Patent ID: 7532114

Claim:
A communications network for a security network comprising: at least one master base unit configured to operate as a radio master; at least one slave base unit; each of the at least one master base units communicating with the at least one slave base unit, and communicating with a plurality of security network transponders; and each of the at least one slave base units communicating with the at least one master base unit, and communicating with the plurality of security network transponders, wherein each of the base units has a controller function that uses logic implemented in firmware or software to determine whether an alert condition exists and whether to prompt a signal indicating the existence of the alert condition, and wherein the controller function in the at least one slave base unit is subordinate to the controller function in the at least one master base unit as long as the at least one master base unit is operable but becomes primary when the at least one slave base unit determines that the at least one master base unit is no longer operable.