Patent ID: 6370396
Filing Date: 2002-04-09
Classification: H04B,H04W,Y02D

Abstract:
A facility-wide communication system for communicating in an energy-limited environment, comprising:a plurality of RF transceivers, each of the plurality of RF transceivers located within a communication range of an area where communication is desired and connected to a control unit; a plurality of control units, each of the plurality of control units connected with wire to at least another one of the plurality of control units, the control units connected to at least one of the plurality of RF transceivers and providing power to the transceivers, wherein a wireless communication signal received at first one of the plurality of RF transceivers is transmitted with a logic pulse to a first one of the plurality of control units connecting the first RF transceiver, and the first control unit transmits the communication signal and the logic pulse to next one of the plurality of control units that the first control unit is directly connected to, the next control unit further transmitting the communication signal and logic pulse to a second one of the plurality of RF transceivers connected to the next control unit, the logic pulse causing the second RF transceiver to transmit the communication signal wirelessly, the next control unit further transmitting the communication signal with the logic pulse to another one of the plurality of control units that is connected to the next control unit, thus allowing the communication signal to be propagated to a desired destination in an energy-limited areas via the RF transceivers communicating wirelessly and the control units communicating via wire connections.