Method of transmitting time-critical scheduling information between single network devices in a wireless network using slotted point-to-point links

1. A device comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, if executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

define a data sequence, the data sequence including a header portion and a payload portion, wherein the header portion includes an address code of a second device and the payload portion includes timing control information for communicating packets between devices in a communication network wherein the timing control information defines when the second device communicates, wherein the address code is a first active member address of the second device, and wherein the first active member address and a second active member address are assigned to the second device; and

an antenna configured to transmit the defined data sequence in a data communication packet to the second device in a time defined contact slot.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the payload portion includes only the timing control information.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the address code indicates that the data communication packet contains the timing control information.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the data sequence further includes a flag bit indicating that the data communication packet contains the timing control information.

5. A method of transmitting timing control information from a first device to a second device in a communication network, the method comprising:

defining a data sequence at a first device, the data sequence including a header portion and a payload portion, wherein the header portion includes an address code of a second device and the payload portion includes timing control information for communicating packets between devices in a communication network wherein the timing control information defines when the second device communicates, wherein the address code is a first active member address of the second device, and wherein the first active member address and a second active member address are assigned to the second device; and

transmitting the defined data sequence in a data communication packet from the first device to the second device in a time defined contact slot.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

identifying a current slot number at the first device;

determining a first value of a first parameter at the first device, the first parameter defining a distance between contact slots for communicating with the second device;

determining a second value of a second parameter at the first device, the second parameter defining an offset distance from a start of a contact slot for communicating with the second device;

determining a next contact slot for communicating with the second device, wherein the next contact slot is a smallest slot number after the identified current slot number that satisfies N slot mod N inter — contact =N contact — offset where N slot is the smallest slot number after the identified current slot number, N inter — contact is the determined first value, and N contact — offset is the determined second value.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining a third value of a third parameter at the first device, the third parameter defining a backoff counter for communicating with the second device, wherein the next contact slot is determined based on N slot mod 2 b N inter — contact=N contact — offset where b is the determined third value.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising adjusting the determined third value unless 2 b N inter — contact >N max — poll where N max — poll is a maximum number of slots to allow since a last successful contact event.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the timing control information comprises scheduling information associated with a scheduling method for prioritizing use of contact slots in the communication network.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the payload portion includes only the timing control information.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the data sequence further includes a flag bit indicating that the data communication packet contains the timing control information.

12. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first active member address indicates that the data communication packet contains the timing control information.

13. The method of claim 5 , wherein the data communication packet is transmitted using a first communication link to the second device, wherein the first communication link is parallel to a second communication link to the second device.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a processor, cause a computing device to:

define a data sequence, the data sequence including a header portion and a payload portion, wherein the header portion includes an address code of a second device and the payload portion includes timing control information for transmitting packets in a communication network wherein the timing control information defines when the second device communicates, wherein the address code is a first active member address of the second device, and wherein the first active member address and a second active member address are assigned to the second device; and

transmit the defined data sequence in a data communication packet to the second device in a time defined contact slot.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the payload portion includes only the timing control information.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the address code indicates that the data communication packet contains the timing control information.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the data sequence further includes a flag bit indicating that the data communication packet contains the timing control information.

18. A device comprising:

an antenna configured to receive a data communication packet from a first device;

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, if executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

identify a data sequence from the received data communication packet, wherein the data sequence includes a header portion and a payload portion, wherein the header portion includes an address code of the device and the payload portion includes timing control information for communicating packets between devices wherein the timing control information defines when the device communicates, wherein the address code is a first active member address of the device, and wherein the first active member address and a second active member address are assigned to the device; and

determine that the identified data sequence includes the timing control information.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the payload portion includes only the timing control information.

20. The device of claim 18 , wherein the determination is based on the address code.

21. The device of claim 18 , wherein the data sequence further includes a flag bit and the determination is based on the value of the flag bit.

22. A method of receiving timing control information from a first device at a second device in a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a data communication packet from a first device at a second device;

identifying a data sequence from the received data communication packet, wherein the data sequence includes a header portion and a payload portion, wherein the header portion includes an address code of the second device and the payload portion includes timing control information for communicating packets between devices wherein the timing control information defines when the second device communicates, wherein the address code is a first active member address of the second device, and wherein the first active member address and a second active member address are assigned to the second device; and

determining that the identified data sequence includes the timing control information.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the payload portion includes only the timing control information.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the determination is based on the address code.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein the data sequence further includes a flag bit and the determination is based on the value of the flag bit.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a processor, cause a computing device to:

receive a data communication packet from a first device;

identify a data sequence from the received data communication packet, wherein the data sequence includes a header portion and a payload portion, wherein the header portion includes an address code of the computing device and the payload portion includes timing control information for communicating packets between devices wherein the timing control information defines when the computing device communicates, wherein the address code is a first active member address of the computing device, and wherein the first active member address and a second active member address are assigned to the computing device; and

determine that the identified data sequence includes the timing control information.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26 , wherein the payload portion includes only the timing control information.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26 , wherein the determination is based on the address code.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26 , wherein the data sequence further includes a flag bit and the determination is based on the value of the flag bit.