Spread spectrum techniques for solving MAC-layer interference issues in mobile ad hoc networks

The interference issues are among the most important and urgent problems that have to be solved for ad hoc networks to be efficient, QoS capable, and widely applicable. In this paper, we propose the multiple access with spread spectrum (MASS) approach for medium access control (MAC) in ad hoc networks and multihop wireless LANs. We propose various techniques for MASS, including spread spectrum scheduling, spread spectrum data, and code assignment techniques. MASS is the first and only distributed MAC approach reported in the literature thus far that can solve interference-range problems and heterogeneous terminal problems using a single-channel shared by both data packets and their associated control messages, without relying on detached RTS/CTS dialogues. Appropriate MASS techniques can also naturally support efficient power-controlled transmissions, interference engineering, and directional antennas.