Patent ID: 7675863

Claim:
A wireless sensor network comprising: a plurality of star nodes constructed and arranged to transmit and receive wireless signals; and a plurality of routers each constructed and arranged to transmit and receive wireless signals for communication with at least one star node, and constructed and arranged to transmit and receive wireless signals for communication with at least one other device in the wireless sensor network; wherein at least one star node or at least one router performs a connectivity assessment for at least first and second other devices in the network that indicates a measure of a quality of wireless communication between the at least one star node or the at least one router and the first and second other devices in the network, the connectivity assessment being performed for each respective one of the first and second other devices at multiple, different frequencies, the connectivity assessment being used to determine a first communication relationship between the at least one star node or at least one router and the first device, and a second communication relationship between the at least one star node or at least one router and the second device, the first and second communication relationships being established for future communication between the at least one star node or at least one router and the first and second devices at multiple frequencies, respectively, such that if a communication with the first device at a first frequency is unsuccessful, the at least one star node or at least one router retries the communication with the second device and at a second frequency.