Patent ID: 7545782

Claim:
In a mesh network having a plurality of nodes for providing wireless access to a plurality of wireless end user devices including a first device and a second device, the first device being associated with a first home node, the second device being provided wireless access by a second roaming node and being associated with a second home node different from the second roaming node, the second roaming node and the second home node each being different from the first home node, the plurality of nodes including a gateway node for tracking the wireless end user devices and for relaying data traffic between the mesh network and another network external to the mesh network, a method of routing data traffic between the second device and the first device when the first device moves into a coverage area of a first roaming node different from each of the first home node and the second roaming node, the method comprising: receiving only at the gateway node a notification from the first roaming node that the first device has moved into the coverage area of the first roaming node; receiving only at the first home node a notification from the gateway node that the first device has moved into the coverage area of the first roaming node; receiving the data traffic from the second roaming node at the first home node, the data traffic originating from the second device and being destined for the first device; forwarding the data traffic from the first home node to the first roaming node; determining at the first roaming node that the data traffic was received from the second roaming node; determining that the data traffic originated from the second device and is destined for the first device; reprogramming the first roaming node to route any further data traffic destined for the second device to the second roaming node; and forwarding the data traffic to the first device wherein further data traffic destined for the second device at the second roaming node from the first roaming node is routed to the second device without involving the second home node or the gateway node.