Patent ID: 7676195

Claim:
A method for a gateway node to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of satellite nodes, each satellite node coupled to a sensor or an actuator and the gateway node coupled to a computer, comprising the steps of: transmitting during a gateway node transmit communication time a communication from the gateway node to one or more satellite nodes on a first logical layer of satellite nodes that are within a broadcast range of the gateway node; receiving the communication from the gateway node at a satellite node on the first logical layer of satellite nodes during a receive communication time that overlaps with at least a portion of the gateway node transmit communication time; transmitting the communication from the satellite node on the first logical layer of satellite nodes to one or more additional satellite nodes outside of the broadcast range of the gateway node on a next sequential logical layer of satellite nodes; receiving the communication at the satellite node on a next to last logical layer of satellite nodes during a receive communication time that overlaps with at least a portion of the transmit communication time for a satellite node on a logical layer that is one logical layer closer to the gateway node than the satellite node on the next to last logical layer; transmitting the communication from the satellite node on the next to last logical layer of satellite nodes to one or more additional satellite nodes on a last sequential logical layer of satellite nodes during a transmit communication time for satellite nodes on the next to last logical layer; and receiving the communication at the satellite node on the last logical layer of satellite nodes during a receive communication time that overlaps with at least a portion of the transmit communication time for satellite nodes on the last logical layer, wherein the transmit communication time for a particular satellite node on a logical layer of satellite nodes follows a receive communication time for the particular satellite node such that the aggregate of the transmit and receive communication times forms a total communication time for the particular satellite node.