Patent ID: 7733818

Claim:
A method for node advertisement in a mobile ad hoc network comprising a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together, the method comprising: transmitting node condition information from a given mobile node using a beacon signal; determining a node condition of the given mobile node, the node condition including a profile comprising a class designation, sensor derived information, a privilege level, and priority of information to be transmitted by the given mobile node; and varying the beacon signal by changing a transmission characteristic based upon changes in priority of information to be transmitted by the given mobile node; wherein each node comprises a communications device and a second receiver that is physically connected to an input of the communications device and that is configured to provide an electronic signal for powering up the communications device in response to receipt, by the second receiver, of a radio frequency broadcast, and one or more sensors, including a motion detector, a digital camera, a microphone, a temperature gauge, a thermistor, a vibration sensor, and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.