Patent ID: 8832244

Claim:
A network comprising: a plurality of network elements including at least one node configured to be coupled among an environment, wherein the at least one node is further configured to provide node information to the plurality of network elements, wherein the plurality of network elements is configured to: be self-assembled into a multi-cluster network; select a start node as a base node, wherein the base node is operable to communicate an assembly packet throughout the network; receive the assembly packet and become a base node in response to the information of the assembly packet comprising an instruction for a current node to become a base node, or become a remote node in response to the information of the assembly packet comprising an instruction for the current node to become a remote node; become a member of a particular cluster in response to the information of the assembly packet comprising an indication of a particular cluster number; modify information of the assembly packet to direct at least one next node to become a base node in response to the information of the assembly packet comprising an instruction for the current node to become a remote node, or to direct at least one next node to become a remote node in response to the information of the assembly packet comprising an instruction for the current node to become a base node; increment the particular cluster number indicated in the information of the assembly packet; and send the assembly packet to the at least one next node; wherein the plurality of network elements is further configured so that the assembly packet is ignored by a node that has previously seen the assembly packet.