Patent ID: 7797367

Claim:
A sensor node comprising: at least one processor; at least one energy source; a multiple-mode radio frequency modem configured to selectively operate in at least a master mode and a slave mode, wherein the modem is configured to operate in the master mode in response to the sensor node having a number of connections to neighbor nodes of the sensor node that exceeds a respective number of connections that each of the neighbor nodes has to its own neighbor nodes by a threshold number of connections, wherein the sensor node is configured to control a frequency hopping pattern for each neighbor node of the sensor node in response to the modem operating in the master mode, wherein the modem is configured to operate in the slave mode in response to a neighbor node of the sensor node having a number of neighbor node connections that exceeds the number of connections to neighbor nodes of the sensor node by the threshold number of connections, and wherein the sensor node is configured to acquire and follow a frequency hopping pattern of a neighbor node of the sensor node that operates as a master to the sensor node in response to the modem operating in the master mode; and at least one substrate configured to couple the at least one processor, the at least one energy source, and the multiple-mode radio frequency modem, wherein the at least one substrate comprises at least one sensor.