Patent ID: 8149748
Filing Date: 2012-04-03
Classification: H04W,Y02D

Abstract:
1. In a wireless network comprising a network controller (NC) and a plurality of wireless network nodes (NN) arranged in a hierarchy, from a first group (GR 1 ) which is closest to the NC to a last group (GRn) which is farthest from the NC, a method of operating the network comprising: configuring a sync period to have twice a number (2n) of sub-periods as groups (n) of the hierarchy wherein n is at least three; providing a sleep mode of operation, wherein the NC does not send out sync messages; and providing a Network Running mode of operation, wherein the NC sends out sync messages to achieve network synchronization by propagating a sync message through the hierarchy, wherein during the network running mode, a sync message is propagated downstream through the hierarchy in a group-by-group manner wherein the NNs of each group except for the last group are configured to receive, modify and retransmit the modified sync messages to a next group of NNs which are downstream in the hierarchy during each successive sub-period of the sync period.