Patent ID: 8457228

Claim:
A master communication device configured to communicate with one or more slave transceivers according to a master/slave relationship in which a slave communication from a slave device to the master communication device occurs in response to a master communication from the master communication device to the slave device, the master communication device comprising: a master transceiver configured to transmit a first message over a communication medium from the master transceiver to the one or more slave transceivers, wherein the first message comprises: first information modulated according to a first modulation method, second information, including a payload portion, modulated according to the first modulation method, wherein the second information comprises data intended for one of the one or more slave transceivers and first message address information that is indicative of the one of the one or more slave transceivers being an intended destination of the second information; and said master transceiver configured to transmit a second message over the communication medium from the master transceiver to the one or more slave transceivers wherein the second message comprises: third information modulated according to the first modulation method, wherein the third information comprises information that is indicative of an impending change in modulation to a second modulation method, and fourth information, including a payload portion, transmitted after transmission of the third information, the fourth information being modulated according to the second modulation method, the second modulation method being of a different type than the first modulation method, wherein the fourth information comprises data intended for a single slave transceiver of the one or more slave transceivers, and second message address information that is indicative of the single slave transceiver being an intended destination of the fourth information; and wherein the second modulation method results in a higher data rate than the first modulation method.