Patent ID: 8036330

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, by a first node in a wireless non-hierarchical network, a plurality of frequency synchronization messages from at least second and third nodes; determining a frequency of the second node by comparing a difference between counter values contained in the frequency synchronization messages received from the second node to a difference between counter values of an oscillator of the first node that were saved at the time the frequency synchronization messages from the second node were received at the first node, wherein each of the counter values from the second node represents contents of a counter corresponding to an oscillator of the second node at the time one of the frequency synchronization messages was created at the second node; determining a frequency of a third node using information contained in the frequency synchronization messages; calculating an average frequency based on the frequency synchronization messages and the frequency of the second node and the third node; calculating a control frequency based on the average frequency; and setting the oscillator of the first node to the control frequency.