Patent ID: 9648547
Date: 2017-05-09
CPC Classifications: H04L,H04W

Claim:
1. A tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing instructions, that when executed by a processor, perform a method in a wireless point-to-multipoint network for forming, by a first wireless communication node, an association with at least one other wireless communication node, the method comprising: scanning, by the first wireless communication node, for broadcast messages of other wireless communication nodes; receiving a broadcast message from each of multiple other wireless communication nodes, wherein the broadcast message from each of the multiple other wireless communication nodes identifies a hub path cost for accessing a hub through the respective other wireless communication node; storing hub path costs associated with at least two of the other wireless communication nodes; comparing the stored hub path costs to identify a second wireless communication node of the multiple other wireless communication nodes with which to form a primary association, forming a primary association with the second node of the multiple other wireless communication nodes, wherein the primary association is used to actively transfer data frames to a network through the second wireless communication node; forming an alternate association with a third wireless communication node of the multiple other wireless communication nodes associated with the stored hub path costs, wherein the alternate association is actively maintained in an effective standby mode; and if the first wireless communication node will exit the wireless point-to-multipoint network: