Patent ID: 7792050
Filing Date: 2010-09-07
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of operation of a node within an ad hoc network, the method comprising: monitoring one or more messages from one or more other nodes in the ad hoc network to identify a Network Name and a Network Identifier associated with each of the other nodes; comparing each Network Name with a current Network Name of the node; for each of the other nodes having the same Network Name as the current Network Name of the node, comparing each Network Identifier with a current Network Identifier of the node; and when at least one Network Identifier of at least one other node is different from the current Network Identifier of the node, using an arbitration method to determine if the node should change the current Network Identifier to a second Network Identifier, wherein the arbitration method comprises: comparing a parameter value associated with each of the at least one other node and the node; and changing the current Network Identifier of the node to the second Network Identifier of one of the other nodes having the same Network Name using one of the criteria selected from a group comprising (a) when the parameter value of the at least one other node is lower than parameter value of the node, (b) when the parameter value of the at least one other node is higher than the parameter value of the node, and (c) when the parameter value of the at least one other node is closer to a target parameter value than the parameter value of the node.