Method for self-organizing mobile wireless station network
US5850592A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 11, 1996 |
| Grant date | Dec 15, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 11, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W88/16
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In the communications network disclosed herein, each of a plurality of similar stations is operated so that the group automatically organizes or configures itself into a multi-layered network for relaying messages from station to station, with some of the stations operating at a relatively high power level as message gateways for a cluster of stations operating at lower power thereby to form, through the gateways, a network backbone providing longer distance network links. Initially, individual stations attempt to affiliate at a lower power level with an existing cluster gateway and, if that attempt is unsuccessful, the station switches to a higher power level and commences operation as a cluster gateway. Each cluster gateway periodically communicates data at least identifying to other cluster gateways the non-gateway stations which are affiliated with it. Preferably, if a cluster gateway is within affiliation range with another cluster gateway one of them will terminate cluster gateway status if that termination will not reduce connectivity of the network backbone below a preselected level.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.