Patent ID: 8363612

Claim:
At a first node of a wireless network, a node-implemented method for concurrent transmission of multiple radio-frequency signals between a plurality of transmitting and receiving nodes of the wireless network, the method comprising: (A) for a selected time slot, collecting packet-availability information for nodes located within a selected number of hops from the first node; (B) for each packet pkt k in a set of packets available for transmission in said selected time slot, computing a respective maximum number of receiving nodes that are able to receive their intended packets in said selected time slot using any of (i) zero-forcing, (ii)interference-alignment, and (iii) interference-cancellation even if the packet pkt k is transmitted during said selected time slot concurrently with said intended packets, where k is a packet ID, wherein said set of the packets available for transmission in said selected time slot is identified based on the packet-availability information; (C) based on said maximum numbers, determining a largest subset in said set of the packets, said largest subset having a sufficient number of available transmitting nodes to enable corresponding receiving nodes to use, in the selected time slot, said any of (i) zero-forcing, (ii) interference-alignment, and (iii) interference-cancellation for receiving the packets of said largest subset; (D) identifying a set of transmitting nodes corresponding to said largest subset of the packets; and (E) transmitting one or more trigger messages to said set of transmitting nodes to cause the concurrent transmission of said largest subset of packets in the selected time slot.