End-to-end quality of service framework for heterogeneous networks

This paper proposes a framework for the integration of various wireless technologies among themselves and with wired backbone(s) to achieve seamless end-to-end quality of service. The basis of such integration is offered by pipeline forwarding a scheduling solution based on the deployment of a common time reference throughout the network. Time based coordination, which ensures the deterministic service properties of pipeline forwarding, can also be used in the context of this framework to control medium access for those wireless technologies that would not ensure deterministic access times.