Patent ID: 7720045

Claim:
A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method to synchronize a wireless node having a single wireless card in a plurality of networks having a plurality of wireless nodes, each of the plurality of wireless nodes having an activity time period, an elapsed time inside an activity time period and a switching cycle, the method comprising: determining which node of the plurality of wireless nodes in at least one ad hoc network in the plurality of networks is a network leader, each network leader having an activity time period and an elapsed time in the at least one ad hoc network in which the node is a network leader, wherein determining includes remaining on the at least one ad hoc network for at least two switching cycles; if an announcement is received from another node, determining if the announcement of the other node indicates that the other node is a leader in the at least one ad hoc network; if the announcement of the other node indicates the other node is the leader, designating the other node as a leader; and if the announcement from the other node indicates the other node is not a leader, announcing an activity period and an elapsed time of the wireless node; synchronizing the activity period and elapsed time of the wireless node with the activity period and elapsed time of each network leader for the at least one ad hoc network; resynchronizing the wireless node to a new leader or becoming a new leader if the wireless node has not received an announcement from the leader for at least two switching cycles; and switching between the plurality of networks using a switching strategy.