Patent ID: 6504829
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
A method for automatically managing communication channel resources between nodes having neighboring nodes in a network of nodes, each node being configured to communicate during specific time slots on a time multiplex basis, the method comprising:communicating between nodes in the network using a time division multiple access structure, the time division multiple access structure including broadcast cycles having a plurality of time frames, each time frame having a plurality of time slots and a plurality of frequency channels; storing, at each node, an assignment of possible time slots and frequency channels to communicate between nodes in the network; grouping neighboring nodes of a particular node into at least a first group and a second group when the number of neighboring nodes of the particular node exceeds a predetermined limit; assigning a first frequency channel to the first group on which to transmit communications to nodes in the network; assigning a second frequency channel to the second group on which to transmit communications to nodes in the network; creating a third group, wherein members of the third group include a first pair of nodes from the first group and a second pair of nodes from the second group; assigning a frequency channel to the first and second pairs of nodes, respectively, on which to receive communications from nodes in the network; and shifting, based on density of the network, the respective frequency channels assigned to the first and second pairs of nodes in the third group on which to receive communications from nodes in the network.