Adaptive MAC Protocols Using Memory for Networks With Critical Traffic

We consider a multiaccess communication network where network users are subject to critical events such as emergencies and crises. If a critical event occurs to a user, the user needs to send critical traffic as early as possible. However, most existing medium access control (MAC) protocols are not adequate to meet the urgent need for data transmission by users with critical traffic. In this paper, we devise a class of distributed MAC protocols that achieve coordination using the finite-length memory of users containing their own observations and traffic types. We formulate a protocol design problem and find protocols that solve the problem. The proposed protocols enable a user with critical traffic to transmit its critical traffic without interruption from other users after a short delay while allowing users to share the channel efficiently when there is no critical traffic. Moreover, the proposed protocols require low communications and computational overhead.