Patent ID: 8116309

Claim:
A communication network comprising; constrained neighborhood of interconnected network nodes and packet switches or routers, wherein each of the said nodes and packet switches or routers further comprises: a transmitter to transmit an improved Ethernet protocol data packet compatible with a standard Ethernet data protocol, and receiver to receive the said improved Ethernet protocol data packet, and the said improved Ethernet protocol data packet comprises: destination address field of 48 bits, a source address field of 48 bits, a first Etype field of 16 bits, a Tag field of 16 bits, a second Etype field of 16 bits, a variable-length data field, and a frame check sequence field of 32 bits, for efficient communication in a predetermined value that is unused in the standard Ethernet data protocol for identifying Etype in the first Etype field or in the second Etype field for identifying the said improved Ethernet Protocol data packet; and a supplemental header field that is adapted to support routing of the said improved Ethernet protocol data packet within the constrained neighborhood in at least a portion of one of the destination address field or the source address field; and a first fixed-length data field in at least a portion of the other of the destination address field or the source address field.