Patent ID: 8149796

Claim:
A method, comprising: determining a priority level of each of a plurality of packets in periodic intervals, the priority level based on a voice-capability of a remote terminal to which each of the plurality of packets is directed, whereupon voice packets directed to a voice-capable remote terminal are given a higher priority level than data packets; and wirelessly transmitting the packets in one-packet-per-terminal rounds over a communications medium with packets having higher priority levels being transmitted prior to packets having lower priority levels, wherein a highest priority packet for each of a plurality of remote terminals is transmitted in each round; and wherein when an acknowledgement for a transmitted packet is not received, the packet is retransmitted up to a predetermined first number of times, wherein the predetermined first number of times is lower for the voice packets than other packets, wherein when the first number of times is reached, further retry transmissions are halted until after a frequency hop in modulation, after which the retransmitted packet that was not acknowledged is further retransmitted until a predetermined second number of times, and wherein the predetermined second number of times is lower for voice packets than other packets.