Patent ID: 8243639

Claim:
A method for controlling a wake up rate of nodes operating within a multi-hop communication system, the method comprising: forming a group of access points comprising a plurality of access points within the multi-hop communication system; at each of the plurality of access points: estimating a set of system parameters, wherein the one or more system parameters in the set of system parameters comprise one or more of a density of standby nodes, a density of active nodes, a measure of node mobility, a percentage of nodes that are out of communication range of the access point, a call generation rate, an average call duration, and a percentage of failed call generations and repairs in out of coverage regions; collecting and combining system parameters received from at least one of the plurality of access points in the group of access points with the estimated set of system parameters; processing and refining statistical information regarding the combined system parameters; determining the wake up rate based on the statistical information regarding the combined system parameters; transmitting the wake up rate to one or more nodes in a coverage area; and at one or more nodes within the multi-hop communication system: receiving the wake up rate; periodically changing from a sleep state to a wake up state at the wake up rate to support routing functions for providing multi-hop communication to at least one or more of the plurality of access points.