Patent ID: 6130881
Filing Date: 2000-10-10
Classification: H04L,H04Q,H04W

Abstract:
A method of transmitting message data from a source node to a destination node in a wireless network having up to N nodes, where each node includes a transmitter and a receiver, comprising the steps of:creating for each node a route table containing a count of the number of transmission hops necessary to reach each remaining node in the wireless network and a node number of a neighboring node forming a next link in a chain of hops to each remaining node in the wireless network, said node number identifying a unique bit in an N bit address mask;appending, to message data to be transmitted from the source node to a destination node, an N bit destination word identifying the destination node or nodes, an N bit route word including a logical OR of the address mask of each node in the wireless network that is expected to retransmit the message data through said network, and a route update message identifying what the source node knows about the network configuration, the route update message having at least one N-bit connectivity word, the number of N-bit connectivity words in the route update message indicating a maximum number of transmission hops away from the source node that the source node could know about the network configuration;said source node transmitting said message data with said destination word, said route word and said route update message appended thereto;each node which receives the message data with said destination word, said route word and said route update message appended thereto updating its route table from said route update message;if said each node is identified in said destination word as a destination node, then said each node processing said message data, else ignoring said message data; andif said each node is identified in said route word as a relay node, then said each node replacing said route word and route update message with data from the updated route table of said each node and retransmitting said message data with said destination word, said replaced route word and said replaced route update message appended thereto.