Patent ID: 7483403

Claim:
A method to wirelessly network a sensor node, comprising: installing the sensor node in a sensor node network arranged in a hierarchical manner with a plurality of node levels and a cluster head network; assigning a unique identifier to the sensor node; initializing the sensor node network; and the sensor node: periodically entering an awake state; activating a receiver component, the receiver component performing a receiver-signal strength measurement in a reserved channel; determining if the strength measurement is greater than a threshold; responsive to the determination of the strength measurement: when the strength measurement is not greater than the threshold, entering an active low power mode; and when the strength measurement is greater than the threshold, determining whether a wakeup sequence is included at a start of a message that has been received; and responsive to the determination of the wakeup sequence: when the wakeup sequence is included, maintaining the awake state to perform a task for performance of which the wakeup sequence was transmitted, the task including determining intended recipients of the message, and subsequently entering the active low power mode, prior to a propagation of the message to all node levels in the sensor node network, once the task is complete; and when the wakeup sequence is not included, entering the active low power mode.