, or relay a data packet. The data packet includes a route request and a route request priority index, which is configured to provide a determining factor indicating that a route response may be combined with a position location transmission. Once received by the destination communication node, a route response may be combined with a PLI transmission and transmitted, depending on the indication by the route request priority index.

Abstract: A communications node of a multi-node communications network is disclosed. In embodiments, the node transmits to its one-hop neighbors (e.g., via beacon signals or regular hello messages) outbound neighbor lists identifying its neighboring clusterhead and gateway nodes only. Similarly, the communications node receives inbound neighbor lists from its one-hop neighbor nodes, including identifiers and node statuses for all clusterhead and gateway nodes that are one-hop neighbors to the sending node. By comparing the received inbound neighbor lists, the communications node determines whether it is on a critical path of the network, e.g., whether the multi-node communications network would be partitioned into disconnected portions without the communications node. Based on the determination, the communications node may transition its node clustering status.

Abstract: A system and method for efficient collection and distribution of mission-critical information (MCI) throughout a multi-node communication network is disclosed. In embodiments, the multi-node communication network may include a clusterhead node including a communication interface and a controller. In embodiments, the controller transmits an MCI request packet to neighbor nodes of its cluster. The controller receives MCI report packets from the neighbor nodes (or a subset thereof) throughout a first time interval. The controller rebroadcasts the MCI request packet to the neighbor nodes through increasingly shorter time intervals as MCI report packets continue to be transmitted in response. When the controller determines that no MCI report packets have been transmitted during the most recent time interval, the controller generates and transmits an MCI publish packet including the MCI information collected from each neighbor node.

Abstract: A communications node of a multi-node communications network is disclosed. In embodiments, the communications node includes a communications interface and controller. The controller transitions the clustering status of the communications node to a clusterhead node status. The clusterhead node identifies a cluster of neighboring nodes with which it is in communication by transmitting hello messages identifying the clusterhead node and its status but omitting a one-hop neighbor list. The clusterhead node refines link discovery to the nodes of the multi-node communications network by flooding the network (e.g., via its cluster of neighboring nodes) with routing status messages, which network nodes not part of the dominating set of clusterhead nodes are restricted from sending.

Abstract: A system may include a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) including nodes. The nodes may include beacon-based clusterhead (BB-CH) nodes and members. Each of the nodes may be configured to transmit communication data packets and transmit beacons. Each of the nodes may have passive spatial awareness. For each of at least some of the BB-CH nodes having members, a BB-CH node may be configured to compile spatial awareness information of all members of the BB-CH node. The compiled spatial awareness information may include a BB-CH node identification for the BB-CH node, position-location information (PLI) of the BB-CH node, a quantity of the members of the BB-CH node, and a member list including member identifications. For each of the at least some of the BB-CH nodes, the BB-CH node may be configured to broadcast, via efficient flooding, some or all of the compiled spatial awareness information to every connected node.

Abstract: A system and method for managing acknowledgments and retransmissions in a distributed manner in a MANET with 2-hop clustering structure. Clusterheads are in charge of assuring delivery of flooding packets to their members. After receiving acknowledgments from associated nodes in the cluster, and clusterheads perform retransmission when necessary with a list of acknowledging nodes. The non-clusterhead nodes receive the retransmissions and determine if that node's acknowledgment was received based on a list of node IDs included in the retransmission. If the node ID is not listed, the node resends the acknowledgment. The process continues until all acknowledgments are received and listed.

Abstract: A communications node of a multi-node communications network is disclosed. In embodiments, the communications node includes a communications interface and controller. The controller transitions the clustering status of the communications node to a clusterhead node status. The clusterhead node identifies a cluster of neighboring nodes with which it is in communication by transmitting hello messages identifying the clusterhead node and its status but omitting a one-hop neighbor list. The clusterhead node refines link discovery to the nodes of the multi-node communications network by flooding the network (e.g., via its cluster of neighboring nodes) with routing status messages, which network nodes not part of the dominating set of clusterhead nodes are restricted from sending.

Abstract: A system and method for efficient collection and distribution of mission-critical information (MCI) throughout a multi-node communication network is disclosed. In embodiments, the multi-node communication network may include a clusterhead node including a communication interface and a controller. In embodiments, the controller transmits an MCI request packet to neighbor nodes of its cluster. The controller receives MCI report packets from the neighbor nodes (or a subset thereof) throughout a first time interval. The controller rebroadcasts the MCI request packet to the neighbor nodes through increasingly shorter time intervals as MCI report packets continue to be transmitted in response. When the controller determines that no MCI report packets have been transmitted during the most recent time interval, the controller generates and transmits an MCI publish packet including the MCI information collected from each neighbor node.

