Patent ID: 7092368

Claim:
A method for reducing device discovery delays in frequency hopping based ad-hoc networks, said method comprising: periodically interrupting an activity being executed by a device to scan, for a pre-determined time period, for inquiry messages from other devices irrespective of which state of activity said other devices are in in between inquiry scans of said other devices, wherein said periodic interruption of an activity occurs at least once every periodic cycle, and wherein a scanning frequency of said inquiry scans changes every said periodic cycle; returning to continue said activity for a random time period on receipt of an inquiry message from another device and, upon expiry of said random time period, processing said inquiry message in accordance with normal procedures applicable to the particular frequency hopping based ad-hoc network when said devices to scan are not found, wherein said random time period to continue said interrupting activity, before processing said inquiry message received from another device, is constrained to be less than or equal to half of said periodic cycle, and wherein receipt of said inquiry message from said another device must occur in a time period equal to no greater than twice said periodic cycle for any starting said scanning frequency; and returning to continue said activity on expiry of said pre-determined time period when said devices to scan are found.