USAP: a unifying dynamic distributed multichannel TDMA slot assignment protocol

Abstract

USAP is a distributed TDMA slot assignment protocol for mobile multi-hop broadcast packet radio networks. It allows a transmitter to choose one or more slots from the pool of unassigned slots in its neighborhood, coordinate the announcement and confirmation of the assignment with the neighboring nodes up to two hops away, and detect and resolve conflicting assignments that result from unfortunate timing and the mobility of the nodes. It can form the foundation of many types of dynamic TDMA architectures by providing common support for different higher level heuristics, hence the term "unifying". The TDMA schedule established by USAP is contention-free, all conflicts are detected and resolved, and no livelock can occur.