Patent ID: 9288126
Filing Date: 2016-03-15
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method for selecting a clusterhead in a network comprising a plurality of nodes, the method comprising: sending from a first node a first responsibility and a first availability to a second node, wherein the first responsibility indicates a responsibility attributed to the second node to be the clusterhead for the first node, wherein the first responsibility is based on a similarity between the first node and the second node, and wherein the first availability indicates an availability of the first node to be the clusterhead for the second node and the similarity between the first node and the second node is based on shared communication frequencies or a strength of a communication link between the first node and the second node; sending from the first node a second responsibility and a second availability to a third node, wherein the second responsibility indicates a responsibility attributed to the third node to be the clusterhead for the first node, wherein the second responsibility is based on a similarity between the third node and the first node, the similarity between the first node and the third node is based on shared communication frequencies between the first and third nodes, or a strength of a communication link between the first node and the third node, and the second availability indicates an availability of the first node to be the clusterhead for the third node; receiving from the second node a third responsibility and a third availability at the first node, wherein the third responsibility indicates a responsibility attributed to the first node to be the clusterhead for the second node, wherein the third responsibility is based on the similarity between the second node and the first node, and wherein the third availability indicates an availability of the second node to be the clusterhead for the first node; receiving from the third node a fourth responsibility and a fourth availability at the first node, wherein the fourth responsibility indicates a responsibility attributed to the first node to be the clusterhead for the third node, wherein the fourth responsibility is based on the similarity between the first node and the third node, wherein the fourth availability indicates an availability of the third node to be the clusterhead for the first node; determining, by the first node, that the second node is a first clusterhead for the first node based on the first responsibility, third responsibility, first availability and third availability, wherein the first clusterhead is configured to communicate on behalf of the first node; and receiving a message from the third node at the first node, wherein the message is effective to indicate a selection of the first node to be a second clusterhead for the third node, and the selection of the first node to be the second clusterhead is based on the second responsibility, fourth responsibility, second availability and fourth availability, wherein the second clusterhead is configured to communicate on behalf of the third node.