Patent ID: 8005108

Claim:
An interactive module for forming an adaptive wireless network in conjunction with other interactive modules communicating intermittently to conserve power, the interactive module comprising: a transceiver unit for transmitting a burst of beacon messages after the interactive module is activated to discover a neighboring interactive module via which the interactive module can communicate with a destination, the beacon messages persisting for a first interval longer than a second interval during which neighboring interactive modules remain in a sleep mode of low-power expenditure, the transceiver unit receiving response messages from the neighboring interactive modules responsive to receiving the beacon messages; a processor coupled to the transceiver unit for determining a selected neighboring interactive module via which to communicate with the destination based on the response messages from the neighboring interactive modules; and a transducer coupled to the transceiver unit for generating information representing a physical property sensed at the interactive module, the information transmitted via the transceiver unit, wherein each beacon message includes data having a plurality of data fields, the plurality of data fields including a first data field indicating that the beacon message is part of the transmitted burst of beacon messages, a second data field indicating a total number of beacon messages transmitted in the burst of beacon messages, and a third data field indicating a sequence of the beacon message within the burst of beacon messages.