Patent ID: 6980537

Claim:
In a communications network including a plurality of communication units, wherein at least one of those units is designated as a member unit for transmitting and receiving messages and at least one of those units is designated as a routing unit for routing said messages from said member units, a communication unit to transmit and receive messages within said network comprising: a transmitter to transmit an outgoing message to each neighboring unit of said communication unit; a receiver to receive an incoming message from said each neighboring unit; a storage unit to store network connectivity information relating to said communication unit and corresponding neighboring units; and a processor to control said transmission and reception of said outgoing and incoming messages, wherein said processor includes: a configuration module to designate a status of said communication unit as one of said routing unit and said member unit to configure said communications network, wherein said configuration module includes: a neighbor module to examine said network connectivity information and identify neighboring units of said communication unit that are isolated from communications with remaining neighboring units of said communication unit: a designation module to designate said communication unit as said routing unit in response to determining that said communication unit communicates with at least one neighboring unit that is isolated from communications with remaining neighboring units of said communication unit, wherein said communication unit designation as said routing unit is fixed for routing subsequent network messages; and a monitor module to re-evaluate said communication unit designation in response to connectivity changes in said network.