Abstract: A multi-node communication network may include a plurality of nodes, which may include normal value nodes, a clusterhead node, and a high value node. Each of the plurality of nodes may include a communication interface and a controller. The high value node may be defined as high value relative to the normal value nodes during mission data fill. The high value node may be configured to locate the clusterhead node, register the high value node's membership to the clusterhead node, and send position-location information (PLI) to the clusterhead node during registration. Upon receipt of a PLI request, each of the normal value nodes may be configured to send current PLI to the clusterhead node. Upon receipt of the PLI request, the high value node may remain silent.

Abstract: A multi-node communication network may include a plurality of nodes, which may include normal value nodes, a clusterhead node, and a high value node. Each of the plurality of nodes may include a communication interface and a controller. The high value node may be defined as high value relative to the normal value nodes during mission data fill. The high value node may be configured to locate the clusterhead node, register the high value node's membership to the clusterhead node, and send position-location information (PLI) to the clusterhead node during registration. Upon receipt of a PLI request, each of the normal value nodes may be configured to send current PLI to the clusterhead node. Upon receipt of the PLI request, the high value node may remain silent.

Abstract: A multi-node communication network may include a clusterhead node including a communication interface and a controller. In embodiments, the controller may be configured to: transmit a PLI request packet in a first iteration to a group of secondary communication nodes; receive a PLI report packet from a first sub-set of secondary communication nodes throughout a first time interval (?t1); re-transmit the PLI request packet in an (N?1)th iteration to the group of secondary communication nodes; receive a PLI report packet from a second sub-set of secondary communication nodes of the group of secondary communication nodes throughout an (N?1)th time interval (?tN-1); re-transmit the PLI request packet in an Nth iteration to the group of secondary communication nodes; determine that no PLI report packets have been received from a new secondary communication node within an Nth time interval (?tN); and transmit a PLI publish packet to a control communication node.

Abstract: A communication node of a multi-node communication network is disclosed. The communication node includes a communication interface and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a data packet, via the communication interface, from a first additional communication node, the data packet including a broadcast address indicative of a clustering status of the first additional communication node. The controller is further configured to determine a clustering status of the communication node, the clustering status based on a relationship between a number of gateway nodes and a number of clusterhead nodes communicatively coupled to the communication node.

Abstract: A communication node of a multi-node communication network includes a communication interface and a controller. In embodiments, the controller is configured to: receive a data packet from a first additional communication node; determine if the data packet comprises a time-sensitive data packet; determine if a length of the data packet is less than a length threshold; transmit the data packet via a conventional routing procedure to at least one second additional communication node of the multi-node communication network if the data packet comprises a non-time-sensitive data packet or if the length of the data packet is greater than the data packet length threshold; and transmit the data packet via a packet flooding procedure to the at least one second additional communication node if the data packet comprises a time-sensitive data packet and if the length of the data packet is less than the length threshold.

Abstract: In embodiments, a communication node of a multi-node communication network includes a communication interface and a controller communicatively coupled to the communication interface.

Abstract: A method of performing passive packet cross-checking of flooding packets within a multi-node system is disclosed. A first flooding packet is transmitted from a communication node to a first additional communication node of the multi-node system. The first flooding packet causes the first additional communication node to transmit a second flooding packet based on the first flooding packet to the communication node and to a second additional communication node of the multi-node system. A copy of the first flooding packet is stored in a memory cache of the communication node. The second flooding packet is received at the communication node from the first additional communication node. The second flooding packet and the stored copy of the first flooding packet are compared at the communication node, and a status of the first additional communication node is determined based on the comparison.

Abstract: A method of performing data frame error recovery is disclosed. A data packet is received and tested to determine whether the data packet includes one or more bit errors. The data packet is compared with one or more data packets stored in a recovery buffer to identify a duplicate of the data packet when the data packet includes one or more bit errors. One or more bits affected by the one or more bit errors are identified based on a comparison between the data packet and the duplicate of the data packet. Different combinations of bit values for the one or more bits are determined, and the data packet is tested with the different combinations to identify a correct combination of bit values for the one or more bits. The data packet is recovered based on the correct combination of bit values for the one or more bits.