Patent ID: 7856008

Claim:
A method of synchronizing one or more networks in a first group, each of the one or more networks comprising a central coordinator, each central coordinator adapted to operate in an operating mode selected from a group consisting of uncoordinated mode and coordinated mode, each central coordinator adapted to transition from the uncoordinated mode to the coordinated mode or from the coordinated mode to the uncoordinated mode, the method comprising the steps of: allocating one or more beacon slots wherein each of the allocated one or more beacon slots is associated with a unique network from the one or more networks in the first group; transmitting at least one beacon at the allocated beacon slot by the associated network, wherein the at least one beacon comprises network allocation and scheduling information; wherein one slot of the one or more beacon slots is a master slot synchronized to an alternating current (AC) line cycle functioning as a master timing sequence; detecting one or more beacons; decoding the one or more detected beacons; and transitioning, by the central coordinator of at least one of the one or more networks in the first group, from the coordinated mode to the uncoordinated mode or from the uncoordinated mode to the coordinated mode based on the one or more beacons detected; wherein the coordinated mode is associated with distinct time slots.