Patent ID: 7925726

Claim:
A method of operation for a network node capable of operating in a binary tree topology network, the network node having one uptree channel, and a first and second downtree channels, each channel capable of docking with a node, the method comprising the steps of sending a standard connection request to a parent node, and receiving an acknowledgement of that request, thereby permitting the network node and the parent node to be docked on the uptree channel; receiving a standard connection request from a first child node, and acknowledging that request, thereby permitting the first node to be docked with the network node on a first downtree channel; receiving a standard connection request from a second child node, and acknowledging that request, thereby permitting the second node to be docked with the network node on a second downtree channel; maintaining a network model comprising an address for a grandparent node, and for any node docked with the network node; receiving a priority join request from a third node, and in response to the priority join request: if nodes are docked on both of the first and second downtree channels of the network node, sending a depart propagate message to a node selected from the set of: a first child node or a second child node, thereby causing the selected node and the network node to be no longer docked; and sending an acknowledgement of the priority join request to the third node, thereby permitting the network node and the third node to be docked on one of the first and second downtree channels.