Patent ID: 6990350

Claim:
A method for dynamically configuring a topology of a communication network, the communication network including a plurality of nodes for providing access to the communication network, the method being performed at each node in the communication network and comprising the steps of: (a) determining the locations of selected nodes for establishing communication therewith, said selected nodes being selected from the plurality of nodes in accordance with predetermined network topology parameters; (b) providing a directed beam of electromagnetic radiation for each of said selected nodes for carrying a respective information signal thereon; (c) directing said directed beam toward a corresponding one of said selected nodes to establish a respective communication link therewith; (d) determining if said respective communication links established between the plurality of nodes in the communication network provide a closed signal path amongst the plurality of nodes; (e) repeating the method at step (a) if said closed signal path is not found in step (d); (f) evaluating communication quality of each of said communication links against a predetermined link quality parameter; (g) redirecting said directed beam corresponding to a node for which said communication quality fails to meet said predetermined link quality parameter toward another of said plurality of nodes to establish a new communication link therewith; and (h) repeating the method at step (d).