Patent ID: 8599759

Claim:
An input/output device comprising: a transmitter configured to generate a radio frequency signal transmission; a receiver configured to receive a radio frequency signal transmission from a plurality of separately provided input/output devices arranged in a multi-signal path transmission network; and a processor-based control coordinating transmissions of radio frequency signal transmissions from at least one of the plurality of separately provided input/output devices, the processor-based control configured to: receive a route request from at least one of the plurality of separately provided input/output devices, the route request including a destination for a proposed communication over the network; determine whether the receiver is the destination for the proposed communication, and, if so, generate and transmit a route reply message without delay; and if the receiver is not the destination for the proposed communication, determine whether a signal path to the destination through another of the plurality of separately provided input/output devices to the destination is available, and if a signal path to the destination is available, generate and transmit a route reply message after at least a first predetermined amount of delay.