Patent ID: 7379447

Claim:
A method to transmit and receive packets in a node switching between a plurality of slots in a wireless network having a plurality of channels without requiring multiple radios, the method comprising the steps of: determining a channel hopping schedule such that the channel hopping schedule overlaps with at least one other node for which the node has a packet to send, the channel hopping schedule having a schedule for each slot; broadcasting the channel hopping schedule; switching the node to a channel specified for a current slot of the plurality of slots; switching the node from the channel in the current slot to a channel specified for a next slot in the channel hopping schedule; repeating the step of switching the node from the channel in the current slot to a channel specified for a next slot in the channel hopping schedule until the channel hopping schedule for each slot has been completed; incrementing each of the channels in the channel hopping schedule; and if the node is switched to a channel in which the at least one other node is presently active, sending the packet to the at least one other node.