Patent ID: 9277586
Filing Date: 2016-03-01
CPC Classification: H04W

Claim Text:
1. A method for maintaining network lifetime of a wireless sensor network of an industrial control or monitoring system, said wireless sensor network comprising a plurality of wireless sensor nodes wherein selected wireless sensor nodes have assigned roles in said wireless sensor network, characterised by determining a below threshold operating condition of a first wireless sensor node assigned to a role and re-assigning the role to a second wireless sensor node in said network, wherein the determining the below threshold operating condition comprises the first wireless sensor node determining the below threshold operating condition and the first wireless sensor node requesting the re-assignment with a release request to a network coordinator of said wireless sensor network, said network coordinator is a central node that receives said release request from said first wireless sensor node over said wireless sensor network, and said network coordinator in communication with said second wireless sensor node over said wireless sensor network, characterised by the network coordinator sending a role re-assign command to the second wireless sensor node and sending a role release confirmation to the first wireless sensor node.