Patent ID: 7142527

Claim:
A system for scheduling transmissions without collisions for nodes in an ad hoc network, wherein the nodes include a new node and admitted nodes, comprising: the admitted nodes, wherein each of the admitted nodes include: a network interface unit arranged to communicate with the nodes within the ad hoc network; and a transmission scheduling unit operative to perform actions, including: using a quasi-static method for time slot allocation within a frame to enforce an upper bound on a time elapsed between two time slots allocated to the same node; determining when the new node has entered the network, and when; propagating the information that the new node has entered the network to the other admitted nodes within the network within a finite time; and once the new node is admitted to the network and known by a majority of the admitted nodes known neighbors and thereby, the new node becoming one of the admitted nodes, start using the time slots reserved for quasi-static scheduling; assigning the time slots for quasi-static scheduling using a network membership date obtained from a routing protocol used in the network; a storage unit configured to store information relating to the nodes on the network; and the new node, wherein the new node includes: a network interface unit arranged to communicate with the nodes within the network; and a transmission scheduling unit that is arranged to perform actions, including: using a dynamic slot allocation method to transmit packets before the new node is admitted to the network; notifying the nodes on the network that the new node has entered the network; using a quasi-static method to transmit packets when the new node is admitted to the network; and determine when the new node has been admitted to the network; and when, using the quasi-static method after receiving a first update from a neighbor that the neighbor knows the existence of the new node.