Patent ID: 8325702

Claim:
A method for communicating data among a plurality of nodes in an ad-hoc wireless network operating in accordance with a time division multiple access (TDMA) channel scheme, comprising: determining a set of first tier communication links for said plurality of nodes by scheduling for said plurality of nodes usage of a plurality of time slots defined by said TDMA scheme to maximize a number of node pairs that can communicate concurrently during at least a first time slot of said plurality of time slots using a first tier waveform, said first tier waveform a high power signal exclusive of a spread spectrum signal, and each of said node pairs including different nodes than those comprising all other ones of said node pairs; determining a set of second tier communication links between any combination of said plurality of nodes to be implemented concurrently with said first tier communications links of said first time slot using a second tier waveform different from said first tier waveform, said second tier waveform a low power spread spectrum signal which will not interfere with ongoing first tier communications between said plurality of nodes; and communicating among said plurality of nodes during said first time slot using said first tier waveforms of said set of first tier communication links and said second tier waveforms of said set of second tier communication links.