Patent ID: 7212122

Claim:
A method of communicating information among a plurality of tags, comprising: a) determining, within a first one of the plurality of tags, whether a pre-determined time for powering up and engaging in a route set-up operation has arrived; b) powering up and listening for an access portal beacon if the determination of (a) is affirmative; c) determining whether the access portal beacon has been detected by receiving a signal, and determining whether the strength of the received signal is above a pre-determined threshold; d) identifying, if the determination of (c) is affirmative, the tag as a level 1 tag, and recording the level number; e) determining whether a pre-determined time for broadcasting a level 1 announcement has arrived; f) broadcasting, if the determination of (c) and (e) is affirmative, a level 1 announcement; g) determining, if the determination of (c) is negative, whether a first time period has expired; h) listening, if the determination of (g) is affirmative for the broadcast of a level 1 announcement; i) determining a charge level of a battery that supplies power to the first tag; and i) determining the transmit vower level required to transmit data to the access portal.