Patent ID: 7903631
Filing Date: 2011-03-08
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of sending a message through a network of nodes, wherein each node in a first subset of nodes includes at least one directional antenna, and each node in a second subset of nodes includes an omni-directional antenna, the method comprising: identifying as a cluster-head each node in the first subset of nodes; clustering into a cell those nodes in the second subset of nodes that are proximate to each cluster-head; creating a mesh, the mesh including nodes remote from each cluster-head; defining a transition region between the cell and the mesh, the transition region incorporating at least one node of the cell and at least one node of the mesh; and sending the message from a sending node via the cell and/or the mesh in dependence on whether the sending node is a cluster-head type node, wherein nodes in the cell communicate according to a first protocol and nodes in the mesh communicate according to a second protocol, wherein the nodes in the transition region are configured to facilitate changes between communications according to the first and second protocols, and wherein at least one node in the cell is not in the mesh, and at least one node in the mesh is not in the cell.