An overview of scheduling algorithms in wireless multimedia networks

Scheduling algorithms are important components in the provision of guaranteed quality of service parameters such as delay, delay jitter, packet loss rate, or throughout. The design of scheduling algorithms for mobile communication networks is especially challenging given the highly variable link error rates and capacities, and the changing mobile station connectivity typically encountered in such networks. This article provides a survey of scheduling techniques for several types of wireless networks. Some of the challenges in designing such schedulers are first discussed. Desirable features and classifications of schedulers are then reviewed. This is followed by a discussion of several scheduling algorithms which have been proposed for TDMA, CDMA, and multihop packet networks.