Patent ID: 7760645

Claim:
A method of providing a reactive ad-hoc network comprising the steps of: providing at least a source node, a first node, a second other node, and a destination node of a plurality of nodes, each node comprising at least a processor, a memory, and a transceiver in communication with the processor for receiving data and transmitting data via a wireless communication medium; providing a packet of data comprising message data and header data to the processor of the first node for transmission therefrom, the header data comprising data relating to the source node and the destination node for the packet of data, data relating to a number of hops already completed for the packet of data, data relating to mobility of packets of data within the reactive ad-hoc network, data relating to a number of hops between the source node and the destination node for a previous packet of data, and a unique identifier for the packet of data; transmitting the data from the transceiver of the first node in a broadcast fashion; receiving the data at the transceiver of the second other node; and determining an action for the second other node with the processor of the second other node, the action being determined in dependence upon at least the header data, the message data, and at least a predetermined criteria, and other than determined in dependence upon any information relating to at least any other node; performing the action, the action being at least one of storing the message data within the memory of the second other node, deleting the packet of data, and updating the header data and re-transmitting the packet of data from the second other node with the transceiver of the second other node in a predetermined broadcast fashion, and determining from the received data with the processor of the second other node whether a path along which the data was transmitted is sub-optimal relative to a previous number of hops and a packet mobility factor; and wherein the predetermined criteria includes the following: when the received data has been received in accordance with the path that is determined to be sub-optimal.