Patent ID: 7855997

Claim:
A method for scheduling time division multiple access (TDMA) communications among a plurality of peer nodes using directional antennas in a mobile ad hoc network, comprising: arranging a plurality of peer nodes to form a wireless ad hoc mobile network, said peer nodes communicating with each other using directional antennas and a TDMA process; automatically scheduling at least one transmit time slot during which a first one of said plurality of peer nodes transmits wireless data to a second one of said plurality of peer nodes; wherein said scheduling step includes: automatically selecting a candidate time slot for said transmit time slot, said candidate time slot having a first timing position within a data epoch comprising a plurality of mini-slots; determining whether transmissions during said candidate time slot will (1) cause interference with communications of any of said plurality of peer nodes that are located in a defined transmit antenna beam of said first node, or (2) be subject to interference when received at said second node resulting from transmissions from any of said plurality of peer nodes located in a defined receive antenna beam of said second node; and automatically selecting a second timing position within said data epoch for said candidate time slot if it is determined that said candidate time slot will cause or be subject to said interference, said second timing position being different than said first timing position; and wherein said candidate time slot includes any contiguous group of said plurality of mini-slots having an arbitrary starting position within said data epoch.