Patent ID: 7852763

Claim:
A node in a wireless communications network, the node comprising: an antenna; a transmitter/receiver in communication with the antenna, the transmitter/receiver effective to transmit and receive a packet of data, the packet including a header, the packet to be transmitted to a destination in a flow; a scheduler in communication with the transmitter/receiver; a media access controller in communication with the scheduler; the scheduler effective to receive the packet, set a remaining delay of flow variable equal to a maximum allowable end to end delay for a flow of the packet, set an expected delay of the packet at the node variable equal to a quotient of the remaining delay of flow variable and a number of remaining hops in the flow of the packet, set a slack variable equal to the number of remaining hops in the flow of the packet, when the expected delay of the packet at the node variable is greater than the quotient of the length of the packet and a reserved rate of flow, set a holding time equal to the expected delay of the packet at the node variable minus the quotient of the length of the packet and the reserved rate of flow; when the expected delay of the packet at the node variable is less than or equal to the quotient of the length of the packet and the reserved rate of flow, set the holding time to zero, and the scheduler is further effective to forward the packet, including the expected delay of the packet at the node variable and the slack variable in the header, to the media access controller for transmission based on the holding time.