Patent ID: 7949747

Claim:
A method of communication within a network of a water treatment system, the water treatment system including a plurality of devices, the devices including at least one AC powered device and at least one battery powered device or battery operated device, the method comprising the steps of: continually checking, by a first AC powered device, the network for broadcasts by other devices; detecting, by the first AC powered device, a broadcast by another device; establishing, by the first AC powered device, a logical connection with the other device; receiving, by the first AC powered device, any request by the other device for data, the request including the identification of a data element, and the address of the device which relates to the data element, wherein the data includes a respective lifetime value; and receiving, by the first AC powered device, any data offered by the other device, the data including the identification of a data element, the data element value, and the identification of the device which originated the data element value, wherein the data includes a respective lifetime value; and waking up and requesting, by the battery operated device, updated data element values when any one data element value, as a result of the respective lifetime value being reduced as the data or request travels through the network, has less than a first pre-determined minimum of a maximum life time value, wherein the requesting is for all values resident in the battery operated device having a life time value less than a second pre-determined minimum of the maximum life time value, wherein the first pre-determined minimum is less than the second pre-determined minimum.