Patent ID: 8867480

Claim:
A method for dynamic spectral assignment in an ad hoc network including a plurality of wireless network nodes, comprising: using a computer processing device in at least one of the plurality of wireless network nodes to perform frequency selection operations which include determining a set of allowed frequencies from a plurality of pre-specified frequencies that can be used by said ad hoc network, assigning an index value to each allowed frequency of said set of allowed frequencies, creating an allowed list comprised of said index values arranged in a deterministic order, determining a first plurality of pointers respectively pointing to said index values contained in said allowed list, and dynamically selecting an initial set of pointers from said first plurality of pointers based on a value of a total number of frequency hops that said wireless network nodes can perform over a given period of time and a total number of allowed frequencies in said set of allowed frequencies, each pointer of said initial set of pointers specifying one of said allowed frequencies to be used as an initial value for a corresponding one of said frequency hops; performing a wireless frequency hopping communication session among the plurality of wireless network nodes in said ad hoc network, using a frequency for each said frequency hop specified by said initial set of pointers; and dynamically assigning with said computer processing device an updated pointer value to selected ones of said frequency hops to specify an updated frequency to be used for that frequency hop of a hopping sequence.