Patent ID: 7221668

Claim:
A method of forming a wireless data communication network among transceivers, each transceiver including a common designation with a first plurality of transceivers having a first common designation and a second plurality of transceivers having a second common designation different from the first common designation, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a first ad hoc hierarchical network by the first plurality of transceivers based on the first common designation; (b) forming a second ad hoc hierarchical network by the second plurality of transceivers based on the second common designation; (c) communicating to an external network from a particular transceiver in a particular level of the first ad hoc hierarchical network, other than the highest level, by, (i) successively passing a communication upward in the first ad hoc hierarchical network beginning with the particular transceiver in the particular level of the first ad hoc hierarchical network until the communication is received by a transceiver in the highest level of the first ad hoc hierarchical network, and (ii) establishing a communication link between the transceiver in the highest level of the first ad hoc hierarchical network and an external network access transceiver, such that the communication from the particular transceiver in the particular level of the first ad hoc hierarchical network is passed from the transceiver in the highest level of the first ad hoc hierarchical network to the external network access transceiver; and (d) communicating to an external network from a particular transceiver in a particular level of the second ad hoc hierarchical network, other than the highest level, by, (i) successively passing a communication upward in the second ad hoc hierarchical network beginning with the particular transceiver in the particular level of the second ad hoc hierarchical network until the communication is received by a transceiver in the highest level of the second ad hoc hierarchical network, and (ii) establishing a communication link between the transceiver in the highest level of the second ad hoc hierarchical network and the external network access transceiver of said step (c), such that the communication from the particular transceiver in the particular level of the second ad hoc hierarchical network is passed from the transceiver in the highest level of the second ad hoc hierarchical network to the external network access transceiver.