Patent ID: 8144671

Claim:
In a wireless network comprising a plurality of nodes, a method of communicating a message from an originating node, intended for receipt by a destination node, via one or more intermediate nodes, comprising the steps of: (a) determining if a network pathway to the destination node is known by the originating node; and (b) communicating with just a single node within the communications range of the originating node if a network pathway to the destination node is known by the originating node, the single node being the first intermediate node identified in the known network pathway, said step of communicating including sending the message and the known network pathway to the first intermediate node; (c) communicating with one or more first intermediate nodes within the communications range of the originating node if a network pathway to the destination node is unknown by the originating node, said step of communicating including sending the message; and (d) communicating the message by each first intermediate node, wherein each first intermediate node is configured for (i) communicating with just a single node within the communications range of the first intermediate node if a single network pathway to the destination node is known by the first intermediate node, the single node being the node identified next after the first intermediate node in the single network pathway, including sending, to the single node, (A) the message, (B) the known network pathway, and (C) the link quality between the originating node and the first intermediate node, (ii) if a plurality of network pathways to the destination node are known by the first intermediate node, then, (A) determining a preferred network pathway from the plurality of known network pathways in accordance with an algorithm, and (B) communicating with just a single node within the communications range of the first intermediate node, the single node being the node identified next after the first intermediate node in the preferred network pathway, including sending, to the next identified node, (I) the message, (II) the preferred network pathway, and (III) the link quality between the originating node and the first intermediate node, and (iii) if no network pathway is known by the first intermediate node, then communicating with one or more nodes within the communications range of the first intermediate node, including sending, (A) the message, and (B) the link quality between the originating node and the first intermediate node.