Ephremides, Nguyen, Wieselthier receive U.S. Patent 7,233,584

This schematic shows the allocation of user nodes into groups for increased throughput.

Professor Tony Ephremides (ECE/ISR), and Gam Nguyen and Jeffrey Wieselthier of the Naval Research Laboratory received a U.S. Patent for the invention, Group TDMA frame allocation method and apparatus on June 19, 2007.

The invention is a method and device that improves multiple-access capability for multihop wireless networks with multiple destinations and randomly generated traffic. User nodes are divided into groups in a way that provides increased throughput. A technique that optimizes the allocation of slots to these groups in periodically recurring frames is also included. This achieves maximum throughput and reduces the energy needed for each successfully transmitted packet.

Both Wieselthier and Nguyen earned Ph.D.s in electrical engineering from the University of Marylannd. Ephremides advised Wieselthier and ECE Professor Emeritus Lee Davisson advised Nguyen.

Published September 19, 2007