Patent ID: 6999441

Claim:
A method for accessing a controlling communication node by contending communication nodes in a wireless mesh network, the mesh network having one or more communication nodes that may be either a controlling node or a contending node, the method comprising: accessing the controlling node in a non-PRP mode where multiple nodes are not contending for access to the controlling node; and accessing the controlling node in a PRP mode where multiple nodes are contending for access to the controlling node, the PRP mode comprising: withholding, at a contending node, requests for access to a controlling node until receipt, at the contending node, of a poll request packet broadcast from the controlling node, the poll request packet containing information indicating availability of a communication slot; broadcasting from the controlling node to a plurality of contending nodes the poll request packet when the controlling node is ready to provide services; directing from the contending node a poll packet to request access to the controlling node; broadcasting from the controlling node to the plurality of contending nodes a contention resolution packet, the contention resolution packet containing rules information for each contending node requesting access to follow in order to send data to the controlling node; in response to the contention resolution packet, causing each contending node requesting access to transmit data to the controlling node in accordance with the rules information; and broadcasting from the controlling node a broadcast acknowledgement for data received by the controlling node, the broadcast acknowledgement received by all of the plurality of contending nodes, including both winner contending nodes having requested access granted by the controlling node and loser contending nodes not having requested access granted by the controlling node